CAVE EXPLORATION

The sport of caving and pot-holing is enjoying a great wave of popularity, one form of which is a vast enthusiasm for digging out choked swallets and clearing cave passages. To make a record of all is quite a task, for which the Editor cannot wait indefinitely. Some of the digs have had real good luck, the Northern Pennine Club at Pen-y-Gent Pot, the B.S.A. at Ireby Cavern – and at Bar Pot even too successful – but the Craven Pot-hole Club with their 85 ft. mine have had bad luck ; still they have given much negative information to science.

I.  New Discoveries

Fermanagh, Knockmore, Pollaraftra. (Take the lane near the top of Knockmore Bank leading up dale to Legland Farm. The pot is on the top of the bank of the swallet above the farm.) 6th and 10th June, 1949. Two small pitches reached the stream. Tyas (C.P.C.) found a way above a sump and he and J. P. Barton did half a mile of very fine passage with obstruc­ tions. Later with P. W. Burton he made it into a mile !

1950 and 1951, Whitsun. Craven Potholers carried on further, losing the stream and finding large pools. Three days were spent in 1951, on a very exhausting expedition of not less than 1½ miles, led by Tyas.

Fermanagh, Knockmore, Pollamad. (On the 6 in. map, 1 mile south of Legland on the way to Noon’s Hole) June, 1949. Six of the Y.R.C. party ; 36 feet deep ; disappointing.

Fermanagh, Knockmore, Rattle Hole. June, 1949. Five Y.R.C. men; no feet deep; laddered. Undoubtedly the first descent as the chimney route could not be completed without ladders or hauling.

Leitrim – Sligo. June, 1951. J. A. Holmes, John Godley and H. L. Stembridge discovered an area in the triangle Bundoran – Sligo – Manorhamilton containing a good many unexplored pot-holes and caves ; details were noted of 22 of these.

1. 1.  Carrickeeny, Taempol. Waterfall marked on 6 in. map. Open pot surrounded by trees. Narrow fissure open to south. Stream falls 30 ft. to boulder jamb from N.E. and then through hole 35 ft. to shallow pool which may be reached through fissure without climbing. Stream disappears through low passage to S. and enters E. wall of enclosed pot 50 ft. away. This pot may be reached by two pitches of 6 ft. and 15 ft. near fissure to dry passages, entering closed pot on its W. wall. Latter 20 ft. across and reported 90 ft. deep. Stream can be followed upstream for 40 yards, passages 15 ft. to 20 ft. high, then giving access to moor.
2. 2.  Carrickeeny, Pollnadinya. 1 mile N.N.W. of Taempol; S.W. of small lake. Runs N. and S. Estimated 20 ft. wide and 90 ft. deep. May be climbed part way at S. end ; good ladder lead at N. end.
3. 3.  Gorteenaguinnell, Pollna Leprechauns. Marked on 6 in. map. Resembles No. 2 but appears deeper. Needs stake belay.
4. 4.  Gorteenaguinnell, Pollnatyshun. j mile S.E. of No. 3. No trees ; open rift. 80 ft. deep, running N.W.-S.E., appear deeper at S.E.
5. 5.  Gorteenaguinhnell, Pollnagon. 150-200 yards E. of No. 4, in the same line of sinks and about the same depth.
6. 6.  Glenade, Wild Cats Hole. 6 miles N.W. of Manor­ hamilton. Marked on 6 in. and 1 in. maps. Shallow sink of no consequence.
7. 7.  Glenade, Pollachorry. 200 ft. limestone cliff ¼ mile above Wild Cat’s Hole and visible for some miles around. Stream descends in cascade from hole near top, forming spectacular waterfall. Water sinks below small waterfall 200 yards downstream, but probably cannot be followed. Ancient altar of historical interest near this place.
8. 8.  Glenade, Pollnawadeewee. 1¼ miles W.S.W. across valley in direct line from No. 7 ; just below house of Joe Rooney. Deep open pot descended from E. of dry watercourse. Descent is over 40 ft. boulder slope to large vault with boulder floor. Roof very high with passage high up in W. wall which might be climbed. Continues over mud floor turning westerly under 3-4 ft. marbled limestone curtain to 15 ft. climbable pitch. High rift continues 20 yards to 2 ft. curtain. Mud floor finishes over mud slope 20 ft. which descends to low passage containing water; may continue. Watercourse is boundary between Tully and Largy townlands.
9. 9 and 10.  Largy townland. 1 mile W.N.W. over moor from No. 8. Broken rift over 200 yards long running N. to S. 50 to 60 ft. deep, needs stake belay. Resembles Pigeon Pots.
10. 11 and 12. 11a and 12a. Largy townland. A further series of pots at right angles to 9 and 10, one or two over 100 ft. deep, others only 30 ft. Occur at about 50 yard intervals and extend to limestone clints. J mile to the south is a further series of pots running at right angles to above, three of which are of interest and require ladders. The lake adjacent tD No. 2 (Pollnadinya) lies \ mile S. of the last-mentioned pots. The moor contains innumerable small pots.
11. 13.  Gurteen Aghamore townland. 1 mile N.W. of Gurteen Chapel at 900 ft. altitude. Open pot with trees near edge of scarp. Apparently 60 ft.
12. 14.  Gorteenaguinnell townland. Small pot at 900 ft. altitude, 250 to 300 yards E.N.E. of No. 13. Apparently leads into rift 80 to 90 ft.
13. 15 .Gorteenaguinnell townland. Adjacent to No. 14. Deep shaft almost covered by bushes, apparently 80 to 90 ft.
14. 16.  Gorteenaguinnell townland. Large open pot with trees, 30 ft., leading to boulder slope 35 ft. Capacious chamber partly levelled where hut had been built during troubles. One ladder pitch beyond ; possibly continues.
15. 17. 18 and 19. Tawnamachugh townland. ½ mile W.N.W. of 14, 15 and 16. Shafts surrounded by embankments and apparently 80 to 100 ft. deep.
16. 20.  Cushlaw Cave. ¹⁄₃ mile N.W. of 17, 18 and 19. Low entrance at foot of 40 ft. limestone cliff. Through boulder jamb to several short climbs.
17. 21.  Truskmore, Glasdrumman townland. 2 miles S.S.E. of summit of Truskmore. 200 yards S.E. of low limestone crags. Shaft apparently 60 ft.
18. 22.  Dermot and Granias Bed. Marked on 1 in. and 6 in. O.S. maps, and probably of historic interest. A huge obvious cave at 1,700 ft. at head of Gleniff. Can be seen from horse­ shoe road. Access by ascending 1,000 ft. of very steep grass with some loose rock at top. Arched entrance 80 ft. wide and 30 ft. high in middle. Floor slopes steeply upwards over boulders to (a) cave on right leading to large chamber, (b) cave on left over boulders to a short climb down to a large chamber. This chamber could also be reached through a narrow entrance lower down ; may continue ; total length explored 100 yards. This cave must have been entered at some time as there are initials scratched on the walls.

Note. – All the potholes and caves in this part of Ireland contain much loose rock and should be treated with the utmost respect.

Ingleborough, Gaping Gill, Boulder Chamber Pots. (It is regrettable that note of this was omitted from No. 18, though the exploration has been often referred to.) The Boulder Chamber beyond the Mud Hall, E. Passage, is usually passed high up. June, 192J, explored by Frankland, F. S. Booth and E. E. Roberts with Dr. and Miss Lovett and Rimmer. Short passage found, leading to Boulder Chamber Pot, completed next day by the first three with Whitaker and H. S. Booth. 12 ft. + 24 ft. + 34 ft.

June, 1938. Second descent, Godley, Wardle, Rigg and Roberts. Rock at the head of far parallel pot, too rotten to descend in spite of much work. June, 1946. B.S.A. descent. August, 1948. A Craven Pot-hole descent of perhaps both pots, but a Y.R.C. party found the far pot too danger­ ous. Abandoned ladder found. July 30th, 1951. D. and N. Brindle (C.P.C.) hammered open a crack at the top and went down a 100 ft. pitch to where they could see a stream. Lovett and D. Brown (Y.R.C.) have repeated this.

Ingleborough, Gaping Gill Hole. – August, 1949, East Passage. By means of ladders the C.P.C. climbed to the window whence comes the water of the stream at the far end, and penetrated 50 yards. Also, six of their men one way, and three the other, made the round trip via the new entrance route into the Stream Passage opened and descended by the Northern Pennine Club.

Ingleborough, Bar Pot, New Entrance to G. G. – September, 1949. Dug out by Messrs. T. and C. Crossley, Coles, Whalley and Riding, B.S.A. A 30 ft. pitch, tight at the top, leads into an extensive area descending to 100 ft. ladder pitch and so into the first aven beyond Flood Pot. This route is so dry and straghtforward that it seems to be in use most week-ends. Danger from gate-crashers is considerable and often amusing.

Ingleborough, North side, Mere Gill Hole. – 13th May 1951 . Lovett, Whardall, D. Brown, Scovell and Sanderson reached the pool at the end of the 1934 passage (3rd visit 1949, D. Brindle, Shackleton and Farrow, C.P.C.) on the fourth visit and found it dry. The first three men pushed through and explored another 400 yards of good passage. The Y.R.C. party found that the dry cross-over of 1914 from the Bridge Pool elbow is blocked, which accounts for its having never been repeated. Scovell made some progress in clearing it.

Mere Crawl (P101) and Mere Gill Rift North Cave. – It has been supposed that colour tests had shown P101 water to fall into the mere from the North cave 30 ft. down. Falls of rock make the mouth now much overhung and it is very difficult to get off a rope ladder into it. Lovett reports that the internal waterfall can now be climbed. In 1949 Messrs. Hey, Archer and Rushton, Cambridge S.S. used a scaling ladder and surveyed a passage coming from the S.W. for 150 yards. They also surveyed the long Mere Crawl and found that the stopping point, presumably the same as that of 1912, is under the much crossed ‘ T ‘ junction of walls, N. of the pot and is near the end of the Mere Gill trench.

Ingleborough, Lead Mines Moss, Echo Pot. – (300 yards W. of P.102a and Quaking Pot; hard to find) – May 1949. Opened out by a B.S.A. party ; dry shaft of 100 ft. clear.

Ingleborough, Clapham Beck Head. – Through the courtesy of Mr. Farrar, a party of Bradford Pothole Club men led by Charles H. Salisbury have been digging in a rift just through the gate past Clapham Beck Head. The rift did not go and has been filled up, but a tiny fox-hole some 30 ft. away has been enlarged during June 1951, and now one can just get down, if one is moderately slim, to a 12 ft. crawl about 10-12 ft. from the surface. Emerging from the crawl one encounters Beck Head water coming down a 5 ft. high passage of about the same width. This passage has an unusual character and crosses rift after rift obliquely for some 170 yards in a North to North West direction until a twin waterfall is reached. The waterfall is some 10 ft. high and can be climbed. At the top of the fall the stream passage continues in roughly the same direction for another 70 yards, but with several ox-bows. The stream passage ends in a syphon, which is a pool 18 ft. deep at the deepest part, this lies in a rift about 30 ft. long which narrows to a mere slit. All the way up vast bedding planes exist in nearly all directions, these are at present being explored and a survey made. (26/7/51.)

Allotments, Flag Hole (rock opening in a trench, 125 paces due S. of Juniper Gulf). – May 1950. R. L. Holmes and Lovett. Downstream through a very tight 10 yard crawl for 45 yards to a sump. Total descent 30 feet. Entered by the Gritstoners (Y.R.C.J., V, p. 214). Shooter’s Cave (130 paces S. along wall from shooting hut gate and then 50 paces W.). A low wet cave of 25 yards.

Lancashire, Greygareth End, Ireby Fell Cavern, (altitude 1,300 ft. almost on the county boundary, an overhang shown on the 6 in. map as ” The Cavern “) – April 1949. Dug out and explored by Messrs. T. Crossley, Coles, Burdon, C. Crossley, Tucker, Turner and Whalley, B.S.A. Six pitches, deepest 50 ft. Total 400 ft. ; length 1,600 yards. A serious accident to a Craven Pot-hole Club visitor took place here in July 1950.

Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Pen-y-gent Pot. – The Northern Pennine Club has sent us a detailed description of this great pot-hole, 527 ft. deep and 1,690 yards long, dug out in Nov­ ember 1949 at tne side of Gronny Beck, half a mile S.E. of Hunt Pot, west face of Pen-y-gent, altitude 1,400 ft.

Summary. – Timbered shaft, 5 ft. 17 yards to canal, 80 yards in 1 to 2 ft. of water ; 140 yards to crawl 2 ft. high, 70 yards long, filled up in flood times, direction S. First pitch 18 ft. shaft, pool 4 ft. deep. Long easy passage 440 yards N.W. – Pitch II, 15 ft. – main pitch, 130 ft. divided into III, 60 ft. and IV, 70 ft.

High Rift now runs 220 yards to Boulder Chamber, 150 ft. lower, direction N. On the way pitches V. 25 ft.; VI, 15 ft. (hand line), VII, 40 ft.; VIII 20 ft. dry; IX 30 ft. Boulder Chamber is dry. 27 yards passage, pitch X 25 ft. Now comes 230 yards main stream passage with many pools and singular erosions. Pitch XI 25 ft.; XII, curtain waterfalls, 35 ft. Rift Chamber, 50 ft. by 20 ft. 220 yards from XII is the final pool, 20 ft. by 10 ft. height 20 ft.

There are two 40 ft. pots in a dry oxbow 8 yards above XI, and a series of dry caves in which, 60 yards from the oxbow, is a 70 ft. pot. All this represents much work and any number of week-ends.

Fountains Fell, Shooters’ Needle Pot – (from Rough Close ¼ mile N. along the green track, Shooters’ Needle in sight 150 yards E. pot 60 yards to S.E.) – Dec. 1949. R. L. Holmes and Bedford. 25 ft. deep. Slope falls 10 ft. in a fairly high chamber A tight squeeze in the clay floor led into a small high chamber.

Malham Tarn Sinks. – For a very long period the Craven Pot-hole Club has been making a most determined attempt to get into a network of caverns leading towards Malham Cove. They have dug nothing less than a mine shaft 85 ft. deep, starting with simple equipment and finishing with an engine and elaborate headgear (June 1951). Their bad luck is sur­ prising and I fear they have struck an area where cavities are choked with clay and gravel.

Wharfedale, Buckden, Birks Fell Cave. –  October 1948. A. N. Patchett and F. H. North forced the very low bedding plane which stopped the way at 230 yards, a horrid 15 yards into knee deep water for 20 yards. An easy 100 yards led to a chamber 20 ft. by 10 ft. and 35 ft. high with a waterfall of 8 ft. After 40 yards they were waist deep and were stopped by a stalactite mass under which North dived and found a wide apparently dead end 15 yards long.

Wharfedale, Kettlewell, Black Keld. – A powerful rising 1 mile S. of Kettlewell, Wharfe L. bank – After 14 days colour from a big charge of flourescein put into Mossdale Swallet was seen here.

October 1st and 2nd, 1949. Messrs. R. E. Davies, Davis, Thompson, Balcombe and Coase, Cave Diving Group, first by walking divers, then using swim fins, went in 35 yards E. then 17 yards to a pot-hole with amazingly dissected walls, 17 ft. deep, 28 ft. below water level. R. E. Davies let himself sink down and found a powerful current entering through a long slit.

Nidderdale, Goyden Pot. – A new entrance is said to have been dug out, 70 yards north of Limley, into the Labyrinth. Extraordinary changes have recently taken place inside. October 1949. Mouth of lesser stream largely silted up. May 1950. All this gone, but enormous screes of gravel built up in the Main Hall. March 1951. All the gravel gone, but little flow from Manchester Hole. April 1951. Our five Knaresborough men entered with water running in, reached the far Nidd by Gaskell’s Passage with a boat and found it a raging torrent. Their retreat up stream was against a flood and they had a desperate fight at the entrance.

Greenhow Hill, Stump Cross Cavern. – At  the end of the Lower Series Mr. Rose discovered a passage above the stream and by removing a flake an extensive upper area, now called ” Heaven ” and ” Hell ” was entered in August, 1949. It has been explored by Messrs. Cook, Rose and others, and by the C.P.C., coming across mining work in places.

North Riding, Hambledon and Helmsley Windy pits. – June, 1949. Mr. E. P. Fitton and Miss D. Mitchell visited Nos. I, III, V, and failed to find IV, so well had the Stembridges done the work of covering, and in the absence of slaughter-house refuse were able to descend II at Antofts, 36 ft. The local interest we had aroused put them on to three others, Snip Gill, W. of Antofts, 109 ft. – Noddle End, 77 ft, extremely difficult to find but by the barn on the way to Gowerdale IV and V – and Eppy Head, a large and dangerous opening at 1,000 ft. contour, S. of Arden Hall, Hawnby. The last is more solid than it seems, not deep, and can be climbed. Scovell, Simons, Parker and Roberts have done it and Noddle End.

In 1947, Chadwick went 30 ft. down VI, a crack, 65 yards E. of IV, and 30 ft. down the slope of Gowerdale.

Derbyshire, Castleton, Peak Cavern. – 1948. The Cave Diving Group explored Buxton Water, 133 yards, and the duck of Speedwell Water was passed to reach land. 23rd January, 1949. Messrs. Coase and Mack went through Buxton Water, and along 300 yards of Main Cavern. Others went through Speedwell Water (where the traces of old miners used to be) and explored another 300 yards. 13th February. B.S.A. party led by Mr. J. C. Gilbert, Sheffield, siphoned off Speedwell Water and reached the Main Cavern. March, 1949. Both parties completely explored the cave and the C.D.G. attacked two far sumps, nearly 1½ miles of fine passages being added to Peak Cavern.

Somerset, Priddy, Swildon’s Hole II. – 5th August, 1950. Messrs L. Devenish, C. H. Kenny, W. Stanton and C. Vowles completed the exploration of a tributary passage beyond the sump – 1,000 yards long, going back nearly parallel to the main cave, with numerous and very beautiful formations.

Priddy, Eastwater, Primrose Path. – 1949. Through a very small hole, somewhere off the First Rift, enlarged by explosives, Messrs. Kenney, Broadley and Stimpson found a deep pitch, 150 ft. ladder too short. 16th April, 1950. Five men through the hole to a position 30 ft. down, three down 95 ft. more, and one down 80 ft. more into a rift 30 ft. by 12 ft. Old Red Sandstone on the floor.

South Wales, Llangattock Quarries, Agen Allwed (near Eglwys Faen). – Christmas 1949. Messrs. B. D. Price, Seagrave and Hickey, with great difficulty mined a way in 109 yards to a small boulder cavern, and were able to go 360 yards further. Very tiring.

II.Other Expeditions

Fermanagh, Noon’s Hole. – Whitsuntide, 1951. The Craven P.C. made the fourth attack and second descent, Tyas reaching the bottom 250 ft. down. Till 1939 it was the only deep pot known in Ireland. The first descent and third attack was made by Wingfield, Kentish and Dr. Baker before the first war. ..Ingleborough, Bar Pot.-Two Y.R.C. descents were made in February and July, 1950, and there have been others.

Allotments, Jockey Pot. – 20th February, 1950. Spenceley, Lovett and Driscoll. Tackle was conveyed almost to the pot on motor cycles.

Allotments, Rift Pot. – 27th August, 1949. A party of five Y.R.C. men carried tackle in through Long Kin East to the working place for the 200 ft. ladder climb. Another five went down by the open Rift Pot, and found the climb of the wall below the Traverse hopelessly rotten and dangerous. The first party were unable to find the other end of the Traverse which was oddly reported to have collapsed. Next day six men did the long climb to the bottom, while three veterans crossed the Traverse, which begins half way down the last climb with an easy bedding plane crawl over the narrow passage rift. The only difficulty was the pebbles on the wide ledge over the working party ; all clay has disappeared, and the pot is passed in an ideal rock groove to the head of the rotten wall, easy enough with a hand line.

Ribblehead, Cuddy Gill – both ends of this geologically interesting passage are now blocked and need clearing.

Ribblehead, Thistle Cave – the upper slit in a shake-hole 100 yards W. of the middle Runscar opening). Has been done several times. 200 yards of an easy but messy abandoned watercourse.

Ribblehead East, Browgill Cave. – September, 1949. The crawl through to Dry Laithe Cave was found and done by R. T. Holmes and Smith.

Leek Fell, Notts Pot. – 14th and 15th May, 1949. Parties numbering 14 attacked this pot, and almost reached the bottom but they found it too slow and narrow for the time available. There is so little working space that it is a mistake to ladder the 80 ft. and the 100 ft. pitches in one. Magnificent work was done the week end before by F. S. Booth, F. W. Stem-bridge, Fox and Spenceley, who carried four ladders i| miles to the iron hut and then carried 13 ladders and 1,000 ft. of rope I mile to the pot and worked them down the first two short pitches.

Bingley, St. Ives Park, Pan Hole. – A fissure in the Gritstone entered by a bedding plane crawl.) Contains dates 1812, 1850, 1862 and remains of wooden ladders. 70 ft. deep, 1 to 4 ft. wide. 70 yards long. Re-opened by Messrs. Shackleton (Bradford P.H.C.) T. Smith and Groves (Telegraph and Argus, 8th October, 1941). Surveyed by Patchett, Leedal and West (Bradford P.H.C.), article by Leedal in Cave Research Group Trans., December, 1950. Visited by J. C. Addyman, E. E. Roberts (Y.R.C.), A. Mitchell, P. L. Tyas (C.P.C.), July, 1950.