Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 14:24 on 7th February 2026 requesting assistance for three cavers who were cold and exhausted, but uninjured, beneath the 20 foot pitch in Swildon’s Hole, Priddy. They were appro…
Following on from the enjoyable quiz held in January in previous years, Mendip Cave Rescue will be running another Cavers Quiz Night at the Hunters Lodge Inn, Priddy on Saturday 17th January 2025, starting at 19:30. As usual, all questions will be (vag…
Following on from the enjoyable quiz held in January in previous years, Mendip Cave Rescue will be running another Cavers Quiz Night at the Hunters Lodge Inn, Priddy on Saturday 17th January 2025, starting at 19:30. As usual, all questions will be (vag…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 14:36 on 4th October 2025, following a report that a Scout caver was stuck in a passage in Eastwater Cavern, Priddy. With the location and condition of the casualty initially unk…
Wiltshire Police contacted Mendip Cave Rescue, following a large fire reported at Bethel Quarry, and at 20:28 a SARCALL alert was received via Avon & Somerset Police requesting assistance. Two local MCR members attended the scene and briefed office…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 23:39 on 27th September 2025, following a report that a solo caver was overdue and hadn’t returned from a trip into Eastwater Cavern, Priddy. With a large number of MCR members a…
Last year MCR were invited to give a talk to students at Bridgwater College on MCR and cave rescue. The students were all on a 999 Academy course, and had presentations from various emergency services during their course. MCR members gave a presentatio…
On 27th of January 2025, members of the MCR rigging team held a rigging practice session at Wookey Hole, along with some members from our neighbouring cave rescue teams GCRG and MCRO. The scenario covered rigging a tyrolean traverse over Wookey chamber…
On 18th of January 2025, 30 MCR members held a rescue practice at Sludge Pit in Priddy. The scenario covered all aspects of a complex cave rescue, with Command & Control (based at the nearby Wessex Cave Club headquarters), underground and surface c…
Following on from the enjoyable quiz last year, Mendip Cave Rescue will be running another Cavers Quiz Night at the Hunters Lodge Inn, Priddy on Saturday 18th January 2025, starting at 19:30. As in previous years, all questions will be (vaguely) caving…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 12:25 on 3rd November 2024, following a report from a member of the public that a rucksack had been found abandoned by the entrance to Goatchurch Cavern in Burrington Combe. Four…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 19:52 on 3rd May 2025, following a report that a solo cave diver was overdue and hadn’t returned from a trip into Stoke Lane Slocker, Stoke St Michael. This cave has an entrance …
On 29th of September 2024, 13 MCR members passed their MREW Remote Rescue Medical Technician (previously known as “Cas Care”) course, which allows them to provide advanced first aid to people in remote environments. This course has been running since t…
On 29th of September 2024, 13 MCR members passed their MREW Remote Rescue Medical Technician (previously known as “Cas Care”) course, which allows them to provide advanced first aid to people in remote environments. This course has been running since t…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 16:34 on 10th August 2024, concerning a caver with an ankle injury who was unable to exit GB Cave near Charterhouse. A team had entered the cave earlier in the day, but one party…
Wiltshire Police contacted Mendip Cave Rescue, following a report of smoke coming from an air shaft above Bethel Quarry, and at 21:28 a SARCALL alert was received via Avon & Somerset Police requesting assistance. Two local MCR members attended the …
At 00:25 on Saturday 11th May 2024, Mendip Cave Rescue received a SARCALL alert asking for assistance regarding two mine explorers who were unable to exit Box Stone Mine. They had entered the mine on Friday afternoon via a grilled entrance, but were un…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 16:41 on 17th February 2024, concerning a caver with equipment failure who was unable to exit Hunters Hole in Priddy. Two cavers had entered the cave earlier in the day, but one …
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 16:41 on 17th February 2024, concerning a caver with equipment failure who was unable to exit Hunters Hole in Priddy. Two cavers had entered the cave earlier in the day, but one …
Following on from the enjoyable quiz last year, Mendip Cave Rescue will be running another Cavers Quiz Night at the Hunters Lodge Inn, Priddy on Saturday 20th January 2024, starting at 19:30. All questions will be (vaguely) caving related, and entries …
At 21:14 on Saturday 9th December 2023, Mendip Cave Rescue were informed that an experienced mine explorer had suffered a fall in Brownes Folly Mine, Monkton Farleigh at about 20:30. Following this fall the casualty had a leg injury and was unable to b…
Mendip Cave Rescue held a rescue practice for the Stone Mine members in Swwan Mine on Saturday 5th March 2022. This was a practice aimed more at the stone mines area, concentrating on the command & control and communication aspects of a search of a…
Alan Gray, the Secretary of Mendip Cave Registry and Archive, has been collating reports of all caving rescue and incidents located in the Mendip Cave Rescue region, from early reports of an incident in Pen Park Hole in 1669 through to the current day….
Following on from the enjoyable quiz night that was run pre-pandemic, Mendip Cave Rescue will be running another Cavers Quiz Night at the Hunters Lodge Inn, Priddy on Saturday 18th March 2023, starting at 19:30. All questions will be (vaguely) caving r…
At 10:30 on Saturday 3rd December 2022, an experienced male caver slipped in Goatchurch Cavern, dislocating his shoulder. Mendip Cave Rescue members were already at Goatchurch Cavern, setting up for a training session. The training session was quickly …
At 10:30 on Saturday 3rd December 2022, an experienced male caver slipped in Goatchurch Cavern, dislocating his shoulder. Mendip Cave Rescue members were already at Goatchurch Cavern, setting up for a training session. The training session was quickly …
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police at 13:26 on 2nd March 2022, concerning a caver physically stuck in Swildons Hole in Priddy. One caver from a party of two had been unable to climb the ’20 foot’ ladder pitch in the upper stream…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 21:24 on 26th January 2022, concerning a caver physically stuck in Reads Cavern in Burrington Combe. A party of 7 had entered the cave, and one caver had attempted an awkward squ…
Mendip Cave Rescue were informed at 16:57 on Saturday 6th November 2021 and put on standby for a major incident in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (“OFD”), a major cave system in South Wales. A caver had sustained significant multiple injuries after a fall, at approx…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 00:49 on 21st October 2021, concerning an overdue party visiting Eastwater Cavern in Priddy. A mixed group of 5 cavers were trapped beyond the entrance boulder ruckle due to risi…
The next MCR AGM is to be held on Tuesday 15th June 2021. MCR meetings are usually held in the Hunters Lodge Inn, but due to the current Covid19 restrictions, this AGM will be held online. Please contact the secretary is you wish to attend this meeting…
Mendip Cave Rescue received a SARCALL message from Avon and Somerset Police at 01:31 on 19th November 2020 on behalf of their colleagues from Wiltshire Police (who don’t currently use SARCALL) for an incident at Box Stone Mines, concerning a group of 4…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 20:50 on 5th November 2020, concerning an overdue party visiting Single Way mine at Bathampton. Whilst MCR wardens were preparing to respond, further information came through tha…
Mendip Cave Rescue held a surface training session at Fairy Cave Quarry on Sunday the 27th September 2020. 17 MCR wardens enjoyed a day in the sunshine, whilst practising hauling and rigging techniques, rock splitting and lifting, and some casualty fir…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 10:50 on 9th September 2020 for an incident in Wookey Hole Caves in Wookey Hole. A male visitor in his 80s was complaining of breathing difficulties during the show cave tour. So…
*** Under the circumstances with the recent government announcement and the growth in cases of coronavirus this meeting has been cancelled ***
As agreed at the last MCR meeting, the next MCR meeting will be held on Tuesday 17th March at the Hunters Lo…
Alan Gray, the Secretary of Mendip Cave Registry and Archive, has been collating reports of all caving rescue and incidents located in the Mendip Cave Rescue region, from early reports of an incident in Pen Park Hole in 1669 through to the current day….
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police to an incident at St Cuthbert’s Swallet, Priddy at 18:31 on Sunday 1st March 2020, following a group of 5 cavers being reported overdue from their trip. On inspection it became clear that the c…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police at 14:00 to attend a caving incident in Rods Pot, above Burrington Combe. The initial report indicated a single casualty who had sustained a knee injury as a result of a slip whilst on the retu…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police to an incident at St Cuthbert’s Swallet, Priddy at 18:31 on Sunday 1st March 2020, following a group of 5 cavers being reported overdue from their trip. On inspection it became clear that the c…
*** Under the circumstances with the recent government announcement and the growth in cases of coronavirus this meeting has been cancelled ***
As agreed at the last MCR meeting, the next MCR meeting will be held on Tuesday 17th March at the Hunters Lo…
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police at 14:00 to attend a caving incident in Rods Pot, above Burrington Combe. The initial report indicated a single casualty who had sustained a knee injury as a result of a slip whilst on the retu…
Alan Gray, the Secretary of Mendip Cave Registry and Archive, has been collating reports of all caving rescue and incidents located in the Mendip Cave Rescue region, from early reports of an incident in Pen Park Hole in 1669 through to the current day….
A bear bone found nearly 100 years ago in a cave in Co. Clare, Ireland has provided evidence enabling archaeologist Dr Marion Dowd to re-write the prehistory of the human occupation of Ireland. Radiocarbon dating of a butchered brown bear bone, stored in a cardboard box at the National Museum of Ireland for almost 100…
A major breakthrough has been made in Tween Twins Hole, Burrington Combe, Somerset. Darkness Below has received the following report from the diggers: After many years of work a team of Wessex Cave Club diggers have made an interesting discovery at Tween Twins Hole in Burrington Combe, Mendip. Tween Twins, known to members of the…
A report has just been received by Darkness Below of deliberate vandalism to Hunters Lodge Inn Sink on Mendip. We are sad to report that Hunters Lodge Inn Sink will be closed for at least a month while we attempt to repair, clean up and re-tape after what appears to be some deliberate vandalism to…
In January, Darkness Below reported that work had started on a new dig called Tankard Shaft, an undocumented mine shaft, tantalisingly close to Tankard Hole, itself a promising dig abandoned in the 1950’s. The dig team is happy to report that after a significant amount of shaft stabilisation work, they have broken into a complex series…
We brought you news last year about the threat of legal action from cavers Stuart France and Nigel Rogers and on the responses from both Natural Resources Wales and Drws Cefn landowner Pwlldu Conservation Limited. We understand in the latest development in this long running saga Stuart France has now issued a pre-action letter via his solicitors to Natural Resources Wales advising…
