12/11/24 flooding subsided enough to dig again!

 Estelle Sandford, Mike Moxon, Stu Lindsay, Kat Rosier, Ed Ford, Fran Campbell

1.5hrs

No real rainfall for several weeks, so guessed we'd be ok to dig. Took all the buckets down to the end and Estelle, Mike and Ed took to clearing the slurry and collapses that the flooding had caused. There was a pool by the forward dig, the aven had slumped quite a few buckets worth and plenty of slurry all over plus Kat filled a few further up passage too! After filling all the buckets, moved them through the cave to empty in spoil heap and headed to the Hunters. 

28/10/24 Still too flooded to dig

 From Matilda

Water level has probably dropped about 3m

22/10/24

 From Mike

Serenaded by a pair of tawny owls, Mike, Jon and Matilda discovered the whole passage was flooded to just a couple of feet below the railway, as was left dig, so two hauls, 4 digging tools and one krab on short handline are underwater. Anything we could reach was moved up to spoil heap, a couple more bags filled to even out wall, then spare bags, tubs, ropes and the "railway carriage" were stacked in higher side passages, whilst 2 bags of sand, metal work, scrapers, buckets and anything not used recently were hauled up above ladder. Fran had arrived by then. I have one of Stu's krabs and a clip from bolt at end of railway

15/10/24

 from Mike

Jon went to end to check and it was diggable (left side still flooded), so Matilda filled all the buckets (except 2 with broken handles, although a third did go down and get filled - all taken to surface after). Digging was apparently fairly easy, then Ed passed them back to final haul, with Mike and Jon on either end, who also flattened out the conveyor belt and moved the middle sized rocks back to start of that haul. We then staged all buckets up to spoil heap and emptied them, leaving the tools and skip on shelf at start of final haul. It started to rain as we headed out just after 8.30, where we found Duncan and Fran (who had arrived late), but fortunately it didn't pour down until we left the waldegrave (everyone except Matilda)

8/10/24

 from Mike

Ed, kat, Jon, Matilda Doel and me. Flooded to 1 foot below conveyor belt, we moved a load more rocks back to entrance - mostly just larger ones left at end now. Tawny owl greeted us on departure (and insects taking cover) 

1/10/24

From Mike

Ed, Kat and Mike - End of dig half flooded, could just see tops of tools! Moved sensible sized rocks from end chamber to start of last haul, then 18 buckets of smaller rocks back to entrance. 

17/9/24

Report from Jon Riley

Jon called in on his way back from work as usual; Ed can clearly now be referred to as a regular; Mike is a regular at most digs. Hence, we can report that three regular diggers turned up at the appointed hour.

Being only a small team, an early decision was to take only a few buckets underground. A suggestion that we each take six buckets was instantly agreed. With hindsight we should have taken more underground.

Mike was appointed chief digger, supported by Ed. Jon was nursing an inflamed elbow, so took on hauling duties only.

Jon had missed a couple of digs; to him the air quality was noticeably improved.

The Team filled and removed their buckets with high efficiency. Consequently, they arrived at the local hostelry somewhat earlier than planned.

Perhaps more buckets next time?

10/9/24

report from Mike Moxon. 

Fran and Ed took it turns digging, Kat and Mike did first haul for 14 buckets then moving back to middle whilst others brought last 6 out. The puddle has flooded again by the conveyor belt. 

27/8/24

Estelle Sandford, Mike Moxon, Fran Campbell, Stu Lindsay

1hr 15mins

 

Estelle and Mike started filling buckets, 12 were already in the cave empty and we took 6 more down so 18 were filled in total. The air was ok at the end and it felt like there was a slight draught coming up through the floor hole. Estelle filled the buckets from the left hand side under the big boulder and above the crack in the floor. Fran arrived and started hauling and we started moving everything up through the cave. The air wasn’t great when sat at the bottom of the middle haul, but the rest of the cave was ok. Stu hauled at the surface and part filled a few bags whilst waiting for help emptying on the surface. The mud was sticking quite a lot in the buckets, don’t know if it was worse due to the type of mud or that some buckets were left stashed in the cave. Waldy was closed so we went to the Hunters.

20/8/24

 report from Jon

Three regular Team members (Fran, Jon and Mike) were joined by two visitors, Joe Holloway and Krystal Thompson from Mendip Outdoor Pursuits. Joe had previously visited; Crystal was paying a first visit to the dig site. The visitors had a quick look at the upper cave and then, in traditional fashion, they were invited to dig.

Joe took the lead, initially supported by Jon. The air quality remains poor. Krystal sensibly took a cautious approach of starting at a hauling point, until she had acclimatised to the air. She then moved forward, sharing the lead duties with Joe.

Given the air quality, the Team limited themselves to a small number of buckets. Twenty bucket loads were removed from the front; six rather liquid loads were taken from the bottom haul point, where Fran hauled. In due course, the Team moved up to fresher air; Fran again did most of the hauling.

The good news is that the buckets remain easy to empty.

The Team eventually relocated to a local hostelry for light refreshments, delayed a little by an issue with the site gate. Fortunately, the landowner came to their rescue. The Team extends a word of thanks.

13/8/24

 report from Fran

Jon, James Ed, Fran and Stu were at the dig with James and Jon at the digface. Ed and Fran and Stu hauled with Stu working the railway at the top. It was hot and humid with spells of rain.  We emptied all the buckets into bags or onto the spoil heap then headed for the Waldy.

6/8/24

 Report from Mike Moxon

Duncan dug the end, whilst Jon and I checked the buckets left last time still emptied (they did, but then it hadn't rained). Adrian arrived to help shift stuff back & Duncan stopped at 26 due to air still being poor, before assisting with getting them back to the entrance where we filled bags for the wall. Finished about 8.30 to find stu had only just arrived, before heading to the waldegrave where James, Estelle and holly met us.

30/7/24

 Estelle Sandford, Mike Moxon, Jon Riley

1.5hrs

Trying different ideas with 3. Mike, Jon and Estelle took 22 skips into the end of the dig, Jon filled them all and whilst he was doing that, Mike and Estelle moved them through the first skip run, there is space there to store that number, we actively left 2 skips in the cave in that area to see how well they empty next time having been left full in cave. We then moved them to the chamber end of railway with one each end of the haul and one on steps, followed by moving them out of the cave and emptying them, including filling 2 bags, apart from one skip which we left by the railway to test how well it empties next time. This took just over an hour to do from start to finish and we arrived in the pub just after 8:30pm. We felt 20-25 would be the max 3 could do and make the pub for 8:30ish on non-darts nights. The air in the dig wasn’t great, but not unworkable.

We discussed in the pub after with Stu and James present, options around trying bags instead of the skips like they use at Halloween, Jon said he’d see about getting some of those – from experience of many digs/mud types, we will probably need to experiment with leaving them full for a week, then maybe 2 weeks, etc. to see how well they will empty. We also suggested that filling some brewery bags and loading them into the pool just before the last run, with a view to putting another conveyor belt over that would lose that puddle with rocks in and make it more comfortable to get across and a little more storage space too. There is also a lot of smaller rocks by the last skip run that could come out allowing more stacking space if required. Basically there is probably work that can be done with 3 as long as the individuals are up for triple handling and being in a variety of locations working. We just have to accept we can’t do things as fast and vigorous with just 3! 

16/7/24 report from Mike M

 Ed Ford, James Begley, Mike Moxon, Jon Riley, Stu Lindsay, Fran Campbell

2hrs

Ed and James were at the front, Jon and Mike moved skips back, whilst Stu did the middle haul, for all buckets present, then Stu moved up to top haul and rest of us kept moving them along. Fran arrived as we were emptying.

9/7/24

Estelle Sandford, Mike Moxon, Stu Lindsay, Ed & Kat Ford, Jon Riley, Fran Campbell

1.5hrs

Stu continued putting in some additional handlines and drilling holes for bolts for that ahead of helping with the hauling. Estelle and Ed headed to the dig and Estelle digging down in the forward bit and Ed clearing the last of the flood spoil from the aven area. Going down is giving rocks in the floor after a layer of spoil, all seem to be fairly loose. All buckets filled and then taken out and some bag filling was done before retiring to the Waldy

2/7/24

Report from Mike M

Mike Moxon, Ed Ford (MCG), Stu Lindsay, Fran Campbell, Duncan Butler, Jon Riley

2hours

Filled all 35ish buckets, Duncan clearing the front slump, then starting on digging forward, Mike loaded up about half of the aven slump, so it's now below the level of surrounding rocks. Ed Ford (MCG) and Fran started moving the tubs back whilst Jon brought in the two skip runs, after reattaching haul lines, then all 5 of us dragged everything back to the spoil heap, where we filled the low point in corner - buckets emptying easily. Whilst Stu did his with adding safety lines/drilling.

18/6/24

Report from Stu/Mike

18/6/24

James Begley, Mike Moxon, Jon Riley, Stu Lindsay, Fran Campbell

Some preparation work to aim to dig soon now the end has drained. Stu drilled a hole for a hanger for a safety line for the ladder, but the drill snapped off, so wasn’t able to complete the work. The rope supplied by Blitz is now in 2 pieces with one having 2/3rds of the necessary knots in, which Stu has taken home to complete.

Mike took a look at the right hand passage, looks much the same as previously but with extra slime from the floods, but a couple of rocks in the roof at the start have come out. He then dug a couple of rocks out from the collapse at the main end and there is about a dozen tubs worth of slump there and another half dozen below aven. Poured some water into end slot and it disappeared left out of view and gurgled away (probably more ahead direction), Finally removed both skips to daylight and filled a couple of buckets with mud from around the steps.

11/6/24 finally dry enough to dig!

Jon Riley went and took a look at the end and it's now completely dry at the dig, so good to go for next week planning to dig the end. 

28/5/24 water levels up!

Estelle Sandford, Stu Lindsay, Jon Riley, Fran Campbell

1hr

Estelle and Jon went to the end to look at the water levels and unsurprisingly really, with the recent heavy rains, the water levels had risen by around 0.5m since we looked a couple of weeks ago. More rain is forecast so we think it is unlikely to be diggable by next week and as such not planning to arrange anything. 

We had a clear up and also removed the blue pipe from the dig (relocated to by the other holes for now) and also the electric cable as we don't envisage using either again. Several bags of rubbish and dead skips removed and all the serviceable buckets now back where they should be. 

14/5/24 First visit after winter floods

Estelle Sandford, Jonathan Riley underground, Mike Moxon, Fran Campbell, James Begley and Stu Lindsay didn’t go underground. 

15mins

Estelle & Jon kitted up and headed down. There was polystyrene and plastic containers/tubs at the top of the steps indicating the water levels were higher than we’d originally thought from photos but think the peak was from Storm Henk in January from Kevin’s photos! Reasonable amount of cleanup work required on surface and in the spoil area as bags, buckets, etc. are everywhere! Headed down and while it’s a bit slimey from being under water for so long, there are little signs of any movement of mud or rocks from roof, etc. At the end, the conveyor belt was clear and above water, but the end of the dig is about 1-1.5m underwater still. Not quite diggable, but probably only a week or two if we get reasonably dry weather. Headed off to the Waldegrave after where Stu joined us. Discussed that it is worth a team going over next week to do some cleanup work and check levels with a hope we will be back in digging within the next couple of weeks. 

Edited to add the highest point of flooding from 24/2/24 from Kevin. 

5/1/24 after Storm Henk

 photos from Kevin - now about a metre higher than 2012! 

4/1/24 before Storm Henk

 photo from Kevin - another 3meters and it will be where it was in 2012...

31/12/23 Storm Gerrit

 Photo from Kevin

23/12/23 levels dropped a bit...

Estelle Sandford

15mins

Quick look in the entrance as far as i could go with just added wellies and gloves with a mobile phone. The water levels are at the 2nd step from the photos, a drop from earlier in the month.