Cover: Geoff Yeadon in Frake’s Passage, Kingsdale, Yorkshire Dales. Photo: Mark Burkey Descent has a smart new cover style, with a new logo first spotted at Hidden Earth in September. In the forthcoming issue 294: Newsdesk includes the Tratman Award 2021 announcement and a story about cheese. Regional news includes progress at Whirlpool Rising…
The 2023 JRat Digging Award presentation will take place in the Long Room of the Hunter’s Lodge Inn, Priddy, Somerset on Saturday 25th November. The evening will kick off at 7.30 pm and will include talks and presentations from Mendip digging teams before the presentation of the award to the winning team. The winning dig,…
Access has been restored to a popular Mendip mine. The Council of Southern Caving Clubs (CSCC) has negotiated a new access agreement to Singing River Mine in Shipham, Somerset. The mine has not been accessible for a while, following a change of ownership as the new owners were anxious to avoid the possibility of access…
Paul Taylor’s Otter Hole Film is now available on a USB Memory Stick. This comes complete with the “short version” of the film which has just been produced and concentrates on the water aspect of the cave, a copy of the Otter Hole Survey and a picture of the Hall of Thirty as shown on…
Descent 293 is now published and without further ado, here is a review! There is one article in this issue that, for me, stands out from the others. But more of this later. The regular news pages contain a fascinating description of the exploration of a section of Easegill’s Pegleg Pot, which is normally flooded…
The next issue of Descent magazine is due out on August 5th. If you haven’t got a subscription, go to the link at the end of this article and set one up! It is also possible to pre-order individual copies of the magazine on the Descent Magazine website. In issue 293: Adventures in Macro Photography…
Peter Burgess attended another NAMHO conference and reports his impressions. With a great set of talks, field trips and social events it seems to have scored top marks despite the unsettled weather! Another excellent NAMHO conference has come and gone; this year’s event was held at Grasmere in the Lake District from 7th to 10th…
Descent 292 has been out for several days now, but with summer in full swing, I have only just found the time to sit down and read it through! When I put my copy down a few minutes ago, I was left with a strong impression of all the hard work cavers do simply for…
Dave King, ATLAS digger, invites you to a weekend of digging, caving and two BBQs in Somerset this summer. 2023 is the 50th Anniversary of the Association of Thrupe Lane Advanced Speleologists (ATLAS). The ATLAS diggers have been involved with many digs over the last 50 years including Thrupe Lane Swallet, Honeymead Hole, Little Crapnell…
A really good mining book comes along from time to time. Mike Moore reviews a newly-published volume on an important slate quarry in North Wales. Aberllefeni Slate Quarry – A history of the last underground slate working in Wales Jon Knowles, A4, Hardback, 280 printed pages, self published. Hen Dy Gwydyr, Penrhydeudraeth, Gwynedd LL48 6RD , ISBN…
The annual conference arranged by NAMHO members is fast approaching! Have you booked your place? It is only a few weeks now to the NAMHO 2023 conference and field trip, being held at Grasmere in the Lake District and be hosted by the Cumbria Amenity Trust Mining History Society (CATMHS). The conference runs from Friday…
Keeping to the promised schedule, the next issue of Descent magazine is out shortly. If you haven’t got a subscription, go to the link at the end of this article and set one up! In issue 292: A Return to the Deepest Cave in Thailand Andy Goddard, Martin Ellis, Paul Dummer and Mike Thomas tell…
It was with a good deal of reflection that I read the newly-published Descent 291. Within its pages there are no less than six tributes to cavers who have passed away recently. But as long-respected and valued cavers leave us, we also read that exciting new discoveries continue to be made by cavers across the…
With 2023 well underway, you will soon be receiving your next copy of Descent in the post. That is, of course, if you have taken out a subscription. If you haven’t, go to the link at the end of this article and set one up! In this issue: Regional highlights include: the survey of the…
Nicely on schedule, the next issue of Descent is about to drop through your letterbox. Make sure your subscription is up to date, so you don’t miss out on all the big news! Here are some clues on what to find in issue 290! Alan Jeffreys’ articles are always a pleasure to read, so look…
This is the third volume of a four volume set covering the caves, mines and associated features of the county of Somerset. Volume 1 was published in 2020 and features Bristol, Broadfield Down, the Bristol Channel and West Somerset. Volume 2, also published in 2020, features sites in West Mendip, Burrington and North Mendip. Volume…
Descent 289 – The first issue under new management, and the verdict is more, please! Chris Scaife and Carolina Smith will no doubt have been experiencing high levels of adrenaline in recent weeks, as they endeavoured to compose and publish the first issue of Descent since they took over the reins of the magazine from…
Descent 288 is now out, and marks a significant milestone in its long history. This issue is a major landmark for a magazine, which can justifiably claim to have become an established institution of the caving scene, not just in the UK but across the world. Apart from the expected mix of news and reviews…
A wide variety of news stories and superb features make up issue 287 of Descent, now distributed to caving outlets and subscribers. As usual, there is a news roundup from the main UK caving regions. From the North we read about ongoing digging work in Five Ways Pot, a cave that was first explored a…
A full mining history conference complete with field trips, steam trains and beer was recently held in North Yorkshire, from 17th to 20th June. Peter Burgess attended and gives the event an enthusiastic thumbs up! Retirement brings mixed blessings for those who are fortunate enough to have sufficient income to live reasonably well. On the…
Secret hideouts, cave-related films, bats and the latest on CRoW are among the stories in the latest informative and enjoyable issue of Descent magazine. Issue 286 provides the usual mix of caving news and opinion from the British Isles and further afield. The news section contains a variety of short bulletins on a wide range…
The caving world may be slowly starting to return to what passes for normal, according to the latest issue of Descent. After so long of having to report news about caving activities being adversely affected by Covid-19, issue 285 is full of news about regular caving activities. In the news section, there is an update…
Subscribers of the magazine Descent will by now have received the latest issue, number 284, and for those that do not, this is one you really do not want to ignore. Visit Wildplaces Publishing to subscribe or call in to a caving shop to pick up a copy. One of Descent’s enduring characteristics is the regular…
If you want to guess the age of an old dog, and help a rescue team at the same time, you can find out how by buying the latest issue of Descent, which is full of lots of caving news as usual. If you subscribe to the magazine Descent, you should already have received issue…
Two of Britain’s most proficient cave divers recently completed the formidable challenge of a full traverse from one end of the Three Counties cave complex to the other. The newly elected chair of the British Caving Association Russell Myers tells us the story of this incredible achievement. The Traverse – conception and planning On September…
Reigate has a brand new tunnel, thanks to the efforts of High Peak Geotechnical Ltd., acting on instruction from the Wealden Cave and Mine Society (WCMS). WCMS opens three caves within the centre of Reigate, Surrey, for public tours, under licence from Reigate and Banstead Borough Council. One of the three caves is an abandoned…
This year there are two candidates to be the next BCA Chair: the incumbent, Russell Myers, who stepped up from his previous role as Secretary when Phil Rowsell resigned last year, and Rostam Namaghi, who currently serves as Publicity and Information Officer. Both have been involved in caving and the association for many years. This…
Anybody visiting Powell Street, Penwyllt, in the last 18 months would have noticed how little activity there has been, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the restrictions imposed on social activities. As if determined to demonstrate that they are very much still around and keen to get on with caving, members of South Wales…
It is an honour to have been given the opportunity to review Aquanaut, and to immerse myself in Rick Stanton’s account of his numerous cave diving exploits, and his unique perspective on the now universally acclaimed 2018 rescue of the Wild Boars from Tham Luang Nang Non in Thailand. Book reviews are not generally at…
The series of monthly talks by AditNow members continues on May 6th. As usual, it will be broadcast via the Zoom platform, details available in the Event Calendar. Mining historian Rob Vernon will speak on the subject of the Hathorn Davy Company of Leeds. This company manufactured and supplied mine pumping machinery for mines throughout…
The fourth monthly talk in a series by AditNow members is at 20:30 on April 1st. As usual, it will be broadcast via the Zoom platform, details available in the Event Calendar. Chris Jones will be speaking on the iron-mining heritage of the Furness area in Cumbria. These talks have proved to be popular and…
The hearthstone mines at Betchworth in Surrey will be the subject of the next online presentation in the ongoing series by AditNow members. Darkness Below editor Peter Burgess will present the talk, which will describe the nature of the hearthstone trade, what it was used for, where it was found, and how it was extracted….
Mine explorers have found their favourite online communication channel out of action in recent days. The AditNow website was set up in 2005 by mine enthusiast Simon Lowe, as a place to share photos and information about the mines he and his friends were exploring. Since those early days, the website has grown into an…
Delegates from more than 30 countries came together virtually to take part in the 31st Cave Science Symposium of the British Cave Research Association on 14th November 2020. Peter Burgess reports from the comfort of his armchair … The meeting was arranged and hosted online jointly by Northumbria University and the British Geological Survey. Mike…
Since summer, cavers have been making the most of the relaxation of lockdown rules. However, with local lockdown areas increasingly being established as winter approaches, it is more important than ever to plan activities as safely as possible to minimise the risk of spreading Covid-19. The resources to check are listed below: Current lockdown rules…
This account of a caving holiday in South Wales has no exciting discoveries, no dramatic incidents, and no unusual activities. But we hope Peter Burgess’ account of a caving trip to South Wales reminds our readers of the pleasures of simple caving that we have all been missing this year. I returned to one of…
A new date has now been scheduled for the BCA’s delayed annual general meeting – 11th October 2020. It was originally scheduled to take place on 14th June, but was postponed because of the serious impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of ongoing restrictions in force on organising physical meetings, this meeting will be via…
This is the second volume of a planned four volume set covering the caves, mines and associated features of the county of Somerset. Volume 1 was published earlier in 2020 and features Bristol, Broadfield Down, the Bristol Channel and West Somerset. Volume 3 will cover Central and South Mendip, and Volume 4 will complete the…
Naughty boys, grand follies, an underground control centre for a railway and a Quaker congregation falling through the floor into the cellar … Peter Burgess gets to explore Dorking below the surface in a book that went underground in his own house for a while! It is with some embarrassment that I am finally writing…
Following the recent resignation of Matt Ewles as Secretary of the British Caving Association, we are very pleased to inform our readers that a keen interim replacement has stepped forward and has asked us to introduce him. Matt has received much praise for his efforts recently to introduce changes to the BCA, and will be…
The Wells and Mendip Museum has a long and fruitful relationship with the caving community. The late Herbert E Balch, arguably Mendip’s most famous original cave researcher, was the museum’s founder, and curator for many years. The museum houses much highly valuable archaeological material, recovered from caves in the region, and currently houses a long-term…
UPDATED 3rd April 2020 NATIONAL RULES RESTRICTING MOVEMENT With the rapidly developing situation and the instructions issued by the Government now being enforced by civil authorities, anyone visiting caves or caving regions will almost certainly be breaching those rules. Consequently, it is reasonable to assume that no responsible caver will be planning to visit a…
If you’re anticipating having a lot of time on your hands and wondering what on earth you are going to do with your time during what could be a protracted period of social distancing, then look no further! Here we review a book, full of interest to any caver, longer than a good few classic…
Peter Burgess’ trusty old Petzl Duo lamp finally gave up the ghost after 15 years. He reports back on its replacement – the Lynx X Basic. Before we start, please bear in mind that I am not a lamp expert, and have only a modest understanding of lighting technology now that lamps no longer consist…
Since 2008, members of the AditNow UK mine exploration forum website have contributed an impressive variety of photographs to calendars, produced each year, which are sold to raise money for good causes in the mine exploration community. Photographs are drawn from members of the website, who have been very generous with their photos, contributing…
On Saturday, 9th November 2019, the University of Bristol Speleological Society brought the public facing part of their centenary year to an end with a superb symposium, and attracted a good number of cavers to enjoy a day of fascinating talks on a wide range of cave science subjects. It was early afternoon on a…
My workplace annual leave is a precious resource, and I try to use it sparingly and wisely. In respect of this year’s NAMHO Conference, I think I made a good decision, extending the weekend on which the conference presentations took place by three days, so I could also attend some field trips. The organisers, the…
Peter Burgess hears about ritual protection marks, cars going underground, time capsules and threats from out east in the Subterranea Britannica spring meeting at the Royal School of Mines in London. It has been over 25 years since I stopped my regular attendance at the bi-annual lecture meetings of Subterranea Britannica. In the intervening years,…
Mike Moore reviews a valuable addition to any mine explorer’s book collection. This new book is a detailed study of the lead, silver and zinc mines of the Cwm Rheidol and Ystumtuen orefield, covering the history of all 40 mines in the valley, with archaeological descriptions of the surface and underground workings, and is supported…
The following information has been released by South Wales Caving Club regarding a revised access route to the entrance of Ogof Ffynnon Ddu 1. Due to some tensions with a local landowner, please note the following: If you are walking from the SWCC HQ: take the road down the hill, past the start of The…
Chesney the Chipmunk and Valentine the donkey go caving in Reigate. Peter Burgess was there to record the occasion! Cavers do some pretty daft things at times. Spending hours on end in cold gloopy mud, digging out blocked passages that you can barely fit through even after you have forced your way into them, or…
For the first time, curious chalk inscriptions on the walls of an ancient stone quarry in Surrey are being systematically recorded, as part of a wider research project to better understand the long and hitherto hidden history of this important source of stone for London. Many of the chalk inscriptions have been identified as ritual protection marks (RPM).
Darkness Below’s roving reporter Peter Burgess provides a flavour of the busy weekend at the 2018 Hidden Earth conference which boasted a wide range of lectures and a busy trade hall – and he even managed to almost stay within his budget! Opening It is the usual custom for the opening ceremony to conclude with…
Making videos underground is becoming easier with very compact and versatile equipment within many cavers’ budgets, but making GOOD videos is still as much a challenge as it always was. Andy Freem has provided us with a summary of the entries into the video salon competition at Hidden Earth 2018, and most of them are…
Following the amazing success of the recent Tham Luang cave in Thailand, one of the British cave rescue teams, responsible for getting some of the UK contingent to Thailand has announced a fund-raising campaign. The South and Mid-Wales Cave Rescue Team hope to reach a target of £1,000. Claire Vivian, the team’s Fund-Raising Officer, has…
With the Thailand cave rescue operations now completed with the 100 % successful evacuation of all casualties and rescue divers, Darkness Below presents some reflections on this incredible “good news” story. Before reading further, however, let us remember Saman Kunan, the Thai volunteer diver portrayed above, who lost his life while preparing the cave for the evacuation operation. There is nothing more noble than this: that someone will risk their life, and be prepared to lose it, in the course of helping to save the life of someone else.
In January 2018, we reported that the Wealden Cave and Mine Society had been awarded the opportunity to get free radiocarbon dating work performed on archaeological samples from the Reigate area. By the end of March, the results were available, but disappointingly, two of the three samples submitted did not contain sufficient carbon to provide…
The 2018 annual conference of the National Association of Mining History Organisations was hosted jointly by Gloucester Speleological Society, Royal Forest of Dean Caving Club, Hades Caving Club, South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group and Clearwell Caves, and held at Park End in the Forest of Dean. There was a comprehensive list of field trips available…
Subterranea Britannica group enters the Kőbánya cellar system, 35 kilometres of underground quarry. Photo: Peter Burgess I was once an active member of Subterranea Britannica, usually abbreviated to “Sub Brit”. Its quirky interest in man-made and man-used subterranean space appealed to me, and my own interests in old mine and quarry workings fitted in well….
The caves in Reigate, Surrey, are in reality sand-cut cellars and sand-mines. The caves that were excavated in Tunnel Road in the nineteenth century were, in part, used as a large beer cellar by the local Reigate brewer, Mellersh and Neale, until the early twentieth century. Local publicans Blackiston and Son also had a cellar…
