Cave Exploration

I.—New Discoveries

Ingleborough, Gaping Ghyll.—Whitsuntide, 1931. Fresh ground has been opened when almost despaired of. In the second chamber beyond the Flood Pot, Sale pushed sternly into the passage of the ” glutinous mud ” and discovered a varied hundred yards with two climbs.

Later, Fred Booth, by a daring climb off a man’s shoulders, reached up a smooth face a passage noted high on the wall of the first chamber. Digging promised to break through to a region of noisy waters, but was interrupted by urgent orders to return.

The original account of the descent of Flood Pot needs some emendation. The appearance of two openings is due to a bridge. 72 feet of ladder leads to the top of a scree slope which descends about 20 feet lower to the floor of the main dry pot. Through a hole at the head of the scree slope 60 feet more of ladder (132 feet in all) reaches the deep pool which floors a parallel pot-hole, of which the top is the hole climbed across to reach the chambers referred to above. i he ladder ascent to the Flood Entrance Passage is 122 ft.

Ingleborough, Diccan Pot.—18th-19th July, 1925. The head of the waterfall into Alum Pot was reached for the second time, by W. V. Brown, Hilton, Devenish, F. Booth, Mollis and E. E. Roberts, after midnight, the water being considerable in amount, despite drought. Two ladders were put over without waiting for the third and Hilton nearly’ reached the ledge, 30 ft. from the bottom. Only the effects of the wee small hours on the vitality of the party can account for the complete absence of enthusiasm about making the complete descent. The expedition has not been recorded in this part of the Journal.

On 31st January, 1932, astonishing at it may seem, Hainsworth (Gritstone Club) and an Ingleton party, after waiting many months for an opportunity, were actually favoured by the frost so much as to be able to pipe the Diccan water down Long Churn, and made the complete journey to the bottom of Alum Pot in comparative comfort.

Fountains Fell, Gingling Pot.—Second descent, September, 1931, by the Northern Cavern and Fell Club. The manhole and entrance to the canal were found absolutely choked with boulders and flood debris which had to be laboriously removed.

A hole connected with the sink of Gingling Beck has opened out and was found to lead in ten yards to a dismal looking round shaft which was laddered 25 ft. into a two foot pool. They also got into a passage under the dry bed and after a narrow crawl, went down fifteen feet into a bedding plane where water could be heard.

Nidderdale, Goyden Pot.—Though flooded out on four occasions, patient work by Yates and Butterfield and others has given a valuable plan.

Nelstrop has contributed a new entrance.

A hole in the floor leading to the Great Chamber, has led Yates and Co. into an amusing stream passage ending in the recess under the Bridge where, covered by a waterfall, it has been asking for fifty years to be entered.

Gaskell’s 1888 passage was rediscovered independently in August, 1931, by Yates and by another party, the latin pushing through a very narrow passage and reaching (he Nidd again by a 50 ft. ladder, it is said.

Yates and Higgins, in April, 1931, climbed from the water-trap in the New Passage into the end of the upper passage, High Rift on the map, and this most remarkable connection has been since found from below after failing to discover it from above.

Giggleswick Scar Caves.—During the summer a small cave was broken into in the face of Giggleswick Quarry, and by now is probably quarried away. The Naturalist for January, 1932, contains the results of long continued excavations by Mr. W. K. Mattinson in Kinsey Cave, which appears to be the same as that named Tylor’s Cave by J. J. Brigg in his schoolboy article in the Giggleswick Chronicle.

Bishopdale Head, Buckden Pike Pots.—Some picturesque pot-holes exist about the 1,800 feet level, from 40 to 60 feet deep, and have been descended by the Northern Cavern and Fell Club.

Castleton, Giant’s Hole.—Yates and others have climbed up into an independent series about 20 yards from the en­trance, entered by a low bedding plane crawl to the left, not at all obvious. The bedding plane leads to a small chamber from which three routes are possible. Two lead into another chamber, beyond which determined efforts have been made to dig through. It is only possible to work two hours at a time until the candles cease to burn. The amateur miners have now given up.

Stockdale, South Bank Hole.—Also known as Lord’s Hole after the discoverer in 1920. It was explored by the Craven Pot-holers in 1930 or 1931, and further discovery was made by Messrs. E. Simpson and E. Clarkson, 13th March, 1932. The depth reaches 165 ft. in three pitches. Two branches at the bottom provide parallel 40 ft. shafts.

II.—Other Expeditions

Leek Fell, Lost Johns’ Cave.—-Whitsuntide, 1931. The Northern Cavern and Fell Club had great difficulty below the Battleaxe owing to heavy rain, but got down on the Monday. Leaving their tackle in position, they reached the Master Cave on 31st May, rather extraordinary good luck as elsewhere there was twelve hours’ rain in the night. See Y.R.C.J., Vol. VI., No. 19, pp. 44 and 79.

Somerset, Eastwater Cavern.—11th October, 1931. Devenish and E. E. Roberts and two lady novices, guided by S. C. Morland, made this most interesting descent with ladders, probably the first time they have been used there. The first vertical requires only thirty feet, the second twenty, after which the ladder is left and the great pot-hole climbed down the sloping Mendip strata. One pulley and 150 ft. of line make all safe.

Greenhow, Stump Cross Cavern.—No Ramblers appear to have visited the considerable second discovery of 1922 except J. Buckley and the Editor. No clear description of it appears to exist, and as the Editor visited il a second time last July for reasons stated elsewhere, he now does his best.

There is a door to the lower gallery, from the end of which opens the artificial sand tunnel leading to the ” roomy passage ” of 60 yards—the ” wash-out ” of 1922. The ten foot climb on the left leads to a beautiful crawl at the end of which you can now join the ” roomy passage ” opposite the opening to the second discovery. The worst part ahead is an ordinary mud slide through a tunnel, both the really serious eight-inch slits having been abolished. Then follows a long cavern passage of considerable width and height. There ought to be a roar from the floor at one point, where a ladder can be put down and a curiously dissected area entered which cannot be penetrated any great distance. There is also a long dry crawling branch which can be followed to a dead end.

When the cavern becomes low again, a stream is soon reached in about 600 yards from the sand tunnel. On the left bank a chimney can be climbed to two dead ends. Up­stream with low water the second pool closes in. Downstream is more interesting. Beyond a deep pool and a sharp corner the first of two dry left-hand passages was not explored. The end is two successive falls of eight feet each, with little pools and no passage below. At the head of the falls a dry passage runs to the right till it reaches a walled-in pool.