21/3/17

Estelle Sandford, Mike Moxon, Jonathan Riley, Stu Lindsay
2hrs
After checking the place for surplus frogs/toads/newts and putting about a dozen in a bucket to remove later, we got on with digging the top dig. Estelle got 2 new buckets of the good type and set to work digging first. Fairly easy digging through layers of sediment and gravels, clays, etc. like usual. Still following a solid floor at the moment and have solid roof about 4ft above and about 3ft wide with solid walls. Air circulating well. Jon went in after Estelle and then Stu and Mike, all doing 15 buckets each, but Stu stuck in a sneaky one, so we got to 61! By the end of the digging the roof is going up slightly so maybe another aven? Dig continuing well forward and can lose the bar in it. 

15/3/17

Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Mike Moxon
1.5hrs
spent the evening removing frogs, toads and newts from all the holes, around 120 frogs and toads and about 10 newts - all relocated to the pond. Quick look at top dig found a small pool on the left, but will resume digging next week. 

21/2/17

Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Mike Moxon, Duncan Simey, Suvi Miri Pihlaja, Stu Lindsay, Jonathan Riley
2hrs
Good session in the top dig, Mike went in first and dug and was followed by Duncan and then Estelle, the floor is now solid rock at the end and sloping off slightly towards the left hand wall. Both walls appear to be reasonably solid although not probed far enough to see where the gaps are yet and the last greyer boulder exposed towards the end of the evening  looks more like a boulder than floor. Going forwards is a wall about 4ft of mud/clay/sediments of many colours and textures - all fairly easy going and still following down the scalloped roof. 

14/2/17

Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Mike Moxon, Jonathan Riley, Jeremy Fry, Stu Lindsay
2.5hrs
Estelle started on bottom dig and this was soon dug to a point of conclusion that the only way forwards is to attempt to blast with a dose of Dr Nobel’s – will debate this before deciding if this is worth following. To the far end, it has closed down to rock, which does feel like it might be reduced, but hard to tell. The ‘way on’, getting narrower and narrower, is heading back under the entrance and means undermining everything and would be too dangerous to continue. Having done that, James took to the top dig and continued work in there as that does look a lot more promising and is still easy digging. After a number of skips, Stu took over digging and then the final session was Jon’s. Lots of spoil removed and continuing downwards and onwards. Bit of an issue exiting as the gate decided to fail about a metre wide and needed the key to get out! Still made it out by pub time so all ok!