20/10/20

More wall building! Checked out the water and it had dropped around another 6” facilitating access to the metal grills without getting excessively wet but a long way of being able to dig again any time soon! Mike went in and retrieved the grills via the side shelf and brought out to the surface to remove them to go to Pearl Mine as we no longer need them. Cement mixing underway, James and Estelle moved some rocks back into the cave and laid them out a bit for the first layer. Took cement in and did that layer and repeated for 2 more skips of cement before we ran out of supplies. Probably 1-2 more sessions will see the steps wall sorted so it doesn’t risk a collapse in from the wall from the mud behind. 2hrs

13/10/20

Estelle & James brought sand and cement and there was already some dust over there to make up a mix with, so we set to clearing where there had been a slump on the right of the steps. Tools recovered and removed to higher ground and James cleared all the mud away to reveal back to the previous cemented wall level. Dave made mix up while the spoil was removed and the rocks we'd taken out a couple of weeks back were brought back in for wall building! The big boulder at the top of the steps was undermined and then a wall built under it and cemented in place and continuation just below it until we ran out of mix for now. Will continue this over the next couple of weeks unless it happens to dry out enough to dig. The levels had dropped maybe 18" at most since Sunday, but still very much under water.

11/10/20

Estelle popped on an oversuit over clothes to go and check the state of the cave. The water levels had clearly been quite well up the step and currently sitting at about a metre below where the hole in the floor was. There has been a reasonably significant collapse from the right side as you go down the steps, burying the tools on the shelf there and water appears to have come in from above from the top dig area. It would be useful and sensible to do some walling at the step area to try and prevent further collapses from that side and also secure the boulder at the top better. Unlikely to see the end again for digging for a while. Noted that there had been a rock fall just below the ladder and we may be prudent to prod a crack as more looks a bit unstable there.

29/9/20

Andrew came over to survey the cave we’ve found since the 2016 survey around our digging session. We completed this promptly around the others digging and we have gained approx. 25m since then – it is 30m total to the rock at the start of the railway. Dave started at the dig, the water levels were the same as last week, about 6inches of water in the floor and easy enough to dig the face ahead and the spoil is easy digging varying clays, mud, etc. – it’s so much easier to haul the skipnow the hole in the floor has been filled and the top lined with spoil bags. Mike and Jon had their goes at digging and then we all headed to the pub. Have a feeling the forecasted weather may flood the dig, but we’ll see if it is as bad as forecast!

22/9/20

Having lost Mike and Jon to the recent Wookey breakthrough and continuing work in there on that, plus Stu came over and capped some rocks yesterday as he couldn’t make tonight, we were reduced to 3. The water levels at the end are 6-8 inches in most places, but lots of clay in the floor which would prevent drainage. Plenty of remains of boulders from Stu’s efforts last night so Estelle set to filling buckets with rocks as it is easier to handle and they were all taken only as far as the hole in the floor, which we’ve been discussing filling for a while – we also used up most of the small rocks we’d been using in the space by where the grill was. Once we’d run out of rocks, James took over and was digging the area where the grill was down to rock level. This was bagged and Dave placed them so the skip should flow over the top. The boards were taken out, the grills are both stashed at the side of the passage for now in case they are needed again. More work to continue getting down to floor level and could do with breaking up the boulders we stashed as they are no longer neatly walled and would be better removed from the cave! Headed out to Waldegrave.

15/9/20

About 10inches or so of water in the end area and James went in first to dig and after the efforts last week removing the grill, the continuation was filling buckets from around that area and into the first of the deeper pool as we have pretty much decided we need to find the floor still. There’s a lot of clays lower down and the end does drain, albeit slowly so clearing the floor down to rock may help… James filled his skips and then Estelle took over and filled from the area where the grill was and just beyond, before Mike took over and carried on clearing out the same area. We’re down to floor in a number of places now and it’s clearly got a bit of a gap between where the wall hits the floor, which may help with drainage if we can keep this… Hopefully another dry week ahead might see the water levels lower.

8/9/20

From Mike. Stuart capped most of the boulders in the end chamber, despite forgetting any spare drill batteries, whilst Dave, Fran & I lifted the 2nd grill & removed most of the mud from underneath it (18 buckets worth) in stages. Stu then put most of the bits of rock up on the right hand shelf before running out of oxygen & exiting. Then Dave & I headed back down for 5 minutes whilst the others got changed - Dave dug out the remaining wall between the 2 puddles & I lifted the rest of the rock onto the shelf, except 1 large block (that is lose) & any that I couldn't see (pool was crystal clear when we arrived, & a couple of inches lower than last week). Still some mud (grill is up on the side) & the rocks to remove next time.

1/9/20

James’s birthday treat, he got to go and dig first! Quite a wet muddy puddle at the end still, but able to dig the end wall ok and just get wet up to the knees while kneeling in the water! He filled 18 skips and then Estelle took over for around 18 skips – she dug around the pool/stones more and lowered the water level a bit. Mike Moxon went in and did around a dozen skips as pub was calling – the spoil was being bagged on the surface this time as enough to make it worthwhile. Hopefully the water levels will drop off further by next time. 2hrs

25/8/20

Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Jonathan Riley, Dave Walker, Stu Lindsay, Mike Moxon, Fran Campbell

2hrs, plus an extra 1.5hrs for Stu and Dave

Stu arrived early again to cap more boulders in the chamber, but this was a bit fruitless as with Storm Ellen and Francis having gone through in the last week, all that could be seen was the tops of a few of the larger boulders, the rest of the chamber was under about 2.5ft of water. He capped a few of the larger ones that were just above that area and then headed out soon after. Dave had arrived a bit earlier too and had helped with clearing and Jon went in next to break any boulders he could. Jon then moved onto digging the ceiling, Dave swapped out further up the chain with Fran who also did some digging in the roof and floor where the grill and puddle is. Lots of roof coming down from a very drippy aven. We came out around 8:30 to get to the Waldegrave in time for another ‘eat out to help out’ half price meal.

If we don’t see more dry weather to dry the chamber out, we’re going to have to look at pumping options – looking at 2 pumps, sludge pump for the end to bring up to the end of the railway to perhaps a water butt we can install there, and then another pump to bring to the surface, but this doesn’t need to deal with sludge then.

18/8/20

Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Dave Walker, Stu Lindsay, Mike Moxon

2hrs plus Stu an hour earlier

Stu arrived early to cap boulders again. Very successful capping session, so much so that the 3 diggers after didn’t manage to clear all the boulders he’d broken up! Dave was there a little earlier too, so he filled the first round of buckets with mostly rock, then Estelle went in and cleared a load of rock and mud from around the removed rocks, followed by Mike doing the last session before heading out to ensure we got to the Waldegrave in time for a ‘eat out to help out’ half price meal. Stu planning on doing an early capping session again next week as some of the boulders that were broken up, are not smashing with the hammer and too big to carry and for the skips. The chamber remains mostly dry despite there having been a bit of rain in the last week.

11/8/20

Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Jonathan Riley, Dave Walker, Stu Lindsay, Mike Moxon

2hrs digging with an extra hour for Stu

Stu arrived early to cap some boulders in the chamber at the end so we can clear the floor. He’d just about run out of drill power/caps by the time we all arrived at 6:30. Jon went in first and smacked up some rocks making them small enough to fit in the skips, most of his session was rocks, then James went in and cleared more rocks and headed into removing some mud too. Finally Mike went in for the last session and mostly clearing spoil from the end wall and noted there seems to possibly be an inlet or aven above too. All easy digging and still nice and dry at the end. Headed out 8:30ish to pub.

4/8/20

 

Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Jonathan Riley, Dave Walker, Stu Lindsay, Mike Moxon

2hrs

Despite it being bone dry on last visit around a month ago, there was now a pool at the end on the grill and a little bit of water in the floor around the boulders near the end. Stu went in to dig first and filled all 18 buckets, before Estelle took over and filled about a dozen as nursing a bad back – the digging was mostly in the wall going forwards, and is fairly easy going. Dave then took over and filled around another dozen or so and as we had arranged to visit the Waldegrave from about 20:15 as first week of being open since the COVID19 restrictions were lifted, we made a point of packing up to give us time to get there!

Friday 3rd July

Mike Moxon, Dave Walker, Stu Lindsay

(from Mike)

Well, we had a look at the end, then spent about an hour clearing the slump by the start of the 2nd grill (10 buckets) & other bits of the passage / steps (another 6), staging them back to the steps, then our to empty. Dave & Stu swore they'd bring kneepads next time. A song thrush serenaded us whilst changing (& it decided to start raining again). A calf on the road just the other side of Litton & a roe deer nearer East Harptree interrupted the drive home, but still managed in daylight for the first time ever (for an evening session).

27-6-20 Recce trip to check state of play

Estelle Sandford & James Begley

30mins

Dig was flooded up to COVID19 lockdown, but having agreed with Kevin it was ok to start back digging as the COVID19 lockdown starts to release, James and Estelle headed over to do a quick recce post the winter flooding and get an idea of where we are at on any water levels. There is no water at the end at all, although plenty of the usual sticky mud/clay. There’s a few places in the passage that have seen minor slumps from the flooding, but overall, probably one session of tidying up and we’re back digging the end. Kevin mentioned there appears to be a resident rat, but it hasn’t been in the dig area as the first footprints of any size are ours! Took some photos and a short video and headed home.

22/12/19

Estelle & James popped in to drop xmas bottle to Kevin and check the water levels. Up to about 4" below the railway line and looking like we'll be flooded out for some time. Kevin has suggested we re-investigate the top dig as he feels it may go the other way. We'll plan a trip in the new year for this.