14/10/25 Surface work/checking old shafts

Estelle Sandford, Mike Moxon, Jon Riley

1.5hrs

Estelle cut back the brambles, especially around the hole under the hedge (the one with stemples, so didn't require a ladder), whilst Jon and Mike coiled the blue pipe, brought aluminium ladders up from beside main hole, and lifted the old dumpy bags. We then descended all the holes except the deepest one near the gate (as couldn't see ledge to rest ladder on in dark, and really need a longer one), but didn't find anything, except a bit more mud than when we dug them, and the second across has very luxuriant moss in bottom. Next laid longest ladder across hedge hole and cable tied those grills together, before leaving the 3 ladder sections across the two holes nearest the gate, just to make them more obvious and provide more support than just the grill. We then met Stuart at the Waldegrave, after he'd had a good rummage around the Belfry and Rathaus, to see if there were any more useful materials.

We need to plan a daylight session to safely descend the deepest one and secure the mesh/drill the plates in once all materials are sorted in the coming weeks. The key is to make it so they can be unbolted should access be required in future, but make them safe so if anything goes across them, they won't fall in!