Mark Denning, Mike Moxon, Henry Dawson, & Kevin Clinton on digger duty.
3 hours.
With Estelle & James on a secret mission, Mark was there first and cleared out the bottom of the original hole which didn't make it look any more hopeful, but we'd better check again in daylight! Mike then arrived with the scaffolding and set up a tripod over the middle hole which allowed Mark & myself to clear most of the mud out, plus the boulder that we dropped in on the first week. A sudden downpour demonstrated that the water in this hole is disappearing down the slot that Leonie opened up under the ladder and down the hole at the back, which after a bit of clearance is currently body-sized but choked with mud and small rocks. (Couple more frogs still require rescue).
After Henry arrived Kevin came over and whilst Henry started digging the big hole Kevin used the digger to lift bags out, proving he's getting the hang of this operation by hauling about 6 tonnes of material out (as well as giving a hand emptying them) - still plenty more to go though.
Everyone got thoroughly soaked in the downpour, but at least it made the bags easier to empty as we could pour the mud out and our suits easier to clean!
Thursday 18 October 2012
Tuesday 16 October 2012
Wednesday 10th October 2012
Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Henry Dawson and Pete Hellier with Kevin Clinton driving the digger.
3hrs
Had a message from Kevin just before Estelle left work saying he’d put electric to the digsite and also moved the digger to be next to the hole to trial the idea of filling 1 tonne bags. Mark stopped by to drop off 2 of the 1 tonne bags and we got started. Initially both Henry and Estelle had a look at the bottom of the 1st hole where we’d banged it at the weekend and it really doesn’t look very promising as it’s closed off to quite a small hole below in awkward digging space which would need quite a bit of work to remove the rock, so as we’ve got plenty more to dig, that one is basically ready to be abandoned. We then got on and filled the first 1 tonne bag and a second one on top before getting Kevin to come and move them with the digger. This proved to be a very workable method with lifting and then emptying on the spoil heap by tipping them and letting them roll off, hence emptying with a bit of assistance. We filled 8 bags worth of approx. ½ tonne per load – if they are overfilled, they don’t empty as well! Took quite a few photos and video as well. Probably gained about 1m depth across the big hole.
3hrs
Had a message from Kevin just before Estelle left work saying he’d put electric to the digsite and also moved the digger to be next to the hole to trial the idea of filling 1 tonne bags. Mark stopped by to drop off 2 of the 1 tonne bags and we got started. Initially both Henry and Estelle had a look at the bottom of the 1st hole where we’d banged it at the weekend and it really doesn’t look very promising as it’s closed off to quite a small hole below in awkward digging space which would need quite a bit of work to remove the rock, so as we’ve got plenty more to dig, that one is basically ready to be abandoned. We then got on and filled the first 1 tonne bag and a second one on top before getting Kevin to come and move them with the digger. This proved to be a very workable method with lifting and then emptying on the spoil heap by tipping them and letting them roll off, hence emptying with a bit of assistance. We filled 8 bags worth of approx. ½ tonne per load – if they are overfilled, they don’t empty as well! Took quite a few photos and video as well. Probably gained about 1m depth across the big hole.
Wednesday 10 October 2012
Sunday 7th October
Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Mark Denning, Stu Gardiner, Stu Lindsay, Ben Wetherill, Mike Moxon, Leonie Woodward, plus visit from Lucy Greenwood (BEC/archaeologist), Joan Goddard (MCG & Wells Museum) and Roy Vranch (local geologist friend of Andy Farrant) to chat with Kevin about the finds, etc.
6hrs
First job of the day was to drill and bang the main dig. The lower ledge proved to be about 6in deep shelf, so only the top ledge was worth drilling and nice long holes were drilled there and subsequently banged by Stu & Stu. During this time, Mike & Leonie continued with the middle hole ‘MCG dig’ and Estelle, James, Mark and Ben continued digging and hauling from the largest hole. This is an awkward haul as we currently have no form of frame, so having to drag it up the side of the shaft. There is also an awful lot of mud to come out! After giving about 1/2hr to clear fumes, the main dig was accessible again and Stu x 2 went back in to clear it. The hole is now larger and it is visible that there is a clean-washed water worn route heading back underneath which doesn’t look like it is very deep or overly promising, but not clear what else is going on. Stu L & Estelle put a second charge into the ledge above which was left for about another half hour before we checked that. Now needs hammer and chisel action to make it larger so we can see what is going on. In the meantime the middle hole mostly cleared of mud and now at a point where beating rock and we hauled out quite a lot from the biggest hole too. Joan and Roy had lengthy discussion with Kevin and were shown all the finds – likely conclusion was that the fossilised vertebrae are ichthyosaur (the bigger ones inside) and plesiosaur (the one in the ‘bin’) and the bones are almost certainly horse, but no idea of age of them. Geology sounds quite interesting too with the idea that the caves arelikely to have been formed over two periods, Jurassic and Triassic and hopefully we’ll have more information when Roy has had a chance to chat to Andy more as well.
6hrs
First job of the day was to drill and bang the main dig. The lower ledge proved to be about 6in deep shelf, so only the top ledge was worth drilling and nice long holes were drilled there and subsequently banged by Stu & Stu. During this time, Mike & Leonie continued with the middle hole ‘MCG dig’ and Estelle, James, Mark and Ben continued digging and hauling from the largest hole. This is an awkward haul as we currently have no form of frame, so having to drag it up the side of the shaft. There is also an awful lot of mud to come out! After giving about 1/2hr to clear fumes, the main dig was accessible again and Stu x 2 went back in to clear it. The hole is now larger and it is visible that there is a clean-washed water worn route heading back underneath which doesn’t look like it is very deep or overly promising, but not clear what else is going on. Stu L & Estelle put a second charge into the ledge above which was left for about another half hour before we checked that. Now needs hammer and chisel action to make it larger so we can see what is going on. In the meantime the middle hole mostly cleared of mud and now at a point where beating rock and we hauled out quite a lot from the biggest hole too. Joan and Roy had lengthy discussion with Kevin and were shown all the finds – likely conclusion was that the fossilised vertebrae are ichthyosaur (the bigger ones inside) and plesiosaur (the one in the ‘bin’) and the bones are almost certainly horse, but no idea of age of them. Geology sounds quite interesting too with the idea that the caves arelikely to have been formed over two periods, Jurassic and Triassic and hopefully we’ll have more information when Roy has had a chance to chat to Andy more as well.
Wednesday 3rd October
Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Mark Denning, Mike Moxon, Stu Gardiner, Henry Dawson, Ben Wetherill
2.5hrs
Stu and Mark got stuck in clearing the last of the mud out of the main hole – didn’t take long before it was clear there is no other way on apart from our letterbox type hole under where the ladder end is. This needs some of Dr Nobel’s best linctus to continue.
Mike and Ben continued with the middle hole and that is going down nicely, although bucket died!
Once we’d given up on the main hole, we decided to have a go at the big hole as it was a bit early for pub o clock. This has quite a lot of very red mud in containing barites. Within quite a short time we had a rift sort of hole going off towards the middle hole.
2.5hrs
Stu and Mark got stuck in clearing the last of the mud out of the main hole – didn’t take long before it was clear there is no other way on apart from our letterbox type hole under where the ladder end is. This needs some of Dr Nobel’s best linctus to continue.
Mike and Ben continued with the middle hole and that is going down nicely, although bucket died!
Once we’d given up on the main hole, we decided to have a go at the big hole as it was a bit early for pub o clock. This has quite a lot of very red mud in containing barites. Within quite a short time we had a rift sort of hole going off towards the middle hole.
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