Mundane History

On 21st March, 1982, Edwards and Walker, having failed to find High Plains Pot, descended Little Pot. Weather conditions were typically foul, otherwise the two investigators would have been on a crag. On emerging from Little Pot, Walker climbed down and investigated an insignificant adjacent depression which was found to be draughting. After removing earth and a few boulders it was possible to throw stones into a shaft. A very large boulder prevented further excavation, so this was postponed until the following Thursday night, when a hauling team could be assembled and permission to dig obtained.

Thursday came, and with it Batty, Chester, Edwards, Walker and Webb. First, the large boulder was removed using engineering skill and muscle. As the evening progressed the shaft top was dug out, walled up, and made safe. A descent soon followed to find the shaft to be 25 ft. deep to a ledge with the continuation blocked by boulders at a bottleneck, although one could see beyond into a further shaft.

Saturday saw the same team, supplemented by Harland and Pybus, at the dig in glorious weather. The obstruction at the bottleneck was cleared and a further descent of 15 ft. was made to the bottom, which was solidly chocked with fill. A small fissure emitted a powerful draught and echoed well. Digging commenced, and ended when the bucket 'kicked it'.

The Ingleton branch of the Thursday night team continued excavation steadily throughour April. One Saturday Pybus and Greg Smith gained access to a short crawl terminating in a sharp bend. Reinforcements were called, the floor was cleared of fill and the passage enlarged by chemical action at critical points to reach the head of a pitch, then too tight. The following Thursday night, 6th May 1982, a determined 'banging' session, helped by the strong draught removing the fumes, widened the pitch head sufficiently for a descent to be made. The pitch opened out into a roomy shaft with other inlets visible.

Another 20 ft. pitch was descended into Thornton Hall where more inlets entered. As it was already well past closing time only a quick reconnaissance was made to the head of the next pitch of about 80 ft.

Saturday saw a team consisting of Batty, Edwards, Harland, Pybus and Walker at the hole laden with ladder and rope. The 80 ft. shaft was soon tackled and descended to find two ways on at its foot. The larger route was taken to the top of a 40 ft. pitch where a belay bolt was placed. Climbs and a pitch ensued to a fine crawl endowed with splendid formations, indeed, at the far end of the crawl, flowstone completely blocked the way and a route had to be hammered underneath.

Three short pitches followed to reach the start of another, wetter, crawl. Here Pybus and Harland left the cave and Andy Walsh arrived, having been at work that morning. Disappointingly, a sump was soon encountered so a return was made to explore the alternative at the foot of the 80 ft. pitch. This passage soon fell away to a pitch which descended in a series of steps to a ledge with a large flake reminiscent of Cathedral in Lost Johns'. The remaining 40 ft. to the floor was descended to arrive at the base of an aven just before the 23 ft. 8th pitch.

On the way out, Batty and Edwards examined the passages by Thornton Hall and descended into 'The Pit'. Some large pieces of wall were pushed off to make safe an awkward climb up the other side. A fine, well-ventilated passage was entered and was followed for some 200 ft. to a major junction and TINKLE passage, festooned with straws.

Downstream was followed for a further 220 ft. to an aven, with the continuation blocked by rockfall. Here a return to daylight was made after a long day's exploration.

The following Thursday night, Batty, Edwards, Walker and Walsh were soon clearing rocks at the end of Tinkle Passage. A fissure in the floor was uncovered, but was very narrow and looked blind. Eventually the roof tube was cleared and Walsh pushed through to larger passage, eventually followed by the others, who were overdressed for tight work, wearing oilskins and coveralls. At Calcite Corner, wetsuited Walsh again pushed on ahead in a very small, muddy passage following a very strong draught. Edwards managed to dig out the first constriction and follow to a singularly awkward bend, at which point he turned back, leaving Walsh to his foraging ahead. Eventually Walsh was stopped by flowstone curtains in a narrow rift, which needed hammering off.

The following Saturday, after a tourist trip to the sump with the others, Burgess and Nichols broke through Walsh's curtain, later dubbed 'The Twat', to drop down into a large old passage after a further 200 ft. Downstream was explored to the head of a large pitch, and the duo returned to daylight.

The next day, Sunday 16th May, Batty, Burgess, Edwards, Nichols, Waddington and Walker dragged ladders and ropes to the newly discovered pitch. This proved to be an arduous task, as the equipment became large balls of mud, heavy and awkward in the confines of the passage. Eventually, the new pitch, named 'Colossus', was reached. Stones dropped down fell free for four seconds. Edwards descended, finding the pitch to be down a flowstone column 150 ft. high. A magnificent shaft, unique in Britain. The landing was in a large boulderstrewn hall. Burgess and Walker descended, exploring north west through large caverns to a fairly conclusive boulder choke, the scale being that of Cornes' Cavern in Lancaster Hole. To the south east, a wide, low passage descended, over roof collapse, only to be blocked by calcite. No obvious way on was found, but the size of the place was such that numerous trips would be necessary to 'gauge its measure'.

G.Edwards