Author: Vince Simmonds

Vince, Jon, Callum, and Sam

We had a team, we had a key, so let’s go digging. Ambled up to the cave where we changed and made our way towards Land of Hope & Glory (LoH&G).

On arrival at LoH&G we made our way into the ‘Diamond Mine’ and along to the current dig site, quickly explained to Sam and Callum what we trying to achieve and let them get on with it. Me and Jon provided support and spoil removal. Sediment-filled bags were removed along the narrow passage and stacked part-way up the slope to complete their journey later in the evening.

At about 20:30 a total of 20-bags had been filled with sediment, and it has not got any bigger at the end. Sam was digging at arm’s length in a silt/sand filled crack about 100mm width with no immediate indication it was getting any bigger. The question is now, Is it worth pursuing further? Will have to ponder a while! Anyway, that was it for this evening, time to remove the spoil through Fuzzy Wuzzy into Colston Hall and emptied into Pointless Pot. Job done we made our way out of the cave. A cold night, refreshments in the tunnel!

Vince with Nick and his cousin, Peter Ridges

Ten years have passed since first exploration and digging trip with Tom Chapman et. al: Log entry 10th December 2015

A slower paced tourist trip to LoH&G with Peter. It was immediately noticeable that the high-water levels of last week had receded considerably, much quieter through the cave passage followed. The pool of water at the access into Colston Hall the required wading through last week had gone, no boots were filled with water!

The slower pace meant that Nick and I had plenty of time to examine and discuss various geological features along the route to LoH&G. Of particular interest was the nature of the contact zones between the Triassic conglomerate and Carboniferous limestone, and the many examples of faulting present.

It is always a superb trip with plenty to see and marvel at!

Vince, Roz

No digging team available for this evening so decided to retrieve the ladder for some TLC, and to investigate water levels; there has been a lot of rain recently.

The sound of water was immediately heard when we moved beyond the show cave section, the water cascading through the passage. All the way toward Land of Hope & Glory there was water everywhere. I was not surprised to find a deep pool at the access to Colston Hall.

Roz decided not to follow and waited for me in the decorated chamber below the climb. I carried on to the dig. Once there, tools were moved up into the little alcove (top of pot), hauling rope coiled, rolled up the ladder and placed it into a tackle bag.

Everything secured and packed away made my way back to rejoin Roz. A steady trip out, stopping every now and then to admire this fine section of cave passage.

Vince, Nick and Jake

At the current dig in LoH&G, I was down in the ‘pot’ digging, Nick was hauling up the bags and ‘tossing’ them through the narrow hole to Jake. Jake then moved the bags along the passage towards the slope.

It isn’t the loosening of the sediment that is especially slow but crouching down in a very constricted space to fill the bags with the loose sediment. It is barely shoulder width and doesn’t (at this stage) appear to be getting any bigger! We had a look, we talked about it, and we will persevere!

Once the few bags were emptied, we made our way out of the cave stopping briefly to look at discuss the various areas where there is contact between the Dolomitic Conglomerate and limestone, in particular, in Colston Hall.

Refreshment in the ravine. It was unseasonably warm!

Vince, Jake and Nick

In LoH&G, Jake digging, me ‘tossing’ and Nick in ‘drag’. Digging was not easy, the way ahead has become narrower and in the constricted space filling bags is difficult, progress slow. We’ll give it, at least, another session.

As usual spoil was dragged through to Colston Hall and dumped into Pointless Pot. We made our way out for refreshments in the ravine. It was dark and drizzling!

Vince, Nick, Jake, and Jon

The usual warm trip to LoH&G, no time to cool down, straight into action. Nick digging, Jake ‘tossing’, me ‘catching’ and loading the skip, Jon hauling the skip away and dragging/lugging the bags along the passage and up the slope (as far as possible). At 20:30, 21 bags had been filled with sediment from the bottom of the pot. The digging is not easy – awkward and constricted. Now it was time to get the spoil along to it final destination in Pointless Pot. The bags now empty were placed on the old spoil heap to ‘dry!’ Another pair of hands made the task much easier.

Refreshments were enjoyed in the ravine with plenty of banter.

Vince, Nick and Jake

The minimum required number of diggers assembled in the car park, unfortunately, Snablet did not make it. No matter, off to the cave we ventured, changed at the entrance, and then the customary warm trip to LoH&G.

I was digging at the bottom of the c.4m deep pot, Nick was at the top hauling out the spoil and ‘tossing’ the filled bags back to Jake, who was ‘catching’ the bags then dragging them along to a wider section where they were temporarily stored.

Digging is awkward and quite slow in the constricted base of the pot, but it is still going. The empty bags are damp so won’t ‘stand to attention’ making them not so easy to fill, but we persevered. The sediment consists mostly of loose to medium dense, silty, fine to coarse-grained sand with frequent inclusions of mineralized calcite fragments. The sediment is slightly moist. It is less compact than the silt/clay layers encountered when excavating higher up in the pot. At about 20:30 digging was curtailed, and the temporary stack of bags was moved along the narrow passage, up the slope, through Fuzzy Wuzzy into Colston Hall to be emptied into Pointless Pot. The empty bags were then laid out on the old spoil heap to see if they will ‘dry-out’ a little bit. We exited the cave.

Refreshments in the ravine. “Nights are drawing in!”