The

DERBYSHIRE CAVER

No 140 Spring 2016

Titan shaft repairs – the delicate task of lowering the glass fibre former into position IN THIS ISSUE – • Dave Nixon on repairs to Titan access shaft • Ashley Hiscock on an epic dive in P8 • Pete Knight details DCA projects completed in 2015 • An ancient history of Eldon Hole exploration

and more . . . .

Published by the DERBYSHIRE CAVING ASSOCIATION £2.00

£2.00 THE DERBYSHIRE CAVER

No 140 Spring 2016

Editor: Material for inclusion can be sent hand-written or via email.

Mike Higgins Please send contributions for the next issue as soon as they are ready. 56 Robin Hood Crescent Edenthorpe The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Doncaster editor nor of the Derbyshire Caving Association. DN3 2JJ

Email: [email protected] The website of the Derbyshire Caving Association is at: www.theDCA.org.uk

CONTENTS:

Editorial ...... 3 How to Repair a Hole in a Field ...... 4

Diving In P8 ...... 6 DCA Project Officer’s Report...... 9 Eldon Hole - A History of Exploration ...... 10 Crewe CPC SRT Training...... 14 DCA Officers for 2016 ...... 15 Speedwell photographs...... 16

THE DCA - WHAT WE DO AND HOW TO JOIN US DOING IT

The aim of Derbyshire Caving Association (DCA) is to protect the caves and promote good caving practice within the Peak District and surrounding areas. Membership is open to all clubs, individuals and outdoor activity providers with an interest in caves and caving or mine exploration. Check out the DCA website for further information (www.theDCA.org.uk). Membership enquiries should be made to the Secretary at [email protected].

The newsletter of the DCA has been in publication for over fifty years and is of paramount value as a forum for cavers in the Peak District. The Editor welcomes contributions from all cavers, whether DCA members or not. News, articles, photographs, letters for publication, etc. should be posted or emailed to him at the above address, or give him a ring on 01302 882874.

The Derbyshire Caver is posted free to DCA members; non-members may subscribe by sending a cheque for £9 (payable to DCA) for four issues, to the Secretary or Treasurer. Some back issues are also available for sale. Quarter-page adverts are £5 per insertion.

Current issues of The Derbyshire Caver are available from the following outlets:

Hitch'n'Hike, Bamford; The Old Smithy Teashop, Monyash; Peak District Mining Museum, Matlock Bath

Editorial

Welcome to the first issue of The Derbyshire It is labelled “sough tail, Bakewell, 1962”. Caver for 2016. There is a wide range of Does anyone recognise the location or any of articles in this edition which I hope that the three people in the photo? Please let me readers will find of interest. Dave ‘Moose’ know if you do. Nixon has kindly provided an account of the repairs to the Titan access shaft, Ashley Photographs for the back page are starting to Hiscock tells the tale of his recent dive as far come in regularly, so at least for the time as sump 10 in P8, Pete Knight, DCA’s Projects being you will be spared any more of mine! Officer, gives details of work carried out This issue has pictures of Speedwell Cavern during 2015, Alan Brentnall has done a write- provided by Phil Wolstenholme. A new book, up of some recent SRT training and I have The Castleton Mines - a Descriptive and Visual written a history of the early exploration of History, is shortly to be published, authored Eldon Hole. jointly by Jim Rieuwerts and Phil, and these photographs were taken on shoots for the Included as part of the editorial in the last book (but are not amongst those to be issue were three underground photographs published therein). The book should be out provided by Mark Higginson of the Derbyshire around the end of April, published by Peter Record Office in the hope that readers may be Miles at Hucklow Publishing. able to identify the location at which they were taken. I am pleased to say that one of Whilst we’re talking about the Castleton area, them (the one at the bottom of the page) was work continues on the Longcliffe project identified by Geoff Peppit of Derbyshire featured in the Winter 2015/16 issue. No Pennine Club as having been taken at or near breakthrough yet but the amount of spoil Rutland Cavern in Matlock Bath on 3rd June being removed has necessitated the 1905 during a Kyndwr Club meet and pictures installation of an additional 1·5 metre section Colin Christie. Unfortunately, no result yet on of entrance pipe around which to stack it and the other 2 photographs. I came across it seems likely that the shaft mound will reach another mysterious photograph browsing its original height. through Picture the Past website and Mark kindly sent me a copy, reproduced below. If you are interested in hydrology, as I am, then I would draw your attention to the possible reformation of the BCRA Hydrology Special Interest Group, to be discussed at Malham on 14th May. If the outcome is positive this will be followed up by a further meeting, possibly at Eurospeleo in August.

Finally, as always, please help to support the DCA and this publication by sending in articles or photographs, letters or surveys – if you’re thinking about writing something up, do it!

Photo: Frank Nixon Mike Higgins

3

HOW TO REPAIR A HOLE IN A FIELD

This is no ordinary hole in a field, it’s on the top of and inevitably openings behind the ring existed Hurdlow high above Castleton and represents the and were left open assuming the fill would access point into Titan at the southwest limit of eventually occupy the space. As it turned out the Peak Speedwell system. rather than the fill occupying the space the liner would deform by means of being loaded at a The 48m deep entrance shaft took four years to contact points and thus occupy the space. Had we sink and involved a variety of tactics in terms of filled the spaces to prevent this happening then it digging, engineering and shoring. The first section may be the case that any rework wouldn’t have of the shaft was excavated using a JCB in 1999 and been required. lined with pre cast concrete rings with an internal diameter of 1500mm. From this point excavation As it was, the situation of the deformation of the and shoring was relatively easy with two solid liners was an issue that by 2015 was clearly not walls to work between, unfortunately this didn’t going to resolve itself. Not only were the linings last long. With one wall disappearing off to the deformed by up to 100mm but they were also south some serious head scratching was done in fracturing under the pressure of the glacial fill order to carry on with the excavation work and still bearing in on them. If nothing were done there is maintain a shaft of a uniform diameter. The no doubt that there would have been a solution came in the form of glass fibre sewer catastrophic failure of the lining which would liners, 1400mm in diameter which could be cut result in a total collapse of the shoring followed by and installed as shoring then re set to preserve the major subsidence on the surface and permanent aperture. This worked wonderfully and progress loss of access to Titan from Hurdlow. Plenty of was relatively fast in digging terms. In all 15 room for improvement there. sections of glass fibre lining were lowered and fitted into the shaft which led to the ultimate More head scratching and beer drinking required. challenge, solid rock. Yet more head scratching and beer drinking about whether or not to offset Initially the plan was to purchase some doubled the shaft or alternatively keep it vertical and drill walled corrugate pipe sections of the maximum our way in Titan. The alcohol may have diameter possible and simply lower them over the contributed in the decision to do some hard rock affected areas and walk away. This wasn’t as mining. cheap and as straight forward as you might think so we opted for an alternative solution involving This slow and arduous process continued for the our old friend concrete. greatest timescale in the project but eventually in May 2003 the team involved broke out in truly impressive style into the top section of Titan. Job done, time to move on.

Forward wind the clock eleven years and ‘Houston we have a problem’.

In retrospect the shoring error that was made involved the un even loading of the circular lining. Prior to the installation of a glass fibre ring a hole was dug out as deep and as circular as possible to accommodate the positioning of the liner. Perfectly circular isn’t something that’s easily The temporary bracing in the shaft achievable when excavating in bouldery, glacial fill Photo: Dave Nixon

4

The plan was to firstly install some temporary In all seven casts were completed using the same bracing on the worst areas to prevent any more method each time, this then covered the entire deformation. Then five, 32mm x 1m deep anchors section of deformed liners and only reduced the were placed in the solid rock section above the diameter of the entrance shaft by 200mm. The failing area. Hanging from them were a series of final cast included a horizontal tie back to the solid 16mm cables which are designed to take the rock at the top of the old liners which will add to weight of the concrete to follow. These were then the ability to support the weight of the concrete. preloaded by means of anchors below the glass fibre lined section.

In order to strengthen the concrete 250m of 12mm rebar (in 6m lengths) were rolled into the correct diameter to attach to the vertical cables. Finally, a 1200mm diameter glass fibre ring was cut and engineered to act as a former for a series of concrete ‘jump forming’ casts filling the 100mm wide annulus between it and the failing liners.

View of rebar, cable and concrete behind gf former

Photo: Dave Nixon The glass fibre former is lowered into the shaft Photo: Dave Webb The concrete was mixed on site by a dedicated team of cavers who also included in the mixture a Access is now about to resume and I would like to glass fibre additive to the cement to provide it take this opportunity to thank all who have with even more strength. This was delivered to assisted with the task of repairing the entrance site by means of a homemade hopper and 3” shaft, both by providing manpower and also flexible pipe which had to be shortened every time donations of materials and services. we jumped up a section. We are also we are very grateful to the DCA for its financial support towards the project which should now mean that safe access to Titan will be available for the foreseeable future.

Anyone wishing to book a trip into Titan needs to apply via the Peak Speedwell website.

Getting ready for the first pour Photo: Ann Soulsby Dave Nixon

5

DIVING IN P8

In response to interest in the recent dive to sump there. The passage between sumps 3 and 4 was 10, Ashley Hiscock has produced the following the hardest I've ever found it, with two 12kg report – cylinders and a bag that must have weighed upwards of 20kg I nearly fell into the water going I'm not much of a writer, but here goes: down the ladder!

After a set up trip on Thursday night, everything Sump 4 was quite a long dive but thoroughly was set for a trip down to the end on Saturday, 7L enjoyable with about 1.5m vis. Again, I was cylinders were beyond sump 3, and all other gear shocked how good it was, but nothing compared was at the sump pool. to my shock when I found sump 5 silted to the roof! I started to make my way to the cave at about 9.00 am but came across a car accident and had to help This meant I’d have to use the bypass, which is out at which delayed my start until about 3.00pm. essentially a hand lined climb up some well-spaced metal plates. It's not an easy climb in the slightest Sump pool was reached very quickly in 15 minutes, and it was made slightly harder by the hand line a new personal best! being on the wrong end of the bypass! Normally I'd clip my gear to the handline, climb the I geared up wearing 3L cylinders, carrying a 200m handline, haul the gear up, lower the gear down tackle sack with 40m rope, 10m rope, 150m of the other side then body abseil down. Now 4mm polyprop on reel, 40m of 6mm polyprop on whether through haste, stupidity or maybe reel, SRT gear, 2L of water, hand bolting gear, laziness, I don't know, but I decided to climb it with save-a-dive kit, several bolts and karabiners, 3 all my gear on. I will never do that again. I lowered boost bars, a GoPro, a small bag, two lighters and the bag down the other side but body abseiled 20 B&H gold. down with my cylinders on.

I intended to bolt a handline down Budgie Pot, but decided I’d rather save the rope for further in the cave where information is sketchy. So I climbed down the ladder, and came to my first work part of the trip. So I sat down, had a cigarette and promptly broke my first lighter!

I proceeded to lay line along the passage from Budgie Pot to the bottom of the Cresta Run in the dry wearing just my cylinders. The passage here is

The gear needed for a trip to the end beautiful clean washed phreatic between 2m and Photo: Ashley Hiscock 1.5m in diameter and well worth a visit. I continued up the Cresta Run in just my cylinders; I started to dive, the sumps 1-3 were amazing! this, again, is perfectly formed, round, clean Must have been upwards of 2m of visibility, I didn't washed, phreatic passage. Unfortunately it's quite need to dig the end of sump 3 to get through. I steeply uphill, it meanders, and it's about 0.6m could have worn the bag on my back had the mood diameter. So it was a bit of a ballsache. taken me! In over 90 dives at this site, I’ve never seen conditions so good! I left my cylinders and the large reel at the start of sump 7 and went back to fetch my bag. Taking I switched to my 7L cylinders, kindly staged by Rob this up was just as bad, even though it was a little on Thursday night, at this point. It was then that I smaller without the reel. So I geared up and went realised the GoPro was out of battery so I left it diving!

6

Well, sump 7? It's the best dive I've ever done! near the end of Giants (Geology Pot?). Crystal clear, big pot in the middle and large passage. It was amazing. You pop up in an airbell This was rigged on a twenty-year-old rope that I and quickly dive through sump 8 which is short promptly replaced. But the spits looked fine. I but just as beautiful. descended with all my gear. This pitch ended on a chert ledge 4m above the final sump on the left, After sump 8 you end up in a small chamber too but on the right was an interconnecting aven that small to remove gear. It was thus I spent the next could be interesting. 40 minutes squeezing up a 60 degree shifting gravel slope, with my cylinders, mask and fins on, Sump 10 had no line in it so I attached my reel and bag in hand, and roof about 10 inches above me! made to dive. I stepped into the water and got a Wow, the view at the top was amazing! I can't sudden feeling I shouldn't go diving this sump. So describe it. If people are interested I'll try and I didn't. I turned round and made it back up the draw a picture but it was the most interesting and pitch. The reel’s still there, attached. beautiful passage I've ever seen. There are barely any pretties in this cave, just unbelievably formed I can't explain the feeling, or the reasons for it. passage. Maybe it was the remoteness, maybe it was everything I’d done and would have to do to get I carried on down this beautiful passage, stopped back, maybe it was being alone. But on that day, for a cigarette at the start of sump 9, and promptly at that time, something was saying don't dive. If broke my second lighter! Sump 9 was a great dive anything says that, I don't dive. on the way in, but I had to outswim rolling silt clouds, in conjunction with the mess of multiple At the top of the pitch I spotted a low, silty, lines I was seeing. I knew the swim out was going bedding crawl immediately on the right and to be interesting. thought it looked unexplored. So I had a little look. I crawled for approximately 30m before reaching a sump. I'll have to come back to dive this!

So now I'm definitely going home. I take the SRT gear out, my lump hammer, anything I can ditch, and cram everything into a 40m Warmbac tackle sack. To anyone who's interested, this is a 200m Warmbac bag, three nalgenes, bolting gear, SRT gear, save-a-dive kit (similar to a 500ml nalgene size). But you really have to try. I had another cigarette before I set off. My lighter didn't break. The world was good. Ant Bury between sumps 3 and 4 Photo: Ashley Hiscock But not for long! I stuck my head back under sump 9 into zero vis. I couldn't even see the light from But wow! The passage beyond sump 9 was the my Scurion. I started following the line home. best yet and made all the better in the knowledge Suddenly, no more line! It must have snapped on I'm either the second or third person to see it, my way in! It was 20+ years old and relatively thin either way, definitely on the third trip that far. The ... decided I had better go looking for it. first since 1996. I found it rather quickly, wrapped in multiple, tight Massive keyhole shaped passage with a few, coils round my body and rendering me almost tasteful pretties, meandering slowly towards a unable to move. Very slowly, trying not to panic 10m deep, 2m wide, elliptical white limestone pot. but not completely succeeding, I started to It was stunning. You step over this pot as the cave untangle myself whilst trying to keep my takes a hard right, within 10m you're at the head orientation and not let go of my search reel and of a 20m pitch. The pitch reminds me of the one add more loose line to this cluster. I resisted the

7 urge to use my knife and eventually sorted the But I was home and safe! I ran all the way back to line out, made a quick repair and exited the sump. the car.

I was nearly hypothermic, having spent upwards Got changed and went down to the TSG where I of 30minutes barely moving in the very cold water. was met by multiple people who kindly treated me I wasn't entirely sure I had enough gas to get back to some beer and a pot noodle and were greatly out of the cave, but the worst was yet to come ... supportive.

I decided to have a chocolate bar and a cigarette, Which brings me onto my next thing. I've been my final lighter broke! It's a cruel God who denies working on this for over a year and the support a man a cigarette after an experience like that and I've received has been phenomenal! it was definitely the low point of my trip! Thank you to Rob Middleton, Simon Brooks, Ant I assessed the situation and the possible outcomes Bury, Brian Heddon for diving with me. would be, in order of preference: Thank you to Rich Smith, Phil Walker, Daren Jarvis, 1. Make it all the way back to dry cave, with Ashley Richardson, Charlotte Heaton, Simon very little gas; Wynne, Sean Wynne, Jack Barratt and countless 2. Make it back to an airspace between other faces that have passed through to help sumps with little or no gas; carry. 3. Run out of air underwater; 4. Die of hypothermia waiting for a rescue at Thank you to John Cordingley, Tony Seddon, this point. Christine Grosart, Clive Westlake and several others for putting up with my endless pestering. 1 seemed reasonably likely, 2 seemed more likely, Alistair Gott and Matt Jenkinson deserve special 3 seemed very unlikely, mention for keeping my motivation going, but 4 seemed extremely likely if I waited there as every single caver I've told about the project has it would have been a good 14 hours at least helped in that respect and been enthusiastic for before a party got to me. me.

So I decided to dive. And fast. With my new Lastly thank you to anyone who has been down P8 lightened bag, and cold to fight against, it took me whilst my gear and ropes were in there. Until this 40 minutes from the home side of sump 9 to the trip I haven't had a single problem with anything start of sump 3. I finally felt safe again. But still been messed with! Which is quite a feat as I don’t very cold. I swapped my nearly empty 7L cylinders hide things. back to my still nearly full 3L cylinders and raced through the final three sumps. This has been an ambition of mine since I started caving and every single person mentioned and At the sump pool I threw everything off into a many many more have helped me accomplish it. large tackle sack and stashed it and started to run out of the cave with a super light bag. A return is planned.

I got to pitch two and found that someone had pulled my rope up to the pitch head! The last thing I needed. I freeclimbed out up the traverse route. This was relatively easy. But when I got to the start of the first pitch, someone had pulled that up too! Looking out of the cave I traversed round to the left and made a no feet hand traverse to the lip at the bottom of the pitch and pulled up! This was hard. Ashley Hiscock

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DCA Project Officer’s Report

During 2015 the following jobs have been undertaken constructed. Many thanks to all involved in this project, by the Projects Officer and the volunteer team: especially as almost all of the workload was taken off my hands right up to completion. Waterfall Hole near Stoney Middleton had a new car parking area created. The old verge parking was cleared Knotlow Engine Shaft inner lid had corroded and the of vegetation, levelled by digger, sprayed for weeds and hinges had failed. The inner lid was essential to stop had a new liner and gravel spread. There is now parking animals falling down the shaft whilst cavers where for about 5-6 vehicles when positioned sensibly. The below. A couple of quick visits to the location gave a National Trust would prefer this new parking not be temporary fix and then a more permanent solution. The advertised but it is freely available to cavers visiting the new hinge bolts are awaiting some large washers but hole. Thanks to Pete Mellors, Andy McHugh and Adam this should have been complete by the time of this Russell for valuable help on this job and to Nick meeting. Thanks go to Adam Russell for his visit here. Williams for loan and donation of materials and I would expect that this entire inner lid will need equipment. completely replacing in the next few years. Rust is taking its toll and DCA should look to find a volunteer to Axe Hole was blocked by a large boulder after the 2015 help fabricate a new one. winter period’s heavy rain dislodged it from above the entrance. In a joint DCRO and CCPC exercise, the Knotlow Climbing Shaft ground anchor was found on a boulder was blown to bits. Over the course of a few recent visit to be leaning in towards the shaft. This is a visits DCA volunteers cleared the blockage and used the concern as it may indicate that the stake is corroded remaining stone to construct a new entrance ‘culvert’. sub surface or moving under load. I took a long length The front edge uses a cemented grill to allow flood of galvanised angle from the DCA store and fabricated water but not flood debris in. The lid is a large piece of it into 2 new ground stakes. Each are 3 feet long and grill held in place by a metal pin. This only requires have been hammered over 2 thirds into the ground. lifting off for visits and is not locked or captive. Making One was installed near to the Climbing Shaft, the other the hole animal proof was a condition of the works and at the Engine Shaft. Please do feedback to me about this was the least intrusive way to do that. their effectiveness and how they hold up to corrosion. Thanks to Roy Rogers, Adam Russell, Duncan Scurfield, Ben Hiles and Ron Hammond for advice and physical Eldon Hole east and west belay bollards were reported assistance on this project. to DCA as becoming unsafe. On inspection the bases of all 4 posts were showing high corrosion with 2 of the 4 Carlswark Cavern Eyam Dale Shaft has had a rotten tree being corroded through to the core. T-Pot fabricated trunk near it for some years now. After witnessing it replacements to the same specification as the originals. move because a party had tied their rope to it I decided DCA volunteers finally got a chance to attempt the that it should be removed for caver safety. The next day removal and replacement of them in early Feb 2016. I chopped it down and cleared the debris. Plenty of After our Landrover became bogged down metres from healthy, alive trees are available for a few extra metres the lane and with deterioration in the weather of rope. approaching, the volunteers carried all the tools, 4 bollards, 12 bags of cement and water supplies up the Whalf Shaft at Hillocks mine has received stabilisation hole. I cannot thank them enough for this effort. We work during the year. A group of cavers fronted by Alan installed one new bollard on the West route but this Brentnall made a number of visits, installing props, consumed all our supplies and a return to complete the mesh and cement on an area of pack wall in the shaft. work will need organising. I returned on the 10th Feb to This project was entirely self-managed by the team and cut off the remaining old bollards to prevent their use. my sincere thanks go to all involved for keeping a At the time of writing, the remaining bollards are yet popular route open and taking a job off the DCA list. to be installed. Many thanks to Roy Rogers, Beth Knight, Steve Rudge, Jon Daniels, Adam Geens and Tom Garden Path in Lathkill Dale. John Geeson and Leon Bradshawe-Dicken for a superhuman effort in foul Zabloki fronted a team to remove the old decaying weather. wooden platforms. After a couple of trips and some consultation with interested parties, a new SRT route was devised and installed by the DCA Equipment team which removed the need for any new platforms to be Pete Knight

9

ELDON HOLE - A HISTORY OF EXPLORATION

As readers will be aware, Eldon Hole is very plumbing Cotton was unable to lower the lead much in the caving news at present due to the to half the previous alleged depth. joint Eldon PC / Buttered Badger PC dig there, commenced in May 2015 (Wright 2015). But Continuing the tradition of erroneous why is this such an important dig and why are estimates of the depth of the shaft was substantial resources of manpower and Short (1734, p 33), who plumbed it 7 times finance being devoted to this project? DCA and found depths from 192 to 295 yards. has agreed a £1,000 grant for the cost of The bottom 40 yards of the rope seemed to stabilising the passage from the bottom of the have been in water, similar to Cotton before entrance shaft into the Main Chamber (DCA him. Short also gives an amusingly complex Minutes) in addition to the cost of scaffolding, equation whereby, through timing the fall of boards and other equipment borne by the stones to the bottom of the shaft, he diggers. To understand this, it is necessary to calculated the depth at 422 yards. He makes look at the history of exploration at this site, no attempt to explain the differing results! which goes back several hundred years. The best known account, perhaps by virtue of The oldest folk tale relating to Eldon Hole is the inclusion of the first survey of Eldon Hole, that of the goose that was thrown into the is that by John Lloyd. He describes in detail depths and later emerged from Peak Cavern being let down into Eldon Hole on two ropes with its feathers singed and blackened, of 80 yards in length by 8 men and calculates presumably by the fires of hell. The origin of that it was 62 yards in depth (Lloyd 1771, p this story seems to be lost in the mists of time. 252). His survey of Eldon Hole is a reasonable representation and of course the important The first known descent of Eldon Hole was point is that it shows a shaft descending from recorded in the 17th century by Thomas the main chamber to water. However, this Hobbes in his poem De Mirabilibus Pecci shaft was never viewed by Lloyd as it was no (Hobbes 1678, pp 52-54). He describes how longer accessible at the time of his visit (ibid, the Earl of Leicester had arranged for a “poor pp 255-256). King (1771, pp 256-257) explains peasant … with rope around his middle” to be that the shaft had been covered over by lowered into the hole. The rope was stated to miners, possibly with large flagstones, in order be 100 yards in length. When this man was to facilitate the filling-in of Eldon Hole that drawn back up to the surface he was found to (fortunately) never got very far. This was be mad and died 8 days later. Robert Dudley several years prior to Lloyd’s descent. He also became Earl of Leicester in 1564 and died in offers an explanation of the inaccuracy of 1588 so the incident must have taken place Cotton’s plumbing and mentions the tale of between those dates. the goose.

Charles Cotton (Cotton 1681, p 33) mentions Pilkington (1789, pp 68-71) mentions Eldon the tale of the goose with some scepticism Hole and reports that a miner descended to a and also claims to have plumbed Eldon Hole to depth of 56 yards and landed upon a heap of a depth of 884 yards (ibid, p 40). When he stones 14 yards high. Moving from the bottom pulled up the rope the last 80 yards were wet. in a north-east direction he found “a chink in However, during a subsequent attempt at the floor, out of which a strong current of air

10 proceeded”. The rest of Pilkington’s drainage levels were driven in the Castleton description simply repeats that of Lloyd. area during this period (Rieuwerts 2007, pp 21-49) and this does not explain why this third cavern was not described by Lloyd 42 years earlier.

Rather stylised picture of Milnes’ miners being lowered into Eldon Hole Lloyd’s section through Eldon Hole showing the shaft and possible “subterranean river” A further descent was made in 1830 and Lloyds calculation of the depth of Eldon Hole reported in the Edinburgh Journal of Natural is confirmed in a later account (Britton and and Geographical Science (anon 1830, pp 171- Brayley 1802, p 473) of the plumbing of Eldon 172), and again this involved the assistance of Hole at 67 yards. The same authors miners, in this case named as Daniel Miller questioned 3 miners who had descended and John Thornhill. The description matches Eldon Hole on separate occasions and they with Lloyd’s survey. gave depths of 66, 68 and 70 yards. Given the slope of the entrance these measurements The final recorded 19th century descent of along with that of Lloyd correspond Eldon Hole prior to the development of what reasonably well with modern surveys. is generally reckoned to be modern-day caving was on 11th September 1873 by Rooke 1813 saw another descent of Eldon Hole, Pennington and John Tym (Pennington 1879, again by miners, described by Milne (1813, pp pp 1-6). His account adds nothing to those 10-19). The men were lowered down on a published previously (other than the mention pitched rope, 200 yards long, carried over a of a cat being lowered down the shaft and, stemple fixed across the top of the shaft. The unsurprisingly, being drawn up dead). significant part of their account to Milne of their findings is that they entered a third In 1900 the Kyndwr Club made their first cavern in which was a fissure, too narrow to descent of Eldon Hole (Baker 1932, pp 10-12). enter, from which came the sound of “a The short description of the cavern does not prodigious rushing of water”. Walker (1967, p provide any great detail other than that the 51) discusses the issue of the wet ropes of scree slope at the bottom of Eldon Hole was Cotton and Short in the context of the then 65 feet long. However, the narrative exploration by Milnes’ miners and suggests provides a graphic and rather worrying that late 18th century mining operations account of how not to descend a pothole. caused a lowering of the water level at the Undeterred by their misadventures the club bottom of Eldon Hole. However, no significant returned for a second descent in January 1901

11 and appear from the account of the visit to have learned nothing from their previous mistakes (ibid pp 12-14).

TSG members fettling the winch prior to the injection of dye at the bottom of Eldon Hole (Photo: John Gunn)

of P B Smith and others and the TSG winch, John Gunn directing the hose at the bottom (John Gunn, pers comm). The dye emerged from Russet Well and Slop Moll 1100 hours later.

The Kyndwr Club’s second visit to Eldon Hole – bosun’s chair In action (Photo: Ernest Baker)

A more professional visit to Eldon Hole was made by the Derbyshire Pennine Club on 21st September 1907 (anon 1907, p 21) when 14 or 15 men were lowered down the shaft and commenced to dig down through the rocks in the chamber “where the presence of a swallet was suspected”. They reached a depth of 70 feet and felt that “there are still possibilities John Gunn injecting the dye with the water from the bowser here”. cascading in from the left (Photographer unknown)

Several much more recent attempts have Finally, it is worth mentioning that a similar been made to excavate at the bottom of Eldon water tracing experiment took place at the Hole prior to the current dig but as they are Eldon Hill dolines a couple of months within living memory it is not proposed to previously (Gunn, loc cit; Gunn et al 2015, p cover them here. However, one final item of 22). On 1st August 1985 a solution containing interest is the water tracing that took place at 2000g of sulpho-rhodamine B was washed Eldon Hole on 13th October 1985, brief details into a 3.5m pit excavated at the base of the of which are given in a comprehensive table of central doline and flushed through over a 1 water tracing experiments in the Castleton hour period with 18000 litres of water. The area published some years ago by the BCRA dye emerged from Russet Well and Slop Moll (Gunn 1991, p 44). A solution containing 274 hours later. Whilst too much should not 4000g of sulpho-rhodamine B was injected be read into the differing flow times on these into the bottom of Eldon Hole and flushed two experiments, it does beg the question – if through with water from a bowser on the the present dig at Eldon Hole is unsuccessful, surface via a length of fire hose with the help are the dolines a viable alternative?

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And finally, just for fun, here’s how we used to Gunn, J 1991 Water Tracing Experiments get in and out of Eldon Hole . . . in the Castleton Karst, 1950-1990 Cave Science: Transactions of the British Cave research Association 18 (1) pp 43-46

Gunn, J, et al 2015 Field excursion to the Derbyshire “White Peak” District 26th June 2015 University of Birmingham International Conference on Groundwater in Karst http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/511287/1/KG@B%202015%20 Carboniferous%20field%20guide.pdf [accessed 31/10/1915]

Hobbes, T 1678 De Mirabilibus Pecci London: William Crook

King, E 1771 Philosophical transactions 61 pp 256-260 London: The Royal Society

Lloyd, J 1771 Philosophical Transactions 61 pp 250-256 London: The Royal Society

Milne, R 1813 A Geological Account of a Descent into Eldon Hole … Manchester: Wardle and Bentham

Pennington, R 1879 Mr Rooke Pennington on a Descent into Eldon Hole Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester 3rd Series 6th Vol A caver descending Eldon Hole by ladder in the early 1960s (Photo: Paul Deakin) Rieuwerts, J 2007 Lead Mining in Derbyshire: History, Development and Drainage - 1. Castleton to The River Wye Ashbourne: Landmark BIBLIOGRAPHY

Short, T 1734 The Natural, Anon 1830 Notes on the Caverns … Experimental, and Medicinal History of the Mineral with an account of a Descent into Eldon Hole. The Waters of Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire … Edinburgh Journal of Natural and Geographical Science London: F Gyles Vol II pp 171-172

Walker, M 1967 The Spelaeology to the Anon 1907 Derbyshire Pennine Club South-West of Castleton: Some Hoary Problems Notes Climbers Club Journal 10 (37) pp 18-22 Eldon Pothole Club Journal 7 (2) pp 48-58

Baker, E A 1932 Caving: Episodes of Wright, M 2015 ukcaving.com thread Underground Exploration London: Chapman & Hall http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=18285.0 Ltd [accessed 20/9/2015]

Britton, J, & Brayley, E W 1802 The Beauties of England and Wales … London: Vernon & Hood et al

Cotton, C 1683 The Wonders of the Peake (2nd ed) London: Joanna Brome

DCA 2015 Derbyshire Caving Assn Council Meeting 20/6/2015 Minute 10.1 Mike Higgins

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CREWE SRT TRAINING

On 13th February twelve members of Crewe All twelve gave feedback indicating that the Climbing and Potholing Club met on the day had been very worthwhile and enjoyable. snowy heights of Long Hill at the White Hall Training is always an aspect of accepting new Outdoor Centre for an indoor SRT Training members into a caving club, and, if you don't Session. Crewe have frequently held training organise formal training, cavers new to the sessions in the winter months, and have sport will simply learn from other members. previously used Upper Limits - originally at So taking advantage of opportunities like this Longnor, and, latterly, at Leek College. form an important factor in club caving. Unfortunately the Leek Climbing Wall is no longer available, and so CCPC scouted around for other possibilities and came up with White Hall as a very good alternative. The session, which concentrated on the basic kit and moves used in modern SRT, was run by CIC Jules Barrett, and the facilities at White Hall proved to be the best yet, with decent Y- hangs and traverses providing no less than 11 ropes, and keeping all cavers active and occupied throughout the day in a warm, comfortable environment.

Listening intently! Photo: Alan Brentnall

The costs of the training were very reasonable, and BCA have agreed to grant-aid the enterprise, and with facilities such as White Hall so close at hand, and the offer of financial assistance from the sport's governing body, it is surprising that more clubs don't take the opportunity. Many thanks to White Hall, BCA and, Attendees making the most of the climbing wall particularly, Jules for a great day. Photo: Alan Brentnall

The twelve attendees were of mixed abilities, from newcomers, with only a couple of SRT trips to their name, to old hands, looking to tune their rigs and practice new techniques. Alan Brentnall

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DERBYSHIRE CAVING ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 2016-2017

Chairman: Wayne Sheldon 57 Toll Bar Road, Gleadless, Sheffield S12 2QZ Email: [email protected] Mob 07941 211209

Vice-Chairman: Terry Jackson New House Farm, Chapel-en-le-Frith, High Peak, Derbyshire SK23 0QL Email: [email protected] Tel 01663 750647, Mob 07966 219997

Secretary: Jenny Potts 3 Greenway, HuIIand Ward, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 3FE Email: [email protected] OR [email protected] Tel 01335 370629

Treasurer: Angus Sawyer 143 Wilsthorpe Road, Long Eaton, Nottingham, NG10 3LJ Email: [email protected] Tel 0115 973 1177, Mob 07547 153715

Newsletter Editor / Publications Officer: Mike Higgins 56 Robin Hood Crescent, Edenthorpe, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN3 2JJ Email: [email protected] Tel 01302 882874, Mob 07971 482045

Training Officer: Nigel Atkins Wharfedale House, Springfield Close, Midway, Derbyshire DE11 0DB Email: [email protected] Tel 01283 210666, Mob 07831 449919

Cave Registry Secretary: vacant

Equipment Officer: Bob Dearman The Green Cottage, Main Street, Chelmorton, Buxton SK17 9SL Email: [email protected] Tel 01298 85594

Webmaster: Angus Sawyer 143 Wilsthorpe Road, Long Eaton, Nottingham, NG10 3LJ Email: [email protected] Tel 0115 973 1177, Mob 07547 153715

Conservation & Access Team

Conservation Officer: Christine Wilson Kingfisher Cottage, Far Hill, Bradwell, Hope Valley, S33 9HR Email: [email protected] Tel 01433 621149, Mob 07713 416455

Access Officer: Gary Noble DCC Adventur Mobile Activities, Peter Webster Centre, Sheffield Road, Whittington Moor, S41 8LQ Email: [email protected] Mob 07791 625370

Projects Officer: Pete Knight 12 Bowden Crescent, New Mills, Derbyshire SK22 4LN Email: [email protected] Mob 07812 038233

Legal & Insurance Officer: Pete Mellors "Fairview", Station Road, Edingley, Newark, Notts NG22 8BX Email: [email protected] Tel 01623 882515

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A SELECTION OF RECENT PHOTOGRAPHS OF SPEEDWELL CAVERN KINDLY CONTRIBUTED BY PHIL WOLSTENHOLME

Lisa Wootton with large calcite vein in the Miner's Nigel Ball at the base of the third rise on Longcliffe Chamber above the Bung Hole stopes Vein in the Halfway House series

Jess Stirrups examining phreatic development in Nigel Ball on the Balcony overlooking Justification Pit Top Passage, above the Bottomless Pit Chamber in the Halfway House series

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