The
Exploration Club, The Belfry,
Road
Editor: Ted Humphreys
Cover: Chairman
of the AGM, Bob Cork, sketched by REG.
Contents
- 1 1992 – 1993 Committee
- 2
- 3 Editorial
- 4 Correspondence
- 5
- 6 Bristol Exploration Club – Membership List 06/04/93
- 7
- 8 Bristol Exploration Club Exchange/Complimentary List 06/04/93
- 9
- 10 St. Cuthberts Leaders
- 11
- 12 Meets List – 1993
- 13
- 14 Pen Park Hole
- 15
- 16 Obituaries
- 17
- 18 Stock Hill Mine Cave
- 19
- 20 Wigmore Update – Only Another 5.75 Miles to Cheddar!
1992 – 1993 Committee
Hon. Sec. Martin Grass
Treasurer Chris Smart
Caving Sec. Jeff Price
Hut Warden Chris Harvey
Tackle Master Mike Wilson
B.B. Editor Ted Humphreys
Hut Engineer Tim Large
Membership Sec. John Watson
Floating Members Nigel Taylor
Editorial
Well here we are again, eventually! Most of this BB consists of 1ists of one kind
or another, all of which are as up-to-date as I could make them. Please let me know if there are any errors.
I seem to be becoming accident prone! We can’t let Snablet have all the fun. I twisted a knee falling from Long Chamber to
Annexe Chamber, tore a thigh muscle free-climbing down the 20 in Swildon’s and
broke a wrist falling off a step ladder. Perhaps I’m getting too old for these adventurous pursuits!
Correspondence
The following letter was received by the Club from the
parents of Suzanna Fellowes. Suzanna was
killed recently following a car accident at the end of the Belfry track. She was a member of the Westminster
Speleological Group.
24.1.93
Dear Bristol Exploration Club Members,
We thank you for your kindness and beautiful floral tribute
on the sad occasion of Suzanna’s funeral.
In
appreciation,
Richard
& Christel Fellowes
*****************************************
28.1.93
Dear Sir
I wrote recently complaining of the state of the Belfry and
explaining my actions in staying at Upper Pits in preference to the Belfry.
My ’93 sub’s are due. A sum of £20.00. Can anyone on
B.E.C. Committee justify to me why I should have to fork £20.00 to remain a
member of a club that still goes offering thoroughly sub-standard, filthy
accommodation?
It’s about time you reviewed the crummy, unsanitary state
the Bunk rooms are in. I’ve tried hard
to reconcile myself to the Belfry crowd, and feel at home in the place but I’m
afraid I’m on the point of chucking it all up and resigning.
Why cannot you fork out for some decent canvas and wooden
bunk frames that will not attract damp and filth, and will be easily
recoverable, and whilst on the subject it’s high time a new fire door was
fitted to the end bunkroom, and some curtains or shutters would not go amiss!
Why don’t you spend the money on something practical instead
of blooming coloured mug shots on the B.B. cover!
Some proper cooking stoves would not go amiss either! The kitchen is so bloody useless; I have to
spend money down the Café.
Come on, get your act together and spend the money, or you
can kiss goodbye to my sub’s!
Yours Bloody well exasperated!
Bob Cross
*****************************************
Reply to Bob Cross letter.
Dear Bob.
The members elected the committee last October. Its function is, as you are no doubt aware,
to organise the running of the club on behalf of members.
Being a member, however, means much more than just paying
your £20 subscription. Whenever work
becomes necessary or improvements desirable, at the Belfry – two factors have
to be borne in mind – money and the voluntary help of members.
The committee is also charged with resolving the outstanding
matter of the pledges for the St Cuthbert’s report. We have still to find about £2000. At last the Cuthbert’s lease with Inveresk
has been completed and a sum of £700 has recently been paid.
So you can see the club has to work within very tight
financial constraints. Many projects
around the Belfry and site have been identified but unfortunately several have
been shelved, certainly for this current year. However, some work has been undertaken which includes: – the
installation of central heating; new cooker units; the painting of the main
room and currently another shower unit is in the process of being fitted. Next on the list is the renovation of the
changing room. All this work requires
money, but most importantly it requires voluntary help from members.
Considering the size of our club this voluntary group is
very small. The same dependable members
attend working weekends or do odd jobs when they can, but more could be done if
more members actively supported the club by helping.
The Belfry needs to be cleaned, especially after a busy
weekend, and it is up to members and guests to ensure this happens along with a
few reminders from the hut warden.
It is proposed to hold two or three working weekends this
year and the committee would welcome your assistance at these occasions.
Yours
sincerely.
The
Club Committee.
*****************************************
Dear Member,
If you have an * by your name in the following membership
list then, according to my records. you have not paid your B.E.C. subs for
92-93. If you think you have paid please
inform me by ringing: – 0749 670191. If
you have not paid, subs are £24 single or £36 joint if you wish to continue
membership and receive your B.B.
If you do not wish to continue please could you return your
Belfry key and your deposit will be refunded.
Yours
sincerely,
John
Watson (Membership Secretary)
Bristol
Exploration Club – Membership List 06/04/93
* 828 Nicolette Abell Faukland,
* 1157 Karen Ashman Depden,
Bury St. Edmonds
987 Dave Aubrey
20 (L) Bobby Bagshaw Knowle,
392 (L) Mike Baker Henton,
Wells,
1150 David Ball Billingshurst.
1151 Ruth Baxter Billingshurst.
West Sussex
1024 Mile
1145 Roz Bateman East
Harptree,
818 Chris Batsone Tynings,
radstock, Avon
* 1161 Jane Baugh Aberchirder,
Huntley,
1079 (J) Henry Bennett
1100 (J) Sarah Bennett
390 (L) Joan Bennett Draycott,
1122 Clive Betts Clapham,
Bedfordshire.
* 1125 Rich Blake Priddy,
Somerset
731 Bob Bidmead West
harptree, Bristol
364 (L) Pete Blogg Chaldon,
Caterham, Surrey
1114 Pete Bolt Cardiff,
S. Gamorgan
145 (L) Sybil Bowden-Lyle Calne,
Wiltshire
1104 Tony Boycott Westbury
on Trim, Bristol, Avon
868 Dany Bradshaw Haybridge,
Wells, Somerset
1137 Robert Bragg Odd
Down, Bath, Avon
751 (L) T.A. Brookes London,
SW2
1140 D Bromhead Worlse,
Avon
1082 Robin Brown Woolavington,
Bridgwater, Somerset
* 1108 Denis Bumford Westcombe,
Shepton Mallet
* 924 (J) Aileen Butcher Priddy,
Wells, Somerset
* 849 (J) Alan Butcher Priddy,
Wells, Somerset
* 201 John Buxton Flitwick, Beds.
956 (J) Ian
Avon
1036 (J) Nicola
* 1091 William Curruthers Holcombe
1014 Chris Castle Axbridge,
* 1062 Andy Cave Old
Mills, Paulton
902 (L) Martin Cavender Westbury-sub-Mendip,
Wells,
* 1048 Tom Chapman Cheddar,
211 (L) Clare Coase Berkeley-Vale,
New South Wales, 2259, Australia
620 Phil Coles Totterdown,
Bristol
89 (L) Alfie Collins Litton,
Somerset
1175 Ali Cooper Brighton
* 727 Bill Cooper Totterdown,
Bristol
862 Bob Cork Wells,
Somerset
1121 Nicholas Cornwell-Smith Oldham
Common, Bristol
* 1042 Mick Corser Cringleford,
Norwich, Norfolk
* 827 Mike Cowlishaw Micheldever
Station, Winchester, Hants.
* 890 Jerry Crick Leighton
Buzzard, Bucks
896 Pat Cronin Knowle,
Bristol
* 1144 Sophie Crook Batheaston,
Bath, Avon
680 Bob Cross Knowle,
Bristol
* 1158 Geoff Crossley Horsforth,
Leeds
870 Gary Cullen Southwater,
Nr Horsham, West Sussex.
1165 D Cunningham
Eastbourne,
405 (L) Frank Darbon
1166 Arron Davies Prietsleigh,
Shepton Mallet, Somerset
1167 Malcolm Davies Prietsleigh,
Shepton Mallet, Somerset
423 (L) Len Dawes Minster
Matlock, Derbyshire
815 Nigel Dibden Holmes
Chapel, Cheshire
164 (L) Ken Dobbs Beacon
Heath, Exeter, Devon
829 (J) Angie Dooley Harborne,
Birmingham
710 (J) Colin Dooley Harborne,
Birmingham
1000 (L) Roger Dors Priddy,
Somerset
1038 Alan Downton Headingley,
Leeds
830 John Dukes Street,
Somerset
996 Terry Earley Wyle,
Warmister, Wiltshire
322 (L) Bryan Ellis Westonzoyland,
Bridgwater, Somerset
* 1133 Stephen Ettienne Hayes,
Middlesex
232 Chris Falshaw Crosspool,
Sheffield
269 (L) Tom Fletcher Bramcote,
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
404 (L) Albert Francis Wells,
Somerset
569 (J) Joyce Franklin Stone,
Staffs
469 (J) Pete Franklin Stone,
Staffs
1159 John Freeman Paulton,
Bristol, Avon
* 1142 Angela Garwood Talskiddy,
St. Comb Major, Corwall
835 Len Gee St.
Edgeley, Stockport, Cheshire
1098 Brian Gilbert Chingford,
London
1069 (J) Angie Glanvill Chard,
Somerset
1017 (J) Peter Glanvill Chard,
Somerset
647 Dave Glover Basingstoke,
Hampshire
860 (J) Glenys Grass Wookey,
Somerset
790 (J) Martin Grass Wookey,
Somerset
1009 Robin Gray Meare,
Somerset
1123 Ian Gregory Bedford
* 1124 Martin Gregory Clapham,
Bedfordshire
1155 Rachel Gregory Wells,
Somerset
1089 Kevin Gurner Theydon
Bois, Epping, Essex
1088 Nick Gymer Theydon
Bois, Epping, Essex
104 (L) Mervyn Hannam St
Annes, Lancashire
1156 Brian Hansford Weeke,
Winchester, Hants
999 Rob Harper Wells,
Somerset
581 Chris Harvey Paulton,
Somerset
4 (L) Dan Hassell Moorlynch,
Bridgwater, Somerset
* 1160 Nick Hawkes Westbury-sub-Mendip,
Wells, Bristol
1078 Mike Hearn Draycott,
Cheddar, Somerset
1117 Pete Hellier Nempnet
thrubwell, Chew Stoke, Bristol
974 Jeremy Henley Shepton
Mallet, Somerset
952 Bob Hill Sultanate
of Oman
691 Dudley Herbert High
Littleton, Bristol
1174 Kevin Hissey Twerton,
Bath, Avon
* 905 Paul Hodgson Burcott,
Wells, Somerset
* 898 (J) Liz Hollis Batcombe,
Shepton Mallet, Somerset
* 899 (J) Tony Hollis Batcombe,
Shepton Mallet, Somerset
* 1094 Peter Hopkins Keynsham,
Bristol.
* 971 Colin Houlden London
923 Trevor Hughes Wells,
Somerset
855 Ted Humphreys Wells,
Somerset
73 Angus Innes Alveston,
Bristol, Aven
540 (L) Dave Irwin Priddy,
Somerset
922 Tony Jarratt Priddy,
Somerset
668 Mike Jeanmaire Peak
Forest, Buxton, Derbyshire
* 1026 Ian Jepson Beechen
Cliff, Bath
51 (L) A Johnson Station
Rd., Flax Bourton, Bristol
* 995 Brian Johnson Ottery
St. Mary, Devon
1111 Graham Johnson Wells,
Somerset
560 (L) Frank Jones Priddy,
Somerset
567 (L) Alan Kennett Charlton
Musgrove, Wincanton, Somerset
* 884 John King Wisborough
Green, West Sussex
1105 Joanna Hills Wisborough
Green, West Sussex
316 (L) Kangy King Pucklechurch,
Bristol, Aven
542 (L) Phil Kingston Brisbane,
Queensland, 4122, Australia
413 (L) R. Kitchen Horrabridge,
Yelverton, Devon
* 946 Alex Ragnar Knutson Bedminster,
Bristol
* 1116 Stuart Lain Old
Mills, Paulton
667 (L) Tim Large Shepton
Mallet
1162 Joc Large Shepton
Mallet
1171 Rich Lewis Weston-super-Mare,
Avon
* 1129 Dave Lennard Wells,
Somerset
1137 Bob Lewis Odd
Down, Bath, Avon
1180 Rich Long Paulton,
Bristol
* 1043 Andy Lovell Templecloud,
Bristol
* 1072 Clive Lovell Keynsham,
Bristol
* 1057 Mark Lumley Stoke
St. Michael, Somerset
1022 Kevin Macklin Clevedon,
Avon
651 Pete MacNab (Sr) Cheddar,
Somerset
1052 (J) Pete MacNab (Jr) Cheddar,
Somerset
1071 Mike McDonald Knowle,
Bristol, Avon
550 (L) R A MacGregor Baughurst,
Basingstoke, Hants
725 Stuart McManus Priddy,
Somerset
558 (L) Tony Meaden Westbury,
Bradford Abbas, Sherborne, dorset
1044 Any Middleton Yeovil,
Somerset
* 1053 Steve Milner Broadview,
S.A. 5083, Australia
1172 Sean Morgan Clevedon,
Avon
1053 Steve Milner Broadview,
S.A., Australia
1172 Brian Murlis Weston-super-Mare,
Avon
* 936 Dave Nichols Camborne,
Cornwall
396 (L) Mike Palmer Yarley,
Wells, Somerset
1045 Rich Payne Sidcup
, Kent
22 (L) Les Peters Knowle
Park, Bristol Avon
1134 Martin Peters Chew
Stoke, Avon.
1107 Terry Phillips Denmead,
Hants.
499 (L) A. Philpot Bishopston,
Bristol, Avon
944 Steve Plumley Burrington,
Bristol
337 Brian Prewer Green
Hill, Priddy, Wells, Somerset
1085 Duncan Price Exhall,
Coventry
886 Jeff Price Knowle,
Bristol, Avon
1109 Jim Rands Stonebridge
Park, London NW10
481 (L) John Ransom Patchway,
Bristol, Avon
1126 Steve Redwood Banwell,
Nr. Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
662 (J) John Riley Chapel
le Dale, Ingleton, Via Carnforth, Lancs.
1033 (J) Sue Riley Chapel
le Dale, Ingleton, Via Carnforth, Lancs
985 (J) Phil Romford Shepton
Mallet, Somerset
986 (J) Lil Romford Shepton
Mallet, Somerset
921 Pete Rose Crediton,
Devon
240 (L) Alan Sandall Nailsea,
Avon
359 (L) Carol Sandall Nailsea,
Avon
1170 Andy Sanders Peasdown
St. John, Bath, Avon
1173 Estelle Sandford Weston-super-Mare,
Avon
1178 Ivan Sandford Munchley,
Nr. Langport, Somerset
237 (L) Bryan Scott St.
Jean Cap, Ferrat 06230, Cote DAzur, France
78 (L) R Setterington Taunton,
Somerset
213 (L) Rod Setterington Harpendon,
Herts
237 (L) Dave Shand Rhiwbina,
Cardiff
*1128 Vince Simmonds Wells,
Somerset
881 Alistair Simpson Yarley,
Wells, Somerset
915 Chris Smart Nr.
Bradford on Avon, Wilts
911 Jim Smart c/o
The Belfry
1041 Laurence Smith Priddy
823 Andy Sparrow Priddy,
Somerset
1 (L) Harry Stanbury Bude,
Cornwall
575 (L) Dermot Statham Warkworth,
Northumberland
365 (L) Roger Stenner Weston
super Mare, Avon
1084 Richard Stephens Wells,
Somerset
* 1163 Robert Taff Erdington,
Birmingham
583 Derek Targett East
Horrington, Wells Somerset
772 Nigel Taylor Langford
Lane, Langford, Avon
284 (L) Alan Thomas Priddy,
Somerset
348 (L) D Thomas Little
Birch, Bartlestree, Hereford
571 (L) N Thomas Salhouse,
Norwich, Norfolk.
699 (J) Buckett Tilbury High
Wycombe, Bucks
700 (J) Anne Tilbury High
Wycombe, Bucks
74 (L) Dizzie Thompsett-Clark Great
Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex
381 (L) Daphne Towler Nyetimber,
Bognor Regis, Sussex
1177 C R Tozer Worle,
W-S-M, Avon
* 382 Steve Tuck Dousland,
Yelverton, Devon
* 1023 Matt Tuck Dousland,
Yelverton, Devon
* 1136 Hugh Tucker Westham,
Wedmore, Somerset
1066 Alan Turner Chippenham,
Wilts
678 Dave Turner Leigh
on Mendip, Bath, Avon
912 John Turner Tavistock,
Devon.
1154 Karen Turvey Tonedale,
635 (L) Stuart Tuttlebury Boundstone,
Farnham, Surrey
1096 Brian van Luipen Wick,
Littlehampton, West Sussex
887 Greg Villis Uphill,
Weston-super-Mare, Avon
175 (L) Mrs. D. Whaddon Taunton,
Somerset
949 (J) John Watson Somerset
1019 (J) Lavinia Watson Somerset
973 James Wells Loisville,
Kentucky, USA
1055 Oliver Wells Yorktown
Heights, New York, USA
553 Bob White Wookey
Hole, Wells, Somerset.
1118 Carol White Glasshouses,
Pately Bridge,
* 878 Ross White Cotham
1092 Babs Williams Knowle,
Bristol, Avon
1068 John Whiteley Heathfiled,
Newton Abbot, S. Devon.
* 1031 Mike Wigglesworth
1087 John Williams c/o
Babs
* 1146 Les Williams Priddy,
1075 Tony Williams Radstock,
Bath
* 1076 Roz Williams Radstock,
Bath
1164 (J) Hilary Wilson Keynsham,
Avon
1130 (J) Mike Wilson (snr) Keynsham,
Avon
1153 Mike Wilson (jnr) Whitchurch,
Bristol
559 (J) Barrie Wilton Haydon,
Nr. Wells, Somerset
568 (J) Brenda Wilton Haydon,
Nr. Wells, Somerset
* 813 Ian Wilton-Jones Llanlley
Hill, Abergavenny, Gwent
721 G Wilton-Jones Watton,
Thetford, Norfolk
877 Steven Woolven West
Chilington, West Sussex
914 Brian Workman Catcott,
Bridgwater, Somerset
477 Ronald Wyncoll Holycroft,
Hinkley, Leics.
683 Dave Yeandle Greenbank,
Eastville,
1169 Chris York Thames
Ditton,
Bristol
Exploration Club Exchange/Complimentary List 06/04/93
Axbridge Caving Group
BCRA
BEC Library 2 copies
Cerberus SS
Chelsea SS
Craven P.C.
Croydon Caving Club
Descent
Dr. H. Trimmel,
Grampian SS
Grosvenor Caving Club
Hades Caving Club
Mendip Caving Group
MNRC
Northern Pennine Club
Jock Orr, Lincoln
Group
Red Rose CPC
SMCC
South African Spel. Assn
S.W.C.C
The
Tony Oldham,
Club
St. Cuthberts Leaders
BEC April 1993
Chris Batstone Joc Large
Ian Caldwell Tim Large
Chris Castle Mike McDonald
John Dukes Mike Palmer
Pete Glanville Brian Prewer
Martin Grass Chris Smart
Chris Harvey Andy Sparrow
Pete Hellier Nigel Taylor
Jeremy Henley Dave Turner
Dudley Herbert Greg Villis
Ted Humphreys Mike Wilson
Dave Irwin Bassett
Kangy King Brian Workman
If people want leaders for trips down Cuthberts they can do
it through me or contact one of the above leaders directly. Jeff Price Caving Sec.
St. Cuthberts Guest Leaders
Ric Halliwell (CPC)
Graham Price (CSS)
John Beauchamp (MCG)
Malcolm Cotter (MCG)
Tony Knibbs (MCG)
Miles Barrington (MEG)
Alan Butcher (SMCC)
Mark Sims (SMCC)
Tony Boycott (UBSS)
Ray Mansfield (UBSS)
Alison Moody (WCC)
Meets List – 1993
The following is a list of trips already arranged by
Jeff. If you want to go please get in
touch with Jeff as soon as possible (Tel: 0272 724296)
Notts Pot,
Saturday, 31st July
& Reservoir Hole, November (date undecided)
If you want to go to these or to any other cave not
mentioned, get in touch with Jeff and he will try to arrange access.
Cave Rescue Practice
Saturday. 15th
May. Venue to be decided (possibly
Cuthbert’s)
Anyone interested please contact Alan
Turner or Phil Romford
Saturday, 30th October. MRO practice rescue. St.
Cuthberts
If interested contact an MRO
Warden!
Bec
Cave
DYO, S.Wales
Martin Grass, Mike McDonald
(Trebor), Basset. Tim Large, Richard Stevenson, Rob Harper.
OFD1, S.Wales
Martin Grass. Richard Stevenson,
Basset. Dave Irwin (Wig). Brian Prewer. Greg Villis. Tim Large.
Note We hold a yearly
permit for OFD. If we need a mid-week
key ring the SWCC the weekend before.
Craig a Fynnon (Rock & Fountain),
Wales
Reservoir Hole, Mendip. Jeff
Price. Martin Grass. Basset. Dave Irwin.
Blackmoor Flood Swallet, Mendip. Steve
Redwood.
Price, Chris Smart (Blitz).
Pen
Park
Southmead Estate.
Over the past five years Graham Mullan and Linda Wilson of
the UBSS have been pursuing an access agreement with Bristol City Council to
gain entry into Pen Park Hole. As of
January 1993 the BEC, WCC and UBSS are able to offer trips into the cave. The three clubs chosen were by way of
historical exploration of the cave. If
you’re interested in a trip get in touch Chris Smart or myself.
Jeff Price.
Pen
Park
When visiting this cave, certain requirements of the
landowner, Bristol City Council, must be adhered to :
No more than two cars are to be parked at the site. It probably best, therefore, to arrange to
meet your leader off site, and travel together.
No changing at the site. The most that can be allowed is the pulling on and off of an oversuit,
over a DECENT furry suit etc. Remember
the site is in the middle of a residential area.
Remove oversuit and boots etc. in the road, behind your
car. Don’t leave mud all over the
footpath, or on the park gate.
The collection of geological specimens from the cave is
STRICTLY forbidden.
The limit on the trip is five people plus leader.
No carbide is to be used in the cave.
To pay for maintenance costs etc., a tackle fee of £1.50 per
head is levied, payable to the leader. This is not payable by BEC, WCC or UBSS members.
Tackle requirements for the main pitch: 20 metres of ladder,
long spreader (or two 1 metre tethers), 50 metres of rope for double lifeline,
krabs. This pitch is NOT suitable for
SRT.
BEC Leaders : – Jeff
Price. Chris Smart.
WCC Leaders : – Mark
Helmore. Rob Taviner.
UBSS Leaders :- Steve
Cottle. Paul Harvey.
Obituaries
Sadly we have two, which are in memory of Ted Mason who
joined the BEC in 1947 and Bob Davies who joined in 1950.
Edmund J. Mason
It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Ted
Mason.
A chartered surveyor by profession Ted devoted himself to
archaeology and speleology in the
areas. He was archaeological advisor to
the Bristol Folk House Archaeological Society and for a long time president of
the M.N.R.C. He was always full of
kindly encouragement and I am glad I served on the M.N.R.C. committee under his
leadership.
His cave excavations include Ogof yr Esgyrn in
where he worked with W.F. Grimes of the National Museum of Wales and Minchen
Hole, Gower, on behalf of the Royal Institution of South Wales and the South
Wales Caving Club. He also took a
leading part in the formation of the Steep Holm Trust.
Caving well into his seventies, Ted was forced to give up
after a stroke a few years ago, but he never lost his enthusiasm for caves and
cavers.
He was always ready to listen to even the youngest and most
inexperienced cave explorer and I owe much of my own prolonged love of caving
to his understanding.
Robin Gray.
Robert Ernest Davies.
August 17. 1919 – March 7 1993.
Members of the caving, diving, mountaineering and scientific
communities and their friends will be saddened to hear that the well-known
caver and cave diver Bob Davies died from a heart attack while taking an
after-dinner walk in Golspie in
on Sunday, March 7, 1993.
This was during the spring break of the
where he was an Emeritus Professor. He
had planned to climb in the
following day. His wife Helen Davies
tells us that he used his hand-held video camera an hour before he died and
that there was no shake or any detectable shortcoming in the images whatsoever
– which shows that he was living in his usual active and energetic manner right
up until the last moment.
Bob’s last visit to Mendip was to attend the 50th
Anniversary Reunion at
in October 1985. He also gave a rousing
presentation at the Annual Dinner of the Bristol Exploration Club a few days
later.
Concerning his contributions to cave diving, Graham Balcombe,
Dan Hasell, Luke Devenish and John Buxton can give much better accounts than
I. In Cave Diving Group Newsletter
number 11 (June 1948) Graham Balcombe writes: “Welcome to R.E. Davies,
member of the DS” (Derbyshire Section).
In the 1940’s cave divers quite simply could not afford to
buy equipment and rent cars to the extent that is sometimes the case
today. Graham Balcombe, Jack Sheppard,
Penelope Powell, Wyndham Harris and their friends had set the process in motion
in 1935 at Wookey Hole Caves supported by Sir Robert Davis of Siebe Gorman and
Co. (who provided the equipment and an instructor free of charge) and Gerard
Hodgkinson (later Wing Commander Hodgkinson) who was then the owner and manager
of Wookey Hole Caves. Starting in the
mid-1940’s Graham Balcombe obtained vast quantities of Government surplus
oxygen re-breathers, diving dresses and similar equipment at a very low
cost. Bob Davies played a leading role
(along with Don Coase and others) in applying this in caves.
I first met Bob Davies to help carry his diving equipment in
Swildons Hole on June 26, 1954 when he dived with Graham Balcombe in Sump
Two. This is the cave where Jack
Sheppard (in Sump One) and Graham Balcombe (in Sump Two) had set successive
cave diving records 18 years before. Oliver Lloyd was the overall organiser and this was the beginning of his
own very significant career in cave diving. Bob Davies had earlier trained John Buxton as a cave diver. John now has the longest active cave diving
record which proves once again the value of Bob’s many contributions.
I had been interested in cave diving for some time. In those days there were only four or five
active cave divers in England and no scuba shops anywhere – you had to latch on
to an active cave diver and try all sorts of diplomatic procedures to obtain
the required equipment and training.
Bob persuaded Jack Thompson to train me as a cave diver.
I rode on my motorcycle for many hours from
to
acquainted with the mysteries of the art.
The only time that I dived with Bob in a cave was on the
celebrated occasion when he vanished in a cloud of bubbles in the totally
submerged eleventh chamber at Wookey Hole, was given up for lost and then
caused universal astonishment when he reappeared looking very much alive
several hours later (December 10/11, 1955). I had finished my basic training with the help of John Buxton (who had
encouraged me to jump from what had seemed to be a great height into muddy
water in the River Avon) and Graham Balcombe (who had taken me on the mandatory
training trips to Wookey Seven). I was
the junior employee during that event (John Buxton was the other diver). I could so easily have saved Bob from getting
lost in the (by then) muddy water by holding on to his elbow while he worked
away on his line reel just in front of me on the edge of Eleven, but I did not
have the intelligence to do so.
After Bob left
for
continued to help things along – for example, he sent us information on mixed
gas diving from the public domain in
at a time when the identical information was still classified in
energetic, helpful and cheerful person. His custom of ending letters with the words All the best says it all.
I have been greatly helped in writing these notes by a
newspaper cutting sent to me by Professor Lee Peachey, one of Bob7s colleagues
at the
Independent Student Newspaper of the
March 16, 1993, pp. lA and 4A). This
describes his work in biochemistry, in student affairs and on the
mountains. It tells us that Bob climbed
the Matterhorn in
the Grand Teton in
Biochemistry Professor Bernard Shapiro proposed an
appropriate epitaph for Professor Emeritus Robert Davies at a reception
honouring him in 1991: Here lies Robert E. Davies, under the only stone he
ever left unturned.
(Oliver Wells. April 8, 1993.)
Stock
Hill
Mine
Cave
Some observations after a year of digging.
An initial description of this site was given in B.B. 461
(Oct. 1991). It is now a suitable time
for an update, being just over a year since the dig commenced and also the
temporary shutting down of operations due to flooding. (This article was received in the autumn of
’92 – the cave is still flooded! Ed.).
During the year a total of 3203 loads of spoil have been
hauled out of the entrance shaft – around 50 tons!!! This has been tipped in adjacent depressions
and landscaped. On 2nd September all
digging kit and ladders were brought to the base of the entrance shaft to
escape the gradually rising water levels in the lower mineshaft and natural
sections.
Since the last report a tremendous amount of work has been
done clearing out the completely in-filled natural passage intercepted by the
Old Man halfway down the mineshaft. This is a steeply descending and amply proportioned phreatic tube
dropping vertically to the present dig. The infill is a red/brown sticky clay in a partly mineralized
joint. Apart from the clay there are
also patches of fine silt and water worn pebbles of sandstone up to 2″
across. Variously coloured clays, sands,
iron ores and tiny pieces of galena were also found – as were hundreds of
six-sided calcite “dogtooth” crystals up to 1″ long and
christened “Stock Hill Diamonds”.
Tiny (c. 2″ diameter) roof tubes have formed on top of
the infill and eroded the limestone ceiling. These tubes are lined with fish-scale like tiny calcite crystals the
like of which are unknown to the writer. Larger, in-filled roof tubes or anastomoses have also been uncovered –
these pre-date the clay infill. No bones
or organic remains of any type have been found and there are no formations or
calcite deposits on the cave walls (though a large lump of stalagmite was found
in the debris halfway down the mineshaft). This would suggest that most of the cave was either water or sediment
filled but never air filled. All
limestone surfaces have a dusty grey patina when exposed and are smoothly
eroded with phreatic pocketing but no scalloping.
The size of the passage and angle of dip would, if projected
back to the surface at c. 856′ A.O.D., indicate the existence of a major
catchment area at one time, predating the St. Cuthbert’s valley (and cave
system) and being at least 75′ above the present bottom of the St. Cuthberts
depression. It is thus likely to have
been an early drainage route of the original St. Cuthbert’s stream – this may
have been fed by water from the once higher ground to the north of Priddy.
Now emptied of infill the dimensions of this passage are
impressive and indicate an extensive phreatic system, though undoubtedly choked
for some distance. A draught issues from
small open fissures in the lower mineshaft giving some encouragement to the
possibilities of open passage. Unfortunately
these cracks are not conducive to digging.
The cave is on the boundary of the Lower Limestone Shales
and Black Rock Limestone and heading towards the nearby Stock Hill Fault.
Drainage is presumably to
Rising, though if the system is as ancient as suspected it could have fed
springs now buried by alluvial deposits. It is possible that the cave formed in early Pleistocene times.
The writer would welcome any more enlightened thoughts on
his theories!
The lower part of the mineshaft has also been cleared to an
apparently solid floor with a small choked rift below, The blocked level has
been partly excavated and may be worth more work. Mining artefacts discovered
while digging are illustrated on the next page and will be presented to
The list of diggers over the last year is too long to
publish but suffice it to say that many members and friends have taken
part. Special mention must be made of
Martin Riddell who provided the magnificent scaffolding head frame. Trevor “Mr. Enthusiasm” Hughes and
bang man Tony Boycott. It is hoped to
resume work, here when conditions are drier or a heavy duty pump is
obtained. In the meantime do not despair
there are lots of other digs which need your help!
Tony Jarratt
*****************************************
With reference to mining artefacts (see next page) I have
following abstract – Ed.
THE GENTLEMAN’S
MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER 1816
Country News
Among the public benefits produced by the Royal Geological
Society of Cornwall, is the introduction of an alloyed Tamping-bar, instead of
the common iron bar formerly employed by the Miners, which promises to be as
efficacious in preventing explosions in the Mines of that County, as Sir
Humphrey Davy’s safety lamp in those of the North.
Wigmore Update – Only Another 5.75 Miles to Cheddar!
This article attempts to carry on from Tony Jarratts mega
up-dating and consolidating piece in BB 460 (Aug 91) and covers the passing of
the final section of inlet passage to the streamway and diving operations both
up and downstream. By its nature this
piece is a bit stodgy, so incorporated is a more human article by Ross White
(if “human” is the right word for Ross), describing some of the
downstream explorations.
As Tony said in his piece in BB 460, the Wigmore Swallet
entrance is at 880ft above sea level and as Goughs’ Sump 3 is close to 200ft
(62m) deep, this gives a vertical range of just under 1,000ft (313m). Wigmore would thus be, at present, the second
deepest cave in the country. Also, its
proven resurgence at Cheddar is some 5.75 miles (9.2km) away as the Aardvark
trots so Wigmore would be the longest on Mendip by far. This is all incentive enough.
Tony’s piece ended, appropriately enough, at Butch’s Arse, a
tight V-tube. In late summer 1991 this was dug, banged and passed to some 7m of
tightish, awkward flat-out passage to the awkward head of a 7m pitch, with
water audible ahead. The pitch drops
into a chamber some 305m long with a short crawl of some 5m leading off to the
head of another pitch, some 5m deep. This also drops into a small chamber some 3m long, the current diving
base. At the far end of the chamber a
waterfall enters in wet weather, this being the entrance water last seen
sinking into the bouldery floor of Vindication Pot. A doorway out of the opposite end of the
chamber leads directly into the sump pool of downstream Sump 1 and the main
streamway, some 1.5 – 2m wide, running from right to left. This was a tremendous sight after years of
painful, dedicated digging by scores of BEC members, et al. Vindication indeed.
Here was the upper River Yeo.
From the meeting of the inlet passage with the main stream,
downstream was blocked immediately by a sump. Upstream, could be followed for about 47m or so until it too was blocked
by a sump. On August 18th 1991, a large
team descended to try and pass both up and downstream sumps. The downstream sump was probed a short
distance only by Peter Bolt and Graham Johnson, while Vince Simmonds on his
first cave dive passed the upstream Sump 1 (205m long) to a 3m diameter
airbell. Peter Bolt, Graham Johnson and
Tony Jarratt dived to join him. Tony
then dived Sump 2 (5m) and the other three then joined him after a classic
free-dive. Some 46m of aquatic, sewer
passage followed to Sump 3, still being sporadically dived by Keith
Savory. Various little tubes and inlets
before Sump 3 were investigated, but nothing significant was found.
Later in the autumn, Dany Bradshaw attacked the downstream
sump and after two dives passed it after 22m at about 2.5 – 3m depth to 18m of
passage with an ascending inlet on the left, not explored at this time. Sump 2 followed immediately. Lethargy, inertia, other digs on Mendip and
activities abroad brought a cessation of activities until late 1992 when Ross
White and Trebor McDonald renewed the assault.
Ross White takes up this gripping story …………..
Grunting and thrutching around I wriggled to a halt halfway
through Butch’s Arse and stopping for a breather I contemplated the roof from
my nose. I was pushing a laden tackle
bag and a diving bottle was clenched between my feet. “Ok, Ok”, said a little voice in my
head, ‘What gives? You’ve been down this
horrible hole four times in three weeks, so what the hell gives?” I hadn’t been caving for a year and Wigmore
had received a veritable assault of trips. On 27th November 1992 I arrived at downstream Sump 1 ready to dive, my
trusty and stalwart companion, Trebor McDonald, in support. I approached it
with some trepidation having picked Dany’s brain about the sump and having
dived upstream myself earlier in the year. Expecting the worst conditions imaginable I could only be pleasantly
surprised.
Despite the strong flow the vis in the sump was zero and the
occasional nudging of roof pendants caused a complete blackout. However, following Dany’s line was easy
enough and I was through before I knew it. Crawling out of the sump I found Dany’s old line reel so, placing it to
one side, I approached Sump 2. Tying on,
Sump 2 was passed after 5m to an airbell, some 5m long, 1m wide and 1m high
above the waterline. Tying onto a roof pendant,
Sump 3 was passed after 6m, surfacing in Wigmore 4. A wonderful sound of cascading water ahead
led to 24m of pleasant passage some 105m wide and 3m high with a cascade 2m
high halfway along. Unfortunately, Sump
4 loomed up immediately. The sump pool
was a little gloomy and covered with a fair depth of dirty froth. Eyeing the sump warily, an inspection of my
line bag revealed a limited amount of line and I felt that this sump would go
deeper. However, I decided to go as far
as I could. Constructing a small cairn
to tie the line off, Sump 4 went deeper as expected, perhaps similar to the
first part of Swildons Sump 9. However,
it quickly levelled out and after 15m of zero vis the line went tight with the surface
visible above. Careful not to pull on
the line too hard, I rose slowly to the surface, just managed to get my head
into airspace and tied on to a dubious nodule. Wigmore 5 looked rather grim; a narrow, rift inclined at 45 deg. heading
off for 10m apparently closing down, although I couldn’t see for sure. Moving forward meant de-kitting and
effort. Checking my watch I’d reached my
deadline agreed with Trebor. Time to return. A rough survey on the return to meet a cold,
patient Trebor.
On 12th December, we were both back with two sets of kit; a
28 cu ft and a 15 cu ft mini bottle each, in anticipation of a restricted Sump
5. An easy dive into Wigmore 4, a luxury
after the hard carry thus far. De-kitting, I crawled forward through a constriction and further into
the bottom of the rift where the water runs in a V-shaped channel. Waggling my feet in the water suggested
something may be on. “Time for the
mini-bottle, Treebs, it might go”. So, shuffling back and forth I had a go, hand-holding the mini-bottle,
the rift constricting my chest and back. It was very tight up high but opened up a bit by my feet. As I slid lower my mouthpiece jammed so I
turned my head sideways. Then my torches
jammed. Surfacing with a few oaths I
took one light off and tried again. I
knew if I didn’t do it this time we would have to come back again, but this
time it was easier. Committed, with no
line and no vis I shuffled feet first further into the Sump until it widened
out slightly and more comfortably after 3m or so. I was ok without a line as long as I could
feel both walls – time to go get a line. Instead of rising where I had descended I kept very low, on towards
Trebor and surfaced. Collecting the
other bottle from Trebor, he base-fed me back into the sump and after 6m I was
able to turn around and passed the sump after 20m, rising thankfully into quite
large passage. Tying off I staggered and
crawled down rift passage, ‘The Cat Crawl”, up to 4m high and about 0.5m
wide for about 50m to the inevitable Sump 6. Cold and out of line I returned to a cold Trebor, taking two attempts to
negotiate the upstream constriction in Sump 5.
De-briefing a patient Trebor, and extolling the virtues of
the passage in Wigmore 6, he decided stoically to have a look at Sump 6. He had a couple of goes at entering Sump 5,
then disappeared apparently passing it with some ease. He dumped his hand-held bottle and went
forward to Sump 6, tied on and passed it after 4m into low, sewer passage with
pendants everywhere. Going forward, he
swam into a series of very low ducks which opened out after 5m into larger
passage with the stream cascading away. Hypothermia, low air and knowing I was freezing on the right side of
Sump 5 prompted a return. These ducks
are now lined as they are easier to dive and can essentially be called Sump
6A. It was a curious feeling watching
his lights appear near the surface of Sump 5, almost break through and then
disappear again, knowing he was trying to find his way through the right slot. With much grunting and commotion he flopped
into Wigmore 5. “The whale has
landed” he said, before de-briefing me. Wigmore 5 is now named “The Whale has Landed” and Sump 5 is
“The Rubie Sump”. A successful
day, 8 hours underground, most of it spent in water with only an ordinary
wetsuit.
On 27th December, Peter Bolt put in an excellent solo effort
to pass Trebors’ last limit beyond the Ducks into 30m of walking and stooping
passage, down a cascade or two and thus to Sump 7. He penetrated the sump for 22m at a depth of
some 7m until his line ran out. He managed
to pass Sump 5 wearing twin kit and he still maintains he had 2m vis – poor
deluded fellow. Had he really been down
Wigmore!
On 6th January 1993, Trebor and myself returned, a total of
8 trips so far including carry-ins. (They’re like carry-outs, but not so much fun). The usual fun and games in Sump 5 with a few
line tangles, getting stuck and growling at Pete Bolt who can do it with twin
kit on. On to Sump 7 where I easily
followed Pete’s line, tied on and set off in zero vis, again. The route seemed quite complex in the poor
vis and I was taking some time, acutely aware that I couldn’t see my
gauges. I changed gags anyway for good
measure and ploughed on. After what
seemed an eternity the sump started rising but still no airspace. Conscious of the cut-off time and having no
idea how much line I had laid, I was a little worried but pressed on and
eventually rose into an airbell, “Labelle”, some 2.5 – 3m in
diameter, half full of water. Sump 7 had
been some 62m long and reached about 8m depth. Well down on my third margins, almost hypothermic and already pushing my
luck, I tied off and returned to a cold, patient Trebor. A five hour trip.
On Thursday 21st January we returned, this time with diving
wet suits to keep out the cold, more light, more Mars Bars, more everything and
bigger bottles; one 45 cu ft and one 28 cu ft each in anticipation of more
sumps. A cruise to Labelle, the water
surface covered with a thin film of muck, with Trebor having light problems in
Wigmore 5, a good thrashing around in Sump 5 and a certain amount of
over-heating in the thick wetsuits. Red,
glutinous mud covered his equipment and he sucked out some mud from his
gag. “Not very tasty, is it
Treebs?” His reply was not nice; he
was not a happy Hector – one of those
days when everything seemed to go wrong. In Labelle, Trebor tied on and after a few minutes festering around in
zero vis in mud banks he returned to the surface with no apparent way on. His dodgy lights must have been causing him
some apprehension. After another splash
he disappeared, pushed over a mud bank, dug a bit and later a few tugs on the
line indicated he had passed Sump 8 after 5m. I dived to join him, laughing as I surfaced into a low, wet, aquatic,
amniotic airbell, some 5m long and 2m wide named “The Sprog” by
Trebor after Karen and Mark Lumley’s son born soon thereafter. “Looks pretty grim” said Trebor,
“but there’s yer way on” pointing towards a dip in the rock with roof
pendants. My turn to dive so off I went
and easily passed Sump 9 after 10m revealing large, canyon passage in complete
and welcome contrast to the streamway thus far.”
Vindication Streamway was a welcome sight after the cold,
wet cave thus far and it ran for some 100m down several nice cascades, the
passage on average being 2 – 2.5m wide and 5m high, reaching up to 10m in
places. An aven some 10 – 15m high was
passed on the left and an ascending tube passage on the right. After about 100m, the passage met a 2m
waterfall into a bouldery breakdown chamber with the water sinking into the
floor. The way on was to the immediate
left partly blocked with boulders. A few
frenzied minutes of boulder chucking by both divers opened up a 3m deep rift. Ross shinned down it whilst Trebor placed his
not inconsiderable bulk in the waterfall to deflect water away from his
erstwhile companion. The 3m rift led on
to a small ledge and a 5-7m pitch, “Slime Rift”, below, taking the
full flow of the stream. With slimey
walls, the full flow, no tackle and mindful of doing something silly beyond 9
sumps, the pair retreated.
Unfortunately, Ross had to leave for a 6 month holiday on
the west coast of Scotland (he says it’s work), so on the 21st February 1993,
Trebor returned with Pete Bolt, armed with two ladders. A straightforward trip to the pitch ensued
and the ladders were belayed to a large boulder by the waterfall, there being
no belay points at the head of the pitch-proper. The ladders thus snaked rather
unsatisfactorily down the rift, across the ledge and down
Sparrow rigging manual. Trebor gave Pete
the dubious honour of descending the pitch first, easily passed by both. More like a vertical sump but great fun. The pitch is 8m, comprising the 3m rifty,
spray-lashed top section to the ledge and the 5m bottom very aquatic
section. It is best rigged as one. On for 10m to a 90 deg. left hand bend, 20m
of nice canyon passage straight into a large boulder choke with hanging Henry’s
everywhere.
tip-toeing found no way on but a rocking boulder in the far reaches of the
chokes allows a sight through into a black void, probably a larger cavity of
the same choke. The stream can be heard
bumbling away in the distance so all is not lost. A while spent wrestling with the boulder
proved fruitless. Chemical persuasion
will be required, although two belts fixed together as a strop and flung around
the boulder may shift it next trip. On
the return, the tube passage up near Sump 9 was explored for 20 – 30m or so,
blocking out with mud.
That is the saga so far, happy readers. The next trip will concentrate on shifting
the boulder and pushing on if possible, although at some stage the place has to
be radio-located and a detailed surveyed still has to be done. The cave seems to be heading East, in
completely the wrong direction if it is to end up at Cheddar, as proven. There is a mineral vein in the area which
could be confusing matters and the un-surveyed sumps makes a survey of the dry
passages a little pointless. There is
little merit in doing a detailed survey until the sump vis improves, especially
as the sumps make up a large proportion of the total passage length. There is a rumour that Trevor Hughes is going
to build an extension at home to house the survey which is currently creeping
remorselessly across his floor.
The divers wish to thank all the sherpas for their hard
work; it is much appreciated. It’s about
time they got themselves trained up so they can come down and have a look see.
Trebor and Ross
WARNING – The scale quoted on the two following surveys is
inaccurate. The scale is distorted by
photocopy reduction.
