Wednesday 21st November

Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Mike Moxon, Ben Wetherill

2.5hrs

Kevin unable to stay and help, so he gave us digger driving lessons so we could empty the bags ourselves. The hole with the tripod and pulley over was too wet to dig as we appear to have puddled the clay nicely at the bottom and we had very heavy rainfall overnight and early part of the day. We filled 4 x 1 tonne bags over the evening and then each had a go on the digger removing it from the hole. Ben didn't dig as he had no kit with Henry not about and was lurking awaiting AA recovery to fix his flat tyre that he couldn't get the wheel nut off of. 

Sunday 18th November

Estelle Sandford, Mike Moxon, James Begley. Also Joan Goddard and Roy Vranch also came over and Kevin drove the digger.

Had a look at the middle hole and gave up on that, then went to the other hole with the tripod over and started on that. Very heavy clay and some of us weren’t feeling too special after the diggers award last night! Dug for about an hour or so, struggling to haul as it was very wet and hard to get a grip. Kevin then appeared and got to work with clearing the spoil heaps with the digger and removed the 2x 1 tonne bags from the other hole. We then went for a walk across the fields opposite his house and only found the one water filled depression of interest in a field owned by Waldegrave from the ones shown on the old geology map. 

Wednesday 14th November

Estelle Sandford, Mark Denning, Mike Moxon, Leonie Woodward

2.5hrs

Mark originally forgot his undersuit and socks and had to pop home and get them so we were a bit late starting. Bit lean on the ground on numbers tonight and Kevin also not around, so we focussed on the middle hole and carried on digging that. Leonie started out, but was having light failure and it was easier for 2 being at the bottom now, so Estelle went and helped hold the bucket and give her light to dig, then Estelle took over for a bit and gave the rocks a good beasting with the hammer to remove some of the shelves in there and some jagged rocks. It looks like we have hit a 30 degree bedding plane and that the clay from the pond indicates that the pond drained at this level. Below is very jagged rocks and muddy floor and smallish drain hole. Mark and Mike continued beasting rocks and making it bigger so we can get at the drain holes and see whether they are big enough to warrant following or not. Getting very cold digging now in the evenings, so we may consider heading underground somewhere else for a bit… 

Wednesday 7th November

Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Mark Denning, Jo Denning, Mike Moxon, Henry Dawson, Stu Lindsay and Kevin Clinton

2hrs

After watching the Chewton Mendip firework display from the dig site, we got to work with putting the tripod up over the hole nearest the driveway to start digging that. Henry helpfully turned up and suggested we could use the digger instead to haul out of the hole, so we suggested we also do the hole nearest the pond/house and do that one with the digger instead, despatching Henry to the bottom to fill a 1 tonne bag – unfortunately digger had flat battery so while the bag was filled, it wasn’t removed! Digging got underway in new hole and continued in middle hole (which is looking the most interesting so far and can hear water noises below the hole. New hole has a lot of thick pond clay, the black stuff is like rubber! James and Estelle had a dig until fingers getting tired from digging and then Mark had a go. Mark and Henry had a good go also at clearing some rocks from the middle hole – still mud and rocks coming out and looking very interesting. 

Wednesday 31st October

too wet to dig...

Wednesday 24th October

Estelle Sandford (turned up late), James Begley, Mark Denning, Mike Moxon, Elsie Brooks (RUCC), Henry Dawson, Ben Wetherill, Kevin Clinton (on the digger duty)
3hrs for most, 2 hrs for ES.
Continued working on the big hole filling 1 tonne bags and using the digger to haul and by the end of the evening, this has hit solid rock on all sides with just a rift hole that needs investigating left. We also continued with the middle hole and that is still progressing well and lots of mud coming out and some rocks. Moved the tripod to the nearest  hedge hole and this needs to be erected next week. Mark bringing tools to move pulleys, etc.