A new discovery in County
Pot
Some months back, I stumbled across a
small oxbow passage, between Stop Pot and Holbeck Junction.
A subsequent investigation revealed that the upstream end is choked, seemingly
quite close to the main drag. However, it felt like there might be
something leading off, part way along. I returned, armed with a crowbar,
at the start of March. My first dig revealed just an alcove. I moved
along.
My second dig proved more
promising. After a few minutes, I was looking along a small side passage,
maybe 10cm high, heading off to the north, apparently into blank
hillside. The digging was easy: mud and loosely packed cobbles, with
shelves to the sides for stacking spoil; so progress was rapid. I soon picked up a trickle of water, which
had the effect of turning everything to slurry. Shortly ahead was a
pool. Before long, I had broken the dam: water flowed out, perhaps
several hundred litres, so it seems there is plenty of passage beyond.
I eventually had enlarged the
approach enough that I could wriggle into the pool. The passage
continued, with quite deep water in places, and 20cm of airspace above.
Progress required crow barring flakes off the roof, and re-arranging cobbles in
the floor, so the going was slow.
At the end of the pool, about 12m
from the start of the dig, the passage was blocked by a mud bank. It
looked easy to dig; but by now I was sufficiently soaked that I decided to retreat,
and return another day.
Gavin Lowe