Club Digs: Progress
Report - Mid October 2019
As many of you will
know we have an active group of diggers and access to various means of breaking
up rock to progress our digs plus various materials including scaffolding,
wooden shoring, buckets, drag trays and a boulder net. I thought I would give
an update on the ongoing projects. We tend to go digging on Saturdays and
sometimes on Tuesdays. If interested in helping us let me know. We are always in the need of more scaffolding
if you have some.
Casserole Pot: Located on Casterton Fell not far from Cow
Pot. .
This ongoing long term
dig has received quite a bit of attention in the last few weeks and we are
still making progress along the narrow 1 metre high drafting rift stream
passage. We have been using snappers, capping and other means to enlarge the
rift which is now over 10 metres downstream beyond Pepperami Pot. The pot
itself is no longer a pot as it is full of digging material! The passage is
still heading down dip to the north away from Cow Pot with a great echo at the
end and it seems to be getting higher and larger. We still do not know where
the water goes. Always need help here.
Paddling Pool dig: Located over the wall to the west of Gale
Garth Pot.
The object of this
surface dig is to try to enter the passages postulated to extend south from
Gale Garth Pot. The dig is in a deep shake-hole just below the wall and takes
quite a sizeable steam in wet weather but digging tends to result in the sink
in the floor of the shaft getting blocked and it turns into a paddling pool! Digging
has progressed well over the last couple of months and we now have a
scaffolding and plank lined shaft over 3 metres deep through mud and boulders
but no sign of any limestone bedrock yet. Work continues on drier days over the
winter.
Rollerball (Kirtle Pot) Located in field on the way to Aygill Caverns.
Ray, Sam and others
have been digging here for a while on Thursday evenings. On Sat Oct 12th
before the club auction party we arranged a club digging meet here. The
situation is that the digging itself is easy in a stooping height passage with
easily dug sand, cobbles and gravel and a good draft. However all the spoil has
to be bagged up and hauled out through about 30ft of steep passage to the
surface as there is no stacking space left in the cave. Some people worked on the surface and we
were able to rotate diggers around so they were not stuck in one place for
several hours with a morning and afternoon shift. Snacks and drinks were provided and some
20 people took part. A great day out. Thanks for your help. We might organise a
repeat in the new year here or at Casserole Pot.
Howgill Cave: Secret cave in
Dentdale, ask me or Hugh St.L.
if you want to know
more about this. It was discovered in the early 1970's but survey and
description has never been published due to access issues and the fact that it
is very flood prone and extremely well decorated. Red Rose members rediscovered
it in 1983 and we did some positive dye testing in the area and realised its
full potential, possibly the longest cave in Dentdale. We are searching the
area for other possible sinks for the system. Hugh St Lawrence has negotiated
access to this cave with the new landowners, who were very keen to help
provided it does not get lots of visitors. We have constructed a sturdy
scaffold frame and wooden lid over the 4m entrance shaft of this flood prone
cave to keep access open over the winter, as it is easily blocked by flood debris.
in view of resurvey during drier spell next year.
See: Limestones and Caves
of North West England (p.233) Jan 1974 by Tony Waltham (Editor)
Langthwaite Sink dig: Located near the
village of Casterton. This dig has been wound down and all tools and ladders
extracted from the shaft. The bottom of the dig at about -9 metres has become
unstable and we all got too scared to carry on. We still need to make a
suitable stock proof lid for the top of the shaft. Any offers?
Andy Hall