Editorial

The original function of the Belfry Bulletin was, as its
name suggests, to report to club members on the progress made on the
construction of the club hut – The Belfry.

The last month has seen spectacular progress made on the
Belfry site.  The redecoration of the
living room is almost compete; the kitchen has been tackled and only requires a
few finishing touches; the exterior  of
the hut has been creosoted and, joy of joys, we have obtained permission from
the Ministry of Town and Country Planning to go ahead with the building of our
new stone tackle store and changing room and have lost no time in starting to
dig the foundations.

As far as we know, the new stone building will be the first
permanent building ever to be erected on Mendip for the purpose of caving, and
those of us who remember the old Belfry in its heyday will feel that it is
appropriate that this new building should be rising, as it were, from its
ashes.

Appeals are not indulged in much in the B.B. nowadays, but
we feel that an exception could well be made at this stage to appeal to all
members on two counts.  The first is that
we now have a nice looking, freshly painted, clean hut.  Let us all try to keep it the best on
Mendip!  The second is that the erection
of the new hut will take a lot of work. We have never lacked willing hands in the past, who put up the New
Belfry and added the extension and porch. Let’s get that new stone hut up before the winter!

Finally, a big “thank you” to all members who have
sent in material for the B.B. of late. At the moment, we have a surpl¬us, so don’t be worried if your article
doesn’t appear in this B.B. and don’t stop writing!  We use it up very quickly!

” Alfie. ”

July Committee Meeting

Arrangements for the redecoration of the kitchen and the
creosoting of the outside of the Belfry were finalised at the July committee
meeting.  Other matters deal with were
the provision of nylon lifelines, Certificates for Hon. Life Members and the
provision for a club tie.

The Tackle Officer reported that we now possessed four 20ft
and one 15ft standard lightweight ladders.  With two more 20 foot lengths under construction.  It was also agreed, in view of the new
decorations, to prohibit the use of paraffin for burning purposes in the
Belfry.

Change of Address.

Alfie has now moved to 33 Richmond Terrace,
Clifton,

Bristol 8

Annual Dinner.

This will be held at the CAVE MAN RESTAURANT at CHEDDAR on
SATURDAY  OCTOBER 4TH, 1958.  The price of tickets will be 10/-.

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We must apologise to “Kangy” whose letter would have been
printed at this point in the B.B., had it not been lost in the Editor’s recent
moving activities.

Make a note of the date of the Annual Dinner & A.G.M. – Oct.
4th!

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Caving Log

Hunters Hole

Sanctimonious Passage

On Sunday, 13th July 1958, a party descended Hunters Hole
under the misdirection of Ian Dear with the intention of digging at the end of
the Railway Tunnel.  Before work was
started, an attempt was made to reach a small ledge eight feet up the right
hand wall and seventeen feet from the bottom of the main pitch.  Ian had attempted to climb up to this ledge a
fortnight earlier but, due to mud covered rock and loose boulders, had been
unsuccessful.  On this occasion, a lighter
person wearing rubber soled boots was able to make the climb by using another
persons back as a start and then, when on the ledge, cleared most of the loose
boulders, thus enabling others to climb. It should be pointed out that many of the boulders are still loose and
care should be taken when climbing this.

The removal of a few more boulders enlarged a hole at the
back of the ledge and it was possible to squeeze through into a boulder floored
passage about three feet wide and two feet high.  The passage ends after fourteen feet, but
just before the final wall is reached it is possible to squeeze between two
boulders which brings one to the edge of a pot six feet in diameter and nine
feet deep.  It is an easy climb to the
bottom, and a low passage leads off parallel to the Railway Tunnel of the main
system.  After thirty feet, including a
further squeeze, a small chamber is reached where there is a four foot drop.
Near the roof is a small grotto from which leads a small passage which closes
down after six feet.

Below the grotto a passage leads off, and after proceeding
through a fourth squeeze, the top of another pitch is revealed.  This was named ROVER POT and is eighteen feet
deep.  It is probably easy to climb, but
a short rope or a ten foot ladder belayed from a convenient spur of rock six
feet down makes the climb much easier. At the bottom of the pitch is a fairly large chamber with a passage
continuing at right angles to the Railway Tunnel, but unfortunately this closes
down after twenty two feet and is blocked by a stal flow.  The final passage is some twenty lower than
the bottom of the Railway Tunnel and more than ten feet lower than reached so
far in the dig.  It is the lowest part of
the cave and approximately 160 feet below ground level.  The total passage length is about 125 feet.

It is probable that readers will wonder about the name given
to the new extension.  It so happened
that the previous night a visitor to the Belfry had been offended by the lads,
and rather than spend a night in such company, had packed his bags and made the
150 mile journey home by car.  It was
felt that such gallant behaviour should be commemorated and hence the name!

During the following week, the passage was surveyed Bryan
Ellis and Brian Sneddon as part of a survey of the complete cave which is hoped
to publish at a later date.  Although the
measurements for the survey are made to C.R.G. grade 5, the survey accompanying
this screed (or article? See B.B. No. 126!) has only been drawn up roughly, and
not more than grade there is claimed.

The following weekend, another descent was made, and after a
superb tangle of ropes, caused by Ian’s attempts at directing the lowering of
tackle down the main pitch, had been sorted out, digging was started at the
terminal stalagmite and the mud filled passage. Both look promising and it is intended to carry out further work at both
places in the future.  While this was
going on, work was also carried on in Dear’s Ideal.

(We regret that this article has had to be cut short to allow
the survey to be included.  A full report
will be published in B.E.C. Caving reports at a later date.  Ed.)

To the Editor Belfry Bulletin.

Early this year a B.E.C. party was trapped below the 40′ pot
in Swildons because a second group took out the tackle believing the first
party to be already out of the cave.

The misunderstanding that took place calls for some comment
on cave leadership and safety.

1.                  Every party should have a recognised leader
responsible for making all major decisions and for seeing his party has got
adequate lighting and clothing.  He
should also look after the safety of his group and ensure that nobody is
persuaded to go beyond his capabilities, and help and advise novices.

2.                  With a party of equal caving experience, this
leadership will be rarely exerted, but nevertheless a leader should be chosen
and must be able to exert authority if necessary in case of accident, dangerous
exploration &c.

Under club rules all trips should have a leader whose
decisions must be obeyed.  There is a
tendency nowadays to ignore advising novices on carrying equipment and
techniques.  A practical training in this
is essential and to supplement this letter I shall be submitting an article on
caving equipment and methods shortly.

M. Hannam.
Caving Secretary

Open Letter

To those Whom the Cap Fits: –

During the Bank Holiday weekend, some members of the Wessex
Cave Club were interrupted in the process of setting off some fireworks etc.
outside the Belfry.  This is fair enough
and we would be a pretty dim lot if we couldn’t take a joke.  What we don’t think very funny; however, it
is the attempted setting off of a detonator on the roof of the Belfry
porch.  This could have been dangerous to
anyone passing at the time, particularly as there were two expectant mothers at
the Belfry that day.  A dim view would
also have been taken by our Fire Insurers. In addition, the frivolous use of explosive materials would result in
the withdrawing of “bang” licenses.  On
top of this, the perpetrators of this joke attempted to light an electric
detonator by setting fire to the leads! Obviously anyone so unaware of its use should not be handling a
detonator anyway.  We trust we have made
our point clear.

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The Belfry Bulletin. Editor: S.J. Collins,

1
Kensington Place,
Clifton,
Bristol 8
Secretary: R.J. Bagshaw,

56
Ponsford Road, Knowle,

Bristol 4