News

There has been a report of a loose boulder in Rods Pot

“Close to the start of Rod’s there is a choice of a tight rift to the left or a high level route to the right. The right hand route has an exposed step down over a rift in the floor. When I went back to collect the rope from Purple Pot I took the high right route and used the same hand-hold in the roof as I did on our first descent. This time it moved! It looks like a block of the ceiling has come away but is trapped by the surrounding rock. The hand-hold is on one end of the block and, when used, causes the whole block to pivot. When it moved, I was already committed and had most of my weight on it. When I let it go, it shot back up accompanied by an almighty bang – which I think may have caused the block to crack. I’d estimate the block probably weighs about 5 tonne and it would certainly cause a fatal injury to anyone underneath it should it fall. It is very easy to spot as it is the rock immediately in front of you as you come out over the drop. It has a sort of Y-shape protrusion pointing at you that looks like a perfect hand-hold.”

Please take care until it is checked out

Les Williams
Posted 17/11/08

A day to Celebrate and Remember Tony Jarratt

The Digs

• Rolling Thunder – Swildon’s - Meet Aubrey Newport at the Wessex Hut at around 10:30 on the Saturday. Aubrey says: “There is plenty to do in Rolling Thunder. We have made the spoil - it just needs moving!”
• White Pit - Meet Stuart Gardiner at the Belfry at 10:00 on Saturday
  • Stuart's plans are: digging at the terminal sump or at the end of Talus II.
  • Dry gear needed, ladder climbing / no SRT.
• Caine Hill – Meet Trevor and the team at the site from 10:00 onwards on the Saturday
• Rose Cottage has unfinished biz-the dig in Halfway – Meet Phil Coles at the Belfry 10:00
• Stock's House Mine Shaft – Meet Tangent at 10:00 Belfry
  • Please note: Entry is via a 20m deep shaft: so will require rigging ladder + lifeline / or SRT / self lining kit.
• Wigmore Home Close - Meet Tony Audsley and team at the site from 10am up to early afternoon.
  • Please note: parking arrangements not made yet, but unless you hear otherwise, it would be best to park as for Wigmore and walk over the field.
• Templeton Open Morning – Templeton will be manned from 10 – 12am, during which time the lights will be on, and the pumps running.
  • It is intended to have a skip run.
  • Visitors are welcome to make their way to the bottom – oversuits, boots, helmets and lights will be needed. In view of flooding, there is unlikely to be any digging.
  • NOTE: The farmer has requested that no-one drives to the site.
  • John Hill will run visitors to the dig in his Land Rover, meet at the East Somerset Hut (by Eastwater Cavern field entrance) at 10am.
  • Otherwise, walk up from Lower Pitts farm (turn right out of Eastwater Lane, farm is first on left after ¼ mile.) Walk up track, dig is in last field on left before Dursdon Drove. Look for the spoil heap!
• It is possible that there may be a “tour of Hunters' Lodge Inn Sink” if there is enough demand. There are currently no digs ongoing in HLIS

Contact me if you propose to attend one or more of these digs so I can keep the diggers informed as to numbers. Les W

JRAT’s Ashes

A portion of the ashes are to be spread down the entrance of Hunters Lodge Sink, at around 1430 on the Saturday afternoon. The final portion is to be taken by way of the Minneries and The Five Buddles and the other digs in that location enroute to North Hill for spreading of the ashes at about 1530. It is hoped that Tony’s family, and other friends who didn’t make it to the original funeral service will all attend.

The intention is give a portion of the ashes to the Wigmore team to take into the streamway in Wigmore either for Saturday 15th or when they next go down Wigmore.

Some of Tony’s ashes are now in Scotland at the Grampian Hut awaiting the first through trip in RANA Hole.

Films and Talk at Village Hall

The intention is after the ashes are spread on North Hill to make our way to the village hall for the films at around 1600. Tea and Coffee and cake will be available. If you are still thirsty from lunch-time the bar will be open at the village hall.

We plan to have some big display boards in the hall so please send digital copies to Stuart (Mac) McManus or bring copies of any photos, articles or anything you’d like to put on the boards at the village.

Films will include those made by Fraser Simpson of the GSG and shown at Hidden Earth with extras from this years Grampian Dinner.

Films and excerpts from a series of TV films which included JRAT over the years by Steve Sharp, Alan Gray, and Tony Boycott

Alan Gray will give a short talk on JRAT’s log books and some of the amazing statistics on his period of caving over 44 years.

Drinking and Eating. 18:30 - 19:30

There’ll be a pig roast and Beef at £2.50 per roll. Food will be available until about 9pm or until it runs out!

JRAT’s Land-Rover Auction. 19:30 – 19:45

JRAT’s bright red land-rover is to be auctioned at the village hall by the “furry jacket brothers” Mac and Martin Grass. There is a reserve.

Songs, and Anecdotes 19:30 – 22:00

Various singers, speakers, musicians to while the night away. With breaks for more beer and chats. If there is demand some of the Films shown earlier will be repeated. If you want to say something contact Rachael Clarke on 01749 678754.

Late Evening 22:00 – midnight:

Dancing and a Tony-dance-alike competition bring a rose (paramedics will be in attendance) bring your old 45’ to be played by the BEC’s own resident DJ Paul Brock!

Les Williams
Posted 14/11/2008

It has been reported that the Sump 1 rope is frayed, care should be taken here until it is replaced. If you are planning a trip through the sump soon then if you contact the right people a length of rope may well be donated to a good cause so that “persons unknown” can replace it.

If you're unsure who the “right people” are then a good place to start is here

Les Williams
Posted 3/11/2008

A day to Celebrate and Remember Tony Jarratt

DAYTIME

Visits to various Cave dig sites:–

• Wigmore
• Caine Hill
• Hunters Lodge Inn Sink
• Templeton
• Rolling Thunder ( Swildons)
• Tumbledown (Swildons V)
• White Pit
• Rose Cottage

And many more……More updates on the digs later

Contact Les Williams on canda@cscc.org.uk 01749 679839 or 07941029707

AFTERNOON & EVENING

Priddy Village Hall will be open from 3:30 pm with a bar and tea/coffee available.

We plan to have some big display boards in the hall so please send digital copies to Stuart (Mac) McManus smcmanus@wetltd.co.uk or bring copies of any photos, articles or anything you’d like to put on the boards at the village hall.

4.00 to 6.30 – Alan Gray, Fraser Simpson and others are putting together a collection of films, TV clips and your digital pictures of Tony.

6.30 to 7:30 – Drinking and Eating.

There’ll be a pig roast and Beef at £2.50 per roll.

We have no idea how many people will come but we hope there’ll be enough for everyone.

Food will be available until about 9pm.

We plan to have some entertainment throughout the evening but there’ll be a tent outside the hall and hopefully plenty of opportunity to meet and talk as well as enjoying the entertainment.

Early Evening – music, songs, anecdotes and more beer!

Contact Rachael if you’d like to sing, play or speak. rachaelclarke2@hotmail.com or phone 01749 678754

Late Evening – dancing and a Tony-dance-alike competition (paramedics will be in attendance)

Keep checking the BEC web site and your own club sites for updates.

http://www.bec-cave.org.uk

Les Williams
Posted 21/10/2008

Boulders have recently moved in Goatchurch Cavern, in the Water Chamber at the top end by the passage to the Drainpipe and also down the passage towards the Drainpipe.

CSCC is carrying out stabilisation works in this area. Please take care here and avoid the passage to the Drainpipe for the duration of the works. Please note that the boulder slope down from the Water Chamber is very loose as it has been undermined by the stream. Concreting works will be undertaken shortly.

Les Williams
CSCC C&A Officer
Posted 4/10/2008

Specially-fabricated bat grilles have been installed at Box Mine SSSI, funded by English Nature, in order to help protect rare bat species that use the sites for roosting. The increasing disturbance of hibernating bats by people passing through the mine systems has necessitated the installation of the grilles. In particular, the risk of a one-off catastrophic event caused by lighting fires or spraying canned paint has increased, and this could wipe out the entire bat population.

English Nature’s Conservation Officer, Katie Lloyd said “It has taken two years to come up with proposals and consult with all the known users of the mines in order to work out the best approach to installing the grilles. We are delighted that the work is finally coming to fruition and that the bats will be better protected in future.”

Back Door and Jack's Workings entrances have been gated, accessible by allen key. The Lady Hamilton's entrance has been permanently grilled for safety reasons and access is no longer possible. Keys are held by the major Mendip Clubs.

Please contact the C & A Officer here for further details.

Posted 2/9/2006

The C & A Officer reports that the combination lock on the caver's car park has been replaced with the CSCC padlock. You now need a key to use the car park, so please don't forget to collect one before travelling to East Mendip. Keys are held by the major Mendip Clubs. These are the ACG, BEC, CSS, MCG, MNRC, SMCC and WCC.

Posted 2/9/2006

The BCA has setup some Discussion Forums on its website. A Forum is a place where a discussion can held on topics of interest and importance. Recent topics have been access to Brown's Folly and a discussion on the geology of Sally's Rift.

Here is the CSCC Forum and the BCA Forum.

Anyone can read the Forum, but you will need to register if you wish to contribute your own musings.

Posted 13/7/2006

This information has been received from the Wealden Cave and Mine Society.

“All caving access rights have been removed by the landowners for Football Field also known as No4 and Quarry Dean Farm also known as No2 . Any person found on site will be prosecuted by the land agents”

For further information contact the WCMS Surrey Mines Agent via the committee page of www.wcms.org.uk.

Posted 8/3/2005

Avon Wildlife Trust have CLOSED the mine until further notice, pending a Mines Inspectors report.

Posted 19/2/2005

An engraving that is possibly 10,000 years or more old has been discovered in Aveline's Hole. Aveline's is famous as being the site of the earliest known cemetery in the British Isles.

A gate has been installed in the back of the cave to protect the engraving. This was after consultations between English Heritage and other interested parties, including the landowner, English Nature and the CSCC. No visits will be possible until bat hibernation season is over. Access is controlled by the UBSS.

Full details can be found on the UBSS website here.

Posted 19/2/2005

The duty to manage asbestos came into force on 21 May 2004. It applies to non-domestic premises, which includes caving huts. So if your club has a club hut and you are a committee member you should read the leaflet 'Managing Asbestos in Premises'. Further information is available on the HSE website here.

The regulations are not as scary as one might initially assume. For example there is no need to remove asbestos that is in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed. But you will need to systematically identify and record any asbestos in your hut. Also you need to make that information available to workmen and also to the emergency services.

Posted 19/2/2005

The 20+ year old rusty metal bolt belays at the 7m pitch have been superceded by the installation of four eco-hangers on the right hand wall as you approach the pitch head - a traverse line can be installed from the initial two hangers and a y-hang can be put in over the clear hang to the water below for a ladder or SRT if you want to use this venue for practice - mind you the dams are now nice and full for winter so it's a bit of a cold swim to get there! The work was done while killing two birds with one stone, so to speak/write; the bolts were part of a training session for the new CSCC bolting trainees to learn how to place eco-hangers.

Posted 16/12/2004. Report from the Cheddar Caving Club.

A considerable amount of work has been going on at Fairy Cave Quarry.

The new car park is now finished. You are asked to make use of this facility rather than parking on the road since the road is narrow and despite its appearance, takes a lot of 38ton lorry traffic. The car park has a combination lock. The number is available from the major Mendip Clubs.

Balch's Cave is a well known bat hibernacula and has been grilled to protect the resident bat colony. Padlocks have been placed on the three low entrances of Balch's Cave. Conning Tower Cave also has a new entrance and padlock. Keys are held by the major Mendip Clubs. These are the ACG, BEC, CSS, MCG, MNRC, SMCC and WCC.

Posted 17/5/2004

The situation at Ariel Hole, Portland has deteriorated. The landowner has denied access to the cave. Negotiations are continuing , so please respect the landowners wishes.

A fuller explanation can be found in the letters column of Descent issues 170 and 171.

Posted 12/5/2003

GB Cavern was shut from the 12/10/2002 to 6/11/2002 due to high CO2 levels. Readings from the Bridge and on down to Ladder Dig were 4% or greater. CO2 levels seem to be an increasing problem in Mendip Caves. Dr Tony Boycott has provided a short article outlining the effects of CO2 and the treatment for CO2 poisoning here.

Further information can be found here.

Posted 16/11/2002