The next issue of Descent magazine is due out shortly. 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 295: Regional news includes an unusual 80m…
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 BCRA Cave Science Symposium and AGM is taking place on 21st and 22nd October 2023 in Leeds.
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,…
The publications of 2021 were particularly fine, both in quality and quantity, causing the shortlist for the Tratman Award to be much longer than usual. The award is made annually to the author or editor of the best caving book, journal or article in a journal, the criteria including not only the quality of…
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…
There are five main papers, two short Forum pieces and a Photo Feature in the latest edition of the BCRA’s Cave and Karst Science, but it begins with an extensive tribute to the late Alexander Klimchouk. Alexander Klimchouk was undeniably one of the most influential cave researchers in the world and this well-deserved appreciation of…
The Charterhouse Caving Co. Ltd. has gone paperless, exchanging the old paper permits for new electronic ones. And they’re free. Since the Dawn of Time (the early 1950s), access to caves in the Charterhouse area of Mendip, including GB Cave and Longwood Swallet, has been managed by cavers for cavers on behalf of successive landowners….
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…
After a long break, Hidden Earth will be held again this Autumn. Hidden Earth, the UK’s major caving event has been missing from the calendar since 2019 when it was held at Glyndwr University, in Wrexham. The 2020 event was cancelled owing to the plague then ravishing these shores and since then there have been…
Cave diver and photographer Martyn Farr has produced a tempting array of descriptions and photographs of 100 cave and mine sites. Hidden Realms aims to shine a light into some of the most alluring caves and mines in Great Britain and Ireland. One hundred sites have been chosen, in keeping with the recent vogue for…
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…
The British Caving Association eAGM is being held at 10.30am on Sunday 11 June 2023 on Zoom. Details of how to join the meeting or watch the livestream can be found on the BCA website. In addition, the BCA is looking for volunteers to help run the organisation. BCA chair Russell Myers has the following…
There are five main papers in the latest issue of Cave and Karst Science, looking at aspects of cave biology, archaeology and karst science. There is also, in a new departure a photo feature on corals in Wookey Hole. Terry Reeve has been looking at available details of archaeological and Pleistocene palaeontological sites associated with…
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…
New claims as to the use of fire in Rising Star Cave in South Africa have thrown the spotlight back on the activities of the enigmatic Homo naledi. And it now it appears that there might have been an easier way for these hominins to have made their way into the cave system….
Having descended through Lower Long Churn into Alum Pot, a caver (m, 38) fell a distance of up to 5 or 6m from the bottom pitch, sustaining suspected injuries to ankle, femur, lower back and chest. CRO members descended to the casualty, assessed his in…
The first issue edited by the new team of Chris Scaife and Carolina Smith is about to hit the streets. Make sure your subscription is up to date, so you don’t miss out on all the big news! Chris Scaife has told us at DB Towers that having their first issue finished is a…
The Mendip Cave Registry and archive (MCRA) is pleased to announce that the third volume of Somerset Underground will be officially launched at the Hunters’ Lodge Inn, Priddy, Somerset, on December 10th 2022, starting at around 7.30pm. This is the third in a series of impeccably researched guides written by Rob Taviner to the caves…
A caver (m, 54), on an exchange trip from Lancaster Hole to Cow Pot, slipped from the traverse in Bridge Hall, sustaining a slight head injury and knocking himself out briefly on landing. A loose rock also fell, landing on the caver’s wrist, caus…
The Fairy Cave Quarry management team have asked us to post the following:
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…
After 34 years and 204 issues, Chris Howes and Judith Calford are handing Descent on to new management. Descent was launched in January 1969 by Bruce Bedford as a small-format black and white magazine. In 1979 it moved to the current A4 format and in 1983 Bruce handed over the publication responsibilities to Ambit Publications,…
A caver (m, 53) was reported to be suffering from exhaustion and unable to continue in Stream Passage Pot. His party of seven or eight (?) left one member with him, exited the pot and called for CRO. As team members were organising to go assist, the tw…
The time has come, the caver said, to talk of many things: of kit and digs and caving trips, of places we have seen, so make sure your subscription is up to date, as otherwise you might miss out on all the big news! Descent has been on quite a journey over the years, with…
BCRA Cave Science Symposium 2022 hosted jointly with the Manchester Geological Association Symposium – Saturday 8th October, 2022 Field-trip – Sunday 9th October, 2022 Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Manchester SECOND CIRCULAR The British Cave Research Association and Manchester Geological Association are pleased to announce details of the 33rd Annual Cave Science…
Road widening works on the Heads of the Valleys Road seem to have opened a new cave. Will it stay open? Adam Jones, previous Chelsea SS member and digger lives in Cefn Coed and so has been watching with interest the road widening work on the Heads of the Valleys Road where it passes through…
WARNING: EASTWATER CAVERN, MENDIP. There has been a rock fall in the rift connection between the bottom of Dolphin Pot and the chamber before Dolphin Pitch. A section of the roof and some of the left-hand wall (looking down the rift) had become detached. CSCC Conservation and Access Officer, Wayne Starsmore, spent time dealing with…
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 cobalt mine, abandoned in the early 19th century, has been discovered at Alderley Edge in Cheshire revealing a ‘time capsule’ of personal objects and equipment the workers left behind. The shaft ran in after the unusually wet weather in 2019/2020 and was found by a warden surveying the field. The Derbyshire Caving Club then…
As readers of the CRO annual incident report, Rescue ’22, may recall, some of our members have been working with colleagues from the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association and volunteers from Mosaic (the organisation which aims to connect …
BCRA Council has awarded Honorary Membership of the Association to Dr David J ‘Deej’ Lowe. The award is in recognition of his outstanding service to the science of speleology and his service to BCRA. The former is evidenced by his many publications including contributions to papers on the hydrogeology of the Peak District and most…
Thirteen Lives, the Hollywood film of the Thai cave rescue, hits selected cinemas on Monday 18 July. The long-awaited Hollywood film directed by Ron Howard, starring Viggo Mortensen as Rick Stanton and Colin Farrell as John Volanthen, is receiving its first ‘special screening’ in Soho, London on Monday 18th July 2022. At the same time…
The 33rd BCRA Cave Science Symposium, hosted jointly with the Manchester Geological Association Symposium – Saturday 8th October, 2022 Field-trip – Sunday 9th October, 2022 Venue – Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Manchester First Circular and Call for Abstracts The British Cave Research Association (BCRA) and Manchester Geological Association (MGA) are pleased…
The Speleological Union of Ireland (SUI), have been very active over the years with major cave conservation clean-ups, and they’ve been hard at work, this time in Carren Mine in co. Clare. The cave clean-ups started again with the Student Forum in 2019. The SUI received a heritage grant from Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) which…
Summer appears to have finally arrived, so instead of getting even hotter by pulling on grubby caving kit, why not relax in the sunshine with a cold beer – or your chilled tipple of choice – and catch up on all the latest at home and abroad with the latest issue of Descent. Josu Granja…
The Grampian Speleological Group (GSG), Scotland’s premier caving club, has a long history of producing guides to the country’s caves; indeed this is third edition of a guide that was first published in 1972. However, in another sense this is a new departure. Previous editions were very much home-produced, but this has been laid out…
Two of the cave divers who pulled off the remarkable rescue of 13 people from a flooded cave system in Thailand have been given honorary degrees by the University of Bristol. The operation led by John Volanthen, from Bristol, and Rick Stanton, from Coventry, has been described as one of the greatest rescues of all…
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…
Following the British Caving Association’s AGM on Saturday, BCA members can now vote in the online ballot, open until 23.59 on Sunday 26th June 2022. Full instructions on how to case your vote can be found on the BCA website. If you missed the AGM but want to watch this before casting your vote, this…
Descent 286 will be winging its way through the post shortly so take a moment to check whether or not your subscription is up to date and if not, check your subscription is up to date and if not, head over to Wildplaces Publishing and the nice folks there will sort you out. With summer…
There are four major papers in the latest issue of Cave and Karst Science, two looking at different aspects of invertebrate fauna in caves, one studying mixing corrosion in indurated limestones and the last showing an unusual result from the monitoring stations at Pooles Cavern. Lee Knight and colleagues have carried out a descriptive survey…
Most British cavers will be familiar with the work of Robbie Shone who has been photographing the world’s caves for the last 20 years or more. Now a selection of his pictures has been brought together in a large format book, showcasing his photographs and giving some insight into how he works. This is not…
The latest book on Irish caves to be published by the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society (UBSS) in conjunction with the Speleological Union of Ireland (SUI), Caves of southern Ireland has now gone to the printers and is expected to be launched this Autumn in both Ireland, at the SUI’s annual symposium, and in Bristol….
The BCRA Cave Archaeology Group is holding a weekend field meeting on Recording Historic Graffiti & other markings in the Yorkshire Dales, based at Lower Winskill Farm, Settle on the weekend of 4th/5th June 2022. Friday An informal evening get-together for any early arrivals. Saturday Morning session: Introductions and information, talks and presentations. Lunch: 1200hrs…
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…
The International Union of Speleology (UIS), who were last week condemned by the Ukrainian Speleological Association and the international caving community for their original statement on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have now reconsidered their position and issued a revised statement. The new statement is reproduced below: UIS President George Veni has urged members…
