Author: mendipgeoarch

Vince, Jon, Nick, Tav, and Mike.

A small team this evening so it was going to be harder work for someone. It was!

But, we coped and another productive evening was the result.

Vince, Nick, Tav, Jake, Duncan, Mike

Nick digging, I was filling the buckets with the loose sediment being produced, the filled buckets passed through the low section to Tav and Jake, who were shuttling to and fro along the narrow rift. Duncan and Mike were dealing with spoil disposal. Much of tonight’s effort was focused on the removal of some harder obstructions. Nick worked hard with the big bar and sledgehammer to reduce the obstructing material to manageable debris. One lump was rolled back to Tav and Jake providing them with a problem solving exercise – will the lump fit through the narrow rift? It did, eventually.

A productive and positive session.

Vince, Nick, Duncan, Mike, Jake, and Tav.

Duncan and Mike’s turn to go upfront and dig; me and Nick did the shuttling along the rift, leaving Jake and Tav on spoil disposal and management. Nick decided that we should attempt to widen the rift a bit by knocking off some lumps and nobbles to gain a few millimetres over a small area. By the end of the session, Tav came up with a figure of “about 60 buckets”. It was time to leave Land of Hope & Glory.

Refreshments were enjoyed in the ravine.

Vince, Callum, Jake, Nick, Tav, Mike, Duncan, Jon, and Sarah Payne.

Jon took Sarah on a tour of LoH&G, they later arrived at the dig after collecting the scattered digging tools from a variety of locations.

The rest of us continued with the digging, Jake and Tav upfront, Callum and Nick along the rift shuttling the full and emptied buckets back and fro. Me, Duncan, and Mike were on spoil disposal, Duncan in the dumping spot filling every nook and cranny with sediment. It was warm work, as ever, but there was plenty of banter and steady forward progress was being made.

Nobody was counting the number of buckets filled. Refreshments were enjoyed in the ravine following another productive digging session.

Vince, Nick, Tav, Mike, Jake, and Duncan.

The cool draught beckoned as we opened the door leading into the cave, it was not cool for long. A warm trip to the dig.

There was plenty of space for spoil disposal, so we got to filling some of it! Nick was digging, I was clearing the filled bags and sporadic ‘rocks’ to Tav, along the rift to Mike and on to Jake and Duncan on spoil management. All of us were still warm. The thing about digging along a narrow, constricted passage is that following a good session the progress is clearly visible. The digging consists of compacted sediments and some mineral encrustation, this requires the application of ‘induced rapid mechanical erosion’.

The refreshments in the ravine this evening were well-earned. Bats were very active back and fro over the leat, a tawny owl calling in the trees.

Vince, Callum, Pete Bolt and Tarquin Wilton-Jones.

A trip down to 24 streamway, only looked at the easily accessible section of stream passage due to time constraints. The water levels were low, and the sandy floor exposed for the entire section to the sump pool. Callum remarked later “best trip I’ve ever done”, he really enjoyed the technical aspects.

The digging team, Jake, Tav and Mike, reported a constructive session working on slope stabilisation and spoil disposal areas. All in readiness for the next digging session.

Vince, Callum, Jake, Nick, Mike, and Duncan.

It was warm through the cave beyond Wookey 20, as usual. Picked up the mattock that was leaning against the wall near Fuzzy Wuzzy and proceeded down to the dig. Showed Callum where and what to dig then left him to it, Jake came up to clear away spoil/buckets, me and Nick were shuttling backwards and forwards with the filled/emptied buckets, Mike and Duncan were dealing with spoil management. It was warm work; some people pay for this kind of workout!

When you are busy, time passes quickly, and it was a productive evening. Refreshments in the ravine were well earned and it was very peaceful. And, as ever, it was ‘twat-free’!

Vince, Callum Simmonds, Pete Bolt, Tarquin Wilton-Jones.

[Diggers: Jake, Nick, Tav, Duncan and Mike]

I took Callum, Pete, and Tarquin for a look around Land of Hope & Glory recounting the story of discovery along the way. It is still less than a year since the breakthrough, time seems to be distorted by the pandemic lockdown. The usual waiting around for photographs but I enjoyed the trip.

After the tour around we joined the digging team and had enough time to collect some rocks to build-up the spoil heap retaining wall. Digging had been productive, “somewhere between 3 and 70 buckets” was reported.

A good evening.