Safety at Jib Tunnel and Gaping Gill

S.A. Craven

Gaping Gill, above Clapham on the southern slopes of Ingleborough, is well-known to every Yorkshire potholer and to thousands of fell walkers. Less well known is the adjacent inconspicuous Jib Tunnel at the end of which is a 120m pitch into the Main Chamber of Gaping Gill.

Gaping Gill must have been known ever since the locals farmed on Ingleborough.  The first man to enter Jib Tunnel was Thomas McKenny Hughes, Professor of Geology at Cambridge.  He had no light, but moved slowly, throwing stones in front of him.  He returned later with friends and candles, and found the pitch into the Main Chamber^[1].

In 1894 a Dr. J.R. Robinson of Dewsbury walked past Gaping Gill which he regarded as being “exceedingly dangerous”^[2]. This prompted an anonymous correspondent to write the following week suggesting that it, “be reported to the Lord of the Manor that this dangerous opening should be enclosed”^[3].

Although not a member of the Yorkshire Ramblers’ Club, Robinson then wrote a letter to the Committee offering financial assistance towards the cost of fencing the hole.  On 26 October 1894 Committee decided to write to the landowner, Mr. Farrer of Ingleborough Hall.  On 27 November 1894 was tabled a letter from the agent.  It listed the names of all the tenants and other interested parties whose consent would have to be obtained before a fence could be erected.  Presumably because of the effort involved in contacting all the commoners, Committee resolved to let the matter lapse, and to inform Dr. Robinson that if he wished to take up the matter himself, the YRC would support him.  Nothing more was heard in Committee about the proposed fence^[4].

Jib Tunnel, August 1908.
Clearly showing the substantial wooden “jib”, pulley, wire hauling rope and hemp safety rope.
The photographs were taken by Miss L.E. May Johnson of the Derbyshire Pennine Club, and are in the collection of her nephew  J.W. Kay Esq.

To return to Jib Tunnel, the YRC members were there on 5 October 1895, and decided that the planned descent of Gaping Gill would be easier via the Tunnel.  This would avoid the ledge and other obstructions which might damage the rope.  What little water which approached Gaping Gill was sent down the Main Shaft, leaving Jib Tunnel dry.  The hauling rope passed from the windlass, under the large stone block at the entrance to Jib Tunnel, along the passage and over a pulley fixed at the end of a projecting beam of wood^[5].  Thereafter descents were made via the Main Shaft; but in June 1906 so many people were at Gaping Gill that Jib Tunnel was also rigged^[6].

The YRC were not the only people to use Jib Tunnel.  In August 1904 members of the short-lived Leeds Ramblers’ Club descended by that route.  The first two to descend were so dizzy that they were nearly rendered unconscious.  Thereafter steel guide wires were installed.  One subsequently broke; and the guide wires were then abandoned^[7].

In August 1907 members of the Yorkshire Speleological Association descended by hand winch connected over a pulley in Jib Tunnel to a bosun’s chair, at the bottom of which was attached a long rope so that all except the first man down and the last man up could be pulled away from the waterfall.  In August 1908 the YSA members were joined by some from the Derbyshire Pennine Club for descents via Jib Tunnel^[8].

Although Gaping Gill was not fenced at that time, Jib Tunnel was regarded by the landowner as dangerous.  In 1902 the YRC published a warning about the dangerous pitch^[9]; and the following year the Ingleborough Estate agent prevailed upon the YRC to make the entrance safe.  The passage was “permanently obstructed with part of the jib timber”^[10].

Eli Simpson in Jib Tunnel, August 1908
Simpson was the co-founder, and dominant member, of the Yorkshire Speleological Association

Unfortunately timber in a wet cave is not permanent, or subsequent visitors to Jib Tunnel failed to replace the obstruction.  On 28 July 1995 a 11-year old boy crawled into Jib Tunnel with an inadequate light, and fell to his death in the Main Chamber.  The Coroner returned a verdict of “accidental death”, with the comment that “the group … could not have anticipated the danger at the end of the tunnel”.  He called on “police, cavers and landowners to devise a warning to prevent further tragedies”.  The Chairman of the Craven Pothole Club said that the entrance to Jib Tunnel is inconspicuous.  A spokesman for the Yorkshire Dales National Park said that if Jib Tunnel were to have a warning sign, so would every cave and pothole entrance; such notices may well attract curious people.  The most sensible comment came from the landowner, Dr. J.A. Farrer: “During the last 50 years a million people have been past Gaping Ghyll and this is the first accident that we have had.”^[11]

However, this last comment is not true – but to be fair to Dr. Farrer the next incident to be described occurred before he inherited the estate.  In the summer of 1947 the Craven Pothole Club held its first post-war meet at Gaping Gill – and found a decomposing and incomplete corpse in the Main Chamber.  It was never identified; and an open verdict was returned^[12].

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