Coronation Pot

Work started here with Batty organising a major quarrying operation, making safe the walls above the dig. Since then, many interesting and exciting hours have been spent there re-arranging boulders. Enough shoring, including R.S.J's, have been placed for Coronation to be opened as an iron mine at some future date.

133 feet down the dig, Woodpecker crawl was found, a low, wet tube. The ducks were originally a sump which was drained by excavation. Beyond, the tube eventually ended just beyond a 6" slot in the floor, which was emitting a considerable draught. A number of trips to enlarge the slot were fruitless as the 6" crack continued down without respite for 20 feet.

Digging was then resumed and the entrance to Woodpecker crawl lost behind backfill. Work here is continuing as often as possible, but it's too much now for Thursday nights. It must be noted that one member took up squash on Thursday nights "on a court," he said, "instead of in a cave".

Members involved:- G.Batty, G.Edwards, R.Lonsdale, K.Millington, F.Walker,
Guest appearances from J.Birkett and Andy Walsh

New Pasture

This valley is an extremely pleasant spot on a summer evening. On one such evening, Gordon and John Batty found the entrance to New Pasture Pot solidly blocked. To remedy this, young John discovered a new entrance 10 feet away.

The following week the cave was surveyed to locate the position of an aven near the sump. However the feasibility of digging out the sump (in drought) seemed remote.

Trevor's Folly NGR 860.689

Situated higher up the R. flank of the valley from Clean Pot. This boulder mine was first investigated by Trevor reynolds some years ago. He was considered mad and the hole unsafe. Batty and Edwards altered the scenario with a sledge hammer and descended, with baited breath, some 40 feet more between and under huge blocks to a solid (!) looking choke at a total depth of about 70 feet.

New Year Pot

Batty and Walker had previously dug at the final choke but left the project shelved. New Year is a fascinating hole containing a very old phreatic tube 10 feet in diameter. At 1600 feet it is probably the highest in the Dales. After three digging sessions, Batty and Edwards broke through the choke, passaing gingerly under hanging rocks. Eventually reaching a nice vadose slot passage, the old passage in the roof having broken down. Two fine cascades were descended before the nice safe slot was lost and the way forward degenerated into a mass of collapse to another (final) choke. This was tampered with but the terrifying ordeal of the trip proved too wearing after a couple of attempts.

Thin Man's Agony (Dale Head Caves)

Further investigation and a dye test did not prove hydrological connection between the two caves, although they are probably connected by a tiny roof tube.

Entrance spot heights on Fountains Fell

G.Edwards