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…
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…
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…
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…
Following recent vandalism to the gate on Waterwheel Swallet, Mendip, the CSCC Conservation and Access Officer, Graham Price has issued the following information. “Waterwheel has recently been broken into and the gate vandalised. The gate has been removed for repair/replacement and the entrance has been secured with a non-removable grill. Everyone will appreciate that it…
Descent 282 should have reached you by now, but if not, it’s time to head over to Wildplaces Publishing to subscribe or if you’re lucky enough to have a caving shop anywhere near you, call in now that shops are open again, and get a one from them. Newsdesk contains a variety of short items, starting…
Bored with the rain and fancy some armchair caving instead of a wet walk to get underground? Then settle down for a good read, with news, views, digs and more! Descent 281 should now have reached you by now, but if not, it’s time to head over to Wildplaces Publishing to subscribe or if you’re…
The following note has been received from Dave King of ATLAS (the Association of Thrupe Lane Advanced Speleologists) “Following concerns and requests from local residents who have young children a CSCC padlock will be fitted to the entrance gate of Thrupe Lane Swallet. This will be fitted during the week commencing 14th June. Note that…
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…
Two reports of instability in caves have reached us. Dave King has sent the following message re Hobnail Hole. “Hobnail Hole is temporarily closed due to a very unstable boulder in Black Pot. Please do not use Hobnail hole as a route into or out of Butts’ Chamber in Thrupe Lane Swallet until further notice.”…
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…
A dig in Bleadon Cavern on Mendip has revealed more pieces to a mysterious puzzle … In 1833, a survey was carried out of Bleadon Cavern by John Heel but was, in all likelihood, drawn up by William Beard who had been investigating the area from 1828. This survey was first mentioned in more recent…
Accounts of an archaeological dig on Mendip have appeared in print – 50 years after initial discoveries took place. Picken’s Hole is a small, partially unroofed cave on Crook Peak, Somerset. It was excavated during the 1960s when significant Palaeolithic faunal assemblages, a small collection of Mousterian stone implements and some human teeth were found….
White Pit NGR ST 5270 5012 Heavy rain caused our planned trip into Welsh’s Green Swallet to be cancelled. Earlier in the day, Tony Jarratt (J’Rat) had suggested that Rich Blake and myself joined the diggers over at White Pit, near Priddy,
High carbon dioxide levels are currently reported in some Mendip caves. Manor Farm Swallet, Swildons Hole and G.B. Cavern are three popular examples. Other caves where this is a regular problem are White Pit, Cuckoo Cleaves and Tynings Barrow Swallet. On a visit to Swildons Hole and G.B. Cavern on the weekend of 24th and…
CSCC DigFest 2016 Ever fancied finding new cave? Now’s your chance. The diggers of Mendip will be opening their digs for you to visit and have a go. ◾ Digging ◾ Photography Workshop with Duncan Simey ◾ Digger’s Question Time ◾ Wessex Challenge (hosted by the BEC) ◾ BBQ ◾ Stomp Friday June 3rd…
An enthusiastic team of cavers, has been given permission to investigate a mine shaft that opened up in a field just east of the Hunters’ Lodge Inn, Priddy. This shaft is quite close to Tankard Hole, which was last investigated in the 1950s. The old dig was in a very large shakehole, and it reached…
