Red Rose Cave and Pothole Club - Newsletter Vol 3 No 2 - Summer 1965
SOME RECENT
DISCOVERIES IN SOUTH WESTMORLAND
The club continues to be successful in this field of operation. In
January Andrew Walsh pointed out a cave on Hale Moss which was new to my knowledge,
This Hale Moss Cave however, had been explored by Ray Barker some ten years
ago. Whilst exploring this cave, a local chap informed us of further caves near
Hazel Grove on Hale Moss and exploration commenced of the finest caves in the
area. Andrew Walsh was again
responsible for discovering the main cave of this group which was so inconspicuous
that it had escaped the attention of Duncan Baldwin and myself,
and again the farmer did not know it existed, the entrance being
little more than a clint. The main cave has been
surveyed for about 3/4 of its length and averages 7’ high with
several chambers including one of 55’ in length. The other caves in
the group have only been partly explored but considering field evidence
there exists here some 1/2 mile of passages. Hazel Grove Caves are
text book examples of phreatic caves containing every feature of that type;
In March Duncan Baldwin and Andrew Walsh discovered a diminutive vadose
cave at Capernwray and in April Eric Holland
discovered a short solution cave near Jenny Brown’s Point and named Cow Close
Cave. In May Duncan Baldwin and myself came across an open pot near Hutton
Roof. The pot takes the form of a rift 20’ deep with water in the bottom and a
strong draught. A rock wedged 5’ down
is stopping further progress. In the dry valley from here to Dalton Old Hall
where there is a large rising are several sinks and shake holes two of which
are 150’ in circumference.
In June Eric Holland found another cave at Burton Well Scar which is unexplored
yet. In the following month Eric and I visited some of the recent discoveries
(by Erie) in the Grange district, Broca Caves at
Lindale containing many formations, Windermere Wood Cave at Merlewood,
and Great Wood Cave near Field Broughton. Full accounts of these recent discoveries
will be published in due course. Further work has continued on the very interesting
speleogenesis of the S. Westmorland caves involving
accurate delineations of certain beds and horizontal development within caves
and determining the complex geology. Max Moseley has continued his investigations
of the ores and has also collected some very remarkable fauna.
P. Ashmead,