11/8/26

Estelle, Mike, Harley, Ed, Jon

1.5hrs

Jon arrived earlier and started digging before others arrived, rest of us turned up and headed down, completed the bucket filling, Harley digging in the wall in front and Estelle digging in the floor. Estelle was working on a line across the dig to try and see if possible to pick up the line of the rift from the earlier hole in the floor. Met with solid red rock on right hand side that looks like typical floor rock, but almost dead straight in front, the crowbar goes down full length when wiggled through the rock/clay. Continued digging out the rocks and mud from there and it is clearly a way down and around 18in or so deep in the floor when left. With the end dig site so big now - we all could have dug in there at once tonight! - we need to focus on getting a shelf going forwards, but also completely clearing the floor area out to see if there are more opportunities of a way down. The feel of the way on is that it may be an inlet possibly and that we may actually have a 'pot' in the floor, but we won't know whilst we've so much mud/rocks there! After all the buckets were filled, we removed them to the surface and most were dumped down the old LH dig site - aiming to get that as full as possible before any winter flooding! 

4/8/26

James, Harley, Ed, Kushy and Mike.

MK headed in around 1700 and started moving boulders around at the end and pre drilling holes ready to be plug and feathered. EF arrived around 1730 and got busy dismantling the boulders. MK moved these into the side rift. Several buckets were also filled up with mud from the floor. Ed carried on splitting rock until the others arrived. Looks to be some huge boulders in the floor still. JB, MM and HB arrived around 1900. 2 buckets runs completed and dumped into the defunct entrance next door. In my opinion probably best not to do drill work before clearing as it made the air quite thick. Finished for 2100.

28/7/26

Estelle, Mike, Ed, Jon, Greg Hawkins (MCG), Kushy

2hrs

A slightly earlier start for Greg, Mike and Kushy, and 38 buckets in circulation that did 2 runs, 70 went from the front and 6 from the puddle (although 1 did have a split in, so wasn't as full by the time it reached the spoil heap!) One down at end, with broken handle, was left on surface. Fast session with a strong team and finished before James arrived walking up with Holly, so had to pick him up enroute to Hunters. 

14/7/26

Report from Jon

Ed turned up early again and set about breaking up the remaining boulders at the dig face. He was just finishing his efforts when the rest of the team arrived. Jon and Harley dug with Ed's support. Mike and James hauled. 

The dig face now looks a lot tidier. The boulders are largely out of the way.  All loose spoil has been removed.

Ed has levelled off the right hand side looking towards the face. With some effort we may be able to construct a means of hauling.

The air remains fresh despite extended efforts in the last couple of sessions. 

couple of Ed's photos of the levelling work for new haulway

Looking towards the dig, hole in the floor conveyorbelt to left

Looking from dig back up passage, hole in the floor to the right. 

7/7/26

Ed turned up early to reduce some boulders with the drill and plug and feathering before the rest of us arrived. Once Ed had finished the last of his batteries with one last boulder, Estelle & Harley started digging. Harley on the right, Estelle on the left. Checked the boulder James had reported last week on left and it doesn't particularly feel like it will imminently go, so cleared the spoil created from rocks being dropped last week before mostly digging downwards to clear out the large step we'd created following the hole in the top and draught. Easy digging as always and found a piece of what looked like fossilised bone in amongst the quite 'gravelly' spoil. Fairly certain the 'gravelly' grey spoil is crushed coral or similar, although it does look like unset concrete! After all 38 buckets filled and Ed finished moving more rocks around to work on levelling the proposed new haul in the bottom chamber. Ideally a 'railway' like at the top as it will be hard to stop it tipping off the hole in the floor side with conveyor belt as it stands. All buckets taken to surface and emptied and then headed to the Hunters.

(photo by Estelle of Harley in the end dig)

30/6/26

Report from Mike & James

The rain did stop when we arrived at cutler's (unfortunately not in time for Estelle walking there, so she got rather wet!). We were greeted by this juvenile green woodpecker on the lawn before flying up into palm. James and Harley were digging, Mike in support (I filled one bucket from spoil on top of conveyor belt over drainage hole) and Fran doing the end haul, as she had limited light. Remaining 37 buckets filled and more rocks removed (could do with breaking some up now) before moving them back to entrance (realising reinforcement was now unlikely!) - Fran dumped 1/3rd of them down side passage and rest emptied behind ladder, before a slightly later than usual retirement to Hunters'.

James - At the end of the digging session I removed a couple of quite sizeable rocks from the top of the left hand side of the dig. These are now on the floor and probably in the way. The “roof” on the left hand side is probably another rock of dubious stability. The air at the end was fresh.

23/6/26

Report from Mike M

Mike and Chris Hurst (MCG) dug, Harley in support, with Estelle and Jon moving stuff back. We filled 38(!) buckets and then, after Chris was out of the way, Mike brought some rocks down from the middle front that had appeared to be part of the roof - big one on left goes well back into mud so will require quite a lot more digging. Mike caught up with others to finish final haul and most of mud was put in bags and added to wall. Hunters' afterwards where James joined us.

16/6/26

Report from Jon

Jon and Harley dug this week, supported by James.  Mike and Estelle hauled.  Harley worked on the right hand side, concentrating on removing a large boulder. His efforts eventually succeeded.  Jon worked on the left hand side where the boulders were smaller. Several were removed. All buckets were filled but a little slower than usual because of the boulders. The next digger needs to be careful of loose ones in the top left corner. Only one set of buckets was filled this week, followed by a slightly early visit to the pub.

9/6/26

Estelle, James, Mike, Ed, Dave, Harley

2hrs 45mins

Estelle, Harley and Ed got there early and Estelle and Harley started filling buckets, whilst Ed was doing some engineering of the rockpile and rocks to level it off in the end chamber to try and work towards getting some sort of drag tray possible in the future. We've a lot of rock in that chamber that has been put aside, so good use of it to level things off. Estelle was working on the area around the new opening last week, firstly clearing off a 'step' to stick buckets on but also digging out the wall below it whilst taking some out from the top also. Harley was digging the bottom right corner. Once the first round of 33 buckets was filled and the rest of the team were away from the end, Estelle took to the loose looking boulders on the left higher up. A large amount of rocks was safely brought down and Ed then went on to plug and feather one and make use of some of the others. More empty buckets appeared so continued digging and we think we reused all 33 buckets, but there may be a chance they didn't all go out first time. There was still a good draught from above, it does look more like the roof of a passage than any aven, but a lot of spoil below it all needs removing before we'll reveal anything! Some photos were taken before we went out. All buckets taken up and a fair number were emptied into the old LH side dig. Stu L met us as we all came out and then we all headed to the Hunters

2/6/26 a void and a draught!

Ed report - 

EF, ES, JB, HB, JR, MM arrived at normal time.  Headed down with 33 buckets. EF & JB were at the dig face. We started by clearing the slump from the previous week which filled most of the buckets. While Buckets were being moved up EF brought down some sizable rocks from the roof discovering a small void. EF joined others emptying buckets before heading back down. Harley and James were found at the dig face clearing the mess. Estelle also joined by the dig face to take a look and help move buckets. The air was noticeably fresh. The void after a bit more clearing is approximately 1.5M long with a smooth scalloped roof. Another note is the mud is no longer colourful and becoming easy to dig clay.

After clearing buckets with Harley and John down the hole all headed out after 66 buckets and headed to the hunters for a much deserved pint.

26/5/26

Estelle, Mike, Harley, Jon

2hrs

Estelle and Mike digging, Estelle left and Mike right, both had a bit of a poke at the boulders to start, but didn't look like any were imminently coming down, so commenced digging mud around them and then had more goes, the one that looked least likely to go on the left came out and was moved out of the way further back in the chamber, more digging commenced and as the buckets were filled and the session went on, all the main loose boulders were removed, including the last at the end by Mike who left a load of self dug mud for the diggers next week! 33 or 34 buckets were filled and exited, one died during the trip with handle failure, so we think we're down to 33, may need to go shopping soon! James walked up with Holly to meet us at the dig as really hot evening, and then Hunters after. 

19/5/25

Report by Jon

Harley and Jon dug, supported by James.  Mike and Estelle were hauling.  The dig face has become very bouldery.  Harley removed one large boulder on the left to reveal more behind.  Jon tried to dig out another on the right.  This requires more effort. The boulders in the middle are now loose thanks to Harley.  A cautious start is needed next week.

12/5/26

Estelle, James, Mike, Jon, Harley, Fran 

2hrs

Estelle & Mike started off digging, Mike to the left and Estelle to the right. After clearing the mud around the massive boulder James moved last week, that was rolled back a bit from the dig so is now a seat! It either needs reducing or could stay here potentially as it's not in the way as it stands. The first 33 buckets were filled, there was a 34th which was accidentally left full at the dig last week, that was taken out. Jon and Harley were soon joined by James who had walked the dog over and Fran had arrived also. We all shuffled up passage to transport the buckets out and they were all dumped into the old side dig by James and Harley. 18 further buckets were sent back down and Mike and Fran filled those with help from Jon, whilst Harley, Estelle and James worked further up hauling. All buckets were dumped either in the old dig or a few wet ones up top, buckets scraped and we headed to the Hunters.

5/5/26

Report from Mike

James and Harley dug,  Jon and Mike hauling. James got big slab on right out of face, and most of spoil went down side passage (except for the sloppier ones created by tidying the rest of chamber, and one which got left there - not found until following week). 

28/4/26

Report from Mike

Ed, Harley, Jon and Mike. Red kite flew over just as we were heading to entrance. First two dug whilst last two filled 3 buckets with slop from flooding. 30 or 31 buckets filled fairly easily as mud peeled off, and a large rock was dug out. Toad rescued from end chamber, a slug and beetle were also noticed there. All buckets then hauled back to side passage and mostly emptied there by Jon. Vole ran across surface steps as I stepped off ladder. Then off to the Hunters'

21-4-26 Digging resumes, flooding gone!

Report from Mike Moxon

Mike, Harley and Dave Wiltshire (MCG) took 10 buckets to the end, expecting to only be able to clear the material reported by Estelle previously, but the end was totally dry (apart from a small puddle by digface), so we filled 9 with slumping from there, and the other with slop from the drain hole and loose mud from elsewhere in chamber. These were hauled out and dumped under ladder (where Harley noted small holes in the spoil heap - presumably that toads had wintered in). We then took another 11 (most were stacked in 5s, but one 6 - although another handle went, so we are presumably down to 34) to the start of final haul and dug most of the slump there out as well. Quite a few bats flying around as we headed back to cars for 9pm and a trip to the Hunters'

24/3/26 Flooded still

Estelle Sandford, James Begley, Mike Moxon, Ed Ford, Harley Bennett, Jon Riley

45mins

Estelle walked up with Holly for her to remain in the car whilst we were underground. Everyone else turned up and went to look at the state of the dig and water. By the time Estelle got changed and down there, they had looked and it was over half way up the long passage towards the steps, so no chance of digging for a while yet until the water tables have subsided. Harley went for an explore in the side passages and found high water levels at the bottom of them too from the levels being the same. Headed to Waldy and met Stu Lindsay and Duncan Butler there for a drink and catch up to pass on GSG journals. First time Stu out since his operations.

4/1/2026 flooded still

Estelle's first time underground exactly 11 weeks after breaking ankle! Dig is still flooded in last chamber from December rains, and also a small collapse at the other end of the conveyor belt. Hopefully we'll get some drier weather in January.