Tony Jarratt’s Caving Log Volume 1, 1964-1974 1964-1966 Page 1 Somerset Gough’s Cave Cheddar Somerset Cox’s Cave Cheddar Somerset Wookey Hole Wells Somerset Yorkhouse Cave Backwell Pembrokeshire Pendine Sea Caves Pendine Miscellaneous caves explored at various times Pembrokeshire Wogan Cavern Pembroke Breconshire Chartist Cave Tredegar Pembrokeshire Lydstep Caverns Manorbier Bristol Ghyston’s Cave Bristol Worcestershire Wren’s Nest Mines 7 hrs Dudley Large chambered limestone mines near Dudley. 1964? First true caving trip and all were somewhat P&S Millward, nervous over the prospect. P.Arkell, P.Goddard Somerset Sidcot Swallet ¾ hr Burrington First Mendip trip. Very fine. Rod’s Pot ¾ hr Reached head of “avens” in Rod’s. 19/3/66 S.Shepstone Somerset Goatchurch Cavern 2 hrs Burrington First trip with the Exploration Group of North Rod’s Pot Somerset 1966 9 EGONS, Steve Shepstone Somerset East Twin Swallet ½ hr Burrington Aveline’s Hole 1 hr Rod’s Pot 1 hr Reeds Cavern ½ hr Bath Swallet 10min 6/4/66 Steve Page 2 Somerset Soldier’s Hole ¼ hr Cheddar Very impressed with Great Oones Hole Great Oones Hole 1 hr Sun Hole ¼ hr 21/4/66 Steve Somerset Aveline’s Hole 1 hr Burrington Sidcot Swallet 1 hr Rod’s Pot 1 hr 23/4/66 Steve Somerset Goatchurch Cavern 2 ½ h Burrington 11/6/66 Steve, Colin York Somerset Swildon’s Hole 2 hrs Priddy To head of the “Forty”. Most impressed. 12/6/66 Steve, EGONS Somerset Swildon’s Hole 3 ½ h Priddy First ladder climb (the “40”) and on to just past 3/7/66 the Double Pots. Steve, EGONS Somerset Aveline’s Hole 1 hr Burrington Goatchurch Cavern 1 hr Read’s Cavern ½ hr 9/7/66? Dave Parker, Roger Copley Worcestershire Wren’s Nest Mines 1 hr Dudley 26/7/66 Phil Goddard Page 3 Somerset Scragg’s Hole 1 hr Compton Noted HUGE spider in Foxes and a very active Denny’s Hole Bishop bat in Sandy. Foxes Hole Sandy Cave 31/7/66 D.Parker, C.Toogood Somerset Swiss Valley Cave 1hr Clevedon 2/8/66 20 m D.Parker Somerset Goatchurch Cavern 1 hr Burrington Also looked at small cave above Flange Swallet. East Twin Swallet 50m 4/8/66 D.Parker, Peter? Martin? Somerset Eastwater Cavern 1½ hr Priddy 11/8/66 D.P., R.Copley Breconshire Chartists’ Cave ¼ hr Tredegar Explored whole of cave. 17/8/66 Steve Breconshire Ogof Blaen Crawnon 1 hr Trefil A vile place! Razor rock, loose bits, freezing 18/8/66 water etc. Steve Breconshire Ogof Fawr ¼ hr Penderyn A very loose cave. A well organized dig to the 19/8/66 right looks more promising. Steve Page 4 Breconshire Bridge Cave 2½ hr Ystradfellte Noted a white fish in Bridge Cave. Met Messrs Cwm Pwll-y-Rhyd Hillman and Jones in the cave and were invited to White Lady Cave “Pine Lodge” for tea. Porth-yr-Ogof 20/8/66 Steve, (Brian Hillman, Glen Jones) Somerset Sidcot Swallet 2 hr Burrington Goatchurch Cavern Rod’s Pot Aveline’s Hole 26/8/66 P.Goddard Somerset Swildon’s Hole 2 hr Priddy 6/9/66 Steve Somerset Goatchurch Cavern 2¾ hr Burrington Sidcot Swallet 1¾ hr 10/9/66 Steve, Dave? Somerset Swildon’s Hole 3½ hr Priddy ?/?/66 5 EGONS, Steve Somerset Stoke Lane Slocker 2½ hr Stoke Lane First trip using bottom half of a wet-suit. As far 2/10/66 as Sump 1. EGONS, Steve Page 5 Somerset Trat’s Crack 1 hr Burrington East Twin Swallet 50m Sidcot Swallet Aveline’s Hole Goatchurch Cavern 8/10/66 Somerset Swildon’s Hole 3 hrs Priddy 9/10/66 Steve, N. Nauhdar, R.Copley, C.York, D.Porter Somerset Sidcot Swallet 2¾ hr Burrington Goatchurch Cavern 1 hr 16/10/66 13 EGONS Somerset Eastwater Swallet 2¼ hr Priddy 23/10/66 10 EGONS, Steve Breconshire Porth-yr-Ogof 1½ hr Ystradfellte Used dinghy on the lake. 3/11/66 Steve, Rog, Nick Breconshire Bridge Cave 1 hr Ystradfellte Welsh trips – see EGONS magazine 1967 4/11/66 Steve, Rog, Nick Breconshire White Lady Cave 1½ hr Ystradfellte 5/11/66 11 EGONS, Steve, Rog, Nick Page 6 Breconshire Porth-yr-Ogof 1 hr Ystradfellte 6/11/66 3 EGONS, Rog, Nick, Steve Somerset Swiss Valley Cave 2 hrs Clevedon Numerous bats. Took several photographs. 19/11/66 D.Parker, “Foxey” Fowler, “Tif”, Rog, Steve Somerset Swildon’s Hole 5 hrs Priddy Met MRO team on rescue (see rescue cuttings) 27/11/66 Rog, Tif, Steve, Nick, Dave Somerset Sidcot Swallet 3½ hr Burrington Goatchurch Cavern Bath Swallet Rod’s Pot 4/12/66 Rog, Nick, Dave Somerset Eastwater Cavern 2½ hr Priddy 11/12/66 8 EGONS Somerset Axbridge Ochre 1¼ hr Axbridge Also inspected various ochre workings nearby. Mine 29/12/66 Colin Wilmot 1967 Somerset Eastwater Cavern 4 hrs Priddy 8/1/67 10m 15 EGONS Page 7 Somerset Eastwater Cavern 4½ hr Priddy 15/1/67 EGONS Somerset Yorkhouse Cave 10min Brockley 26/1/67 Nick Somerset Read’s Cavern 2 hr Burrington Minor collapse in Read’s and many bats noted. 10m Drunkard’s Hole ¼ hr 29/1/67 EGONS Somerset Foxes Hole Burrington A dig in the floor of the Water Chamber, Trat’s Crack Goatchurch, revealed a small, and as yet, Toad’s Hole 3 ½ hr unentered stream passage Tunnel Cave Goatchurch Cavern 4/2/67 Tif Somerset Goatchurch Cavern 1¼ hr Burrington More digging (till 8:30pm) 7/2/67 Tif Somerset Ebbor Gorge Rock 10 m Ebbor Looked at several rock shelters and did some Shelters climbing routes. 12/2/67 EGONS Breconshire Porth-yr-Ogof 2 hr Ystradfellte 16/2/67 25 m Rog, Colin Page 8 Breconshire Town Drain ¼ hr Ystradfellte White Lady Cave 1¼ hr Cwm Pwll-y-Rhyd 17/2/67 Rog Copley, Col, Nigel Wood, Nick Nauhdar , Steve Shepstone, Breconshire Porth-yr-Ogof 1 ½ hr Ystradfellte Found a very unstable cave, in grit, on Gwaen “Woppitt’s Hole” ¼ hr Cefn-y-Carreg. Named it “Woppit’s Hole” for 18/2/67 some strange reason. (as above) Somerset Hunters’ Hole 2hr Priddy 26/2/67 20m 4 EGONS, Steve Somerset “Goblin Combe” ½ hr Brockley 2 mine shafts descended, one being reopened by Mines (2) us. (See Mendip Mining Notes.) 12/3/67 8 EGONS Somerset Goatchurch Cavern 2 hrs Burrington Helped extinguish bracken fire in Combe and then East Twin Swallet rescued several frogs from East Twin. Lionel’s Hole Whitcombe’s Hole 20/3/67 Will Withers, Tif Somerset Swildon’s Hole 2¾ hr Priddy 30/3/67 Rog, Steve, Dave Somerset Lamb Leer 3¾ hr E.Harptree Oz broke his leg in the “Cave of Falling Waters” 2/4/67 and we managed to get him to the surface with EGONS help from the Cotham C.G. (See CCG Nsltr Vol 3 No.1) Page 9 Somerset “Goblin Combe” ¼ hr Brockley Mines (3) 6/4/67 Tif, Steve Yorkshire Jubilee Cave ½ hr Attermire First Yorkshire trip. Interesting caves of Victoria Cave ¾ hr archaeological importance. Descended a tight, Blackpot Cave thrutchy pitch in Victoria Cave and only just 25/3/67 managed to get out again. John Norris, Oz Parsons Yorkshire Alum Pot 1 hr Ingleboroug Did Alum Main Shaft to ledge which involved Upper Long Churn 10m h swinging about on 80’ ladder and traversing Cave round the walls. Long Churn was flooded. 26/3/67 John, Oz, Guy Sxxxx , Les, etc. Somerset Mineshaft (Sandford ½ hr Sandford Noted many small cave pearls in the levvy. Hill) 1½ hr Sandford Levvy 8/4/67 Tif Somerset Goatchurch Cavern ½ hr Burrington Used candles in Goatchurch. Aveline’s Hole 10m 16/4/67 Alone Somerset Swiss Valley Cave 1 hr Clevedon Many bats seen. 22/4/67 10m Tif, Mike Trow Somerset Goatchurch Cavern 3¼ hr Burrington Digging. Stream diverted and looking very 23/4/67 promising. Got involved in MRO rescue practice. Mike, Lyn, Kay, Tony Page 10 Somerset Rod’s Pot ½ hr Burrington Evening trip to retrieve lost helmet. 27/4/67 Nick Somerset Goatchurch Cavern 4 hrs Burrington Digging. Chamber almost entered, approx 6’ 27/4/67 diameter with some formations on the wall. 4 EGONS, Derek Bristol Mercavity Cave 1½ hr Bristol Pool Pot Hades Hole 30/4/67 4 EGONS Somerset Sidcot Swallet ¾ hr Burrington Goatchurch Cavern 1¼ hr 6/5/67 Dave and Bedford xxxx Scouts Somerset Bat Den 1½ hr Dundry Fairly extensive freestone mines near radio Rabbit Den station. Other workings in area. 7/5/67 Tif and small boys Somerset Cox’s Cave ¼ hr Cheddar By Pass Geode Axbridge 13/5/67 Somerset Spider Hole Visited the entrances Nettle Hole Dig Ubley Hill Pot 14/5/67 Steve Somerset Swildon’s Hole 4½ hr Priddy Evening trip (5.30pm-10.15pm) to Sump 1. 20/5/67 Steve, Nick, Tif, Will, Simon Page 11 Somerset Goatchurch Cavern 1½ hr Burrington 28/5/67 Oz, Kath Somerset Pidgeon House Bay ½ hr Clevedon Sea caves containing small helictites, cave pearls Sea Cave and other formations. Other sea cave 29/5/67 Tif, 2 small boys Breconshire Dan-yr-Ogof 40m Penycae Normal tourist trip. Quite impressed. 30/5/67 Mum and Dad Somerset By-Pass Geode Axbridge Small crystal lined phreatic cavity. Also looked 1/6/67 for Triple H Cave in vain. Somerset Swildon’s Hole 1hr Priddy Upper Series trip, including oxbows 2/6/67 10m Oz, Simon Somerset Wookey Hole ½ hr Wookey Normal tourist trip. Very good. 4/6/67 Dave, mum and kids etc.