Author: Vince Simmonds

Vince, Jon, Jake, Nick, and Tav

Couldn’t believe my eyes, arrived at the car park early to find the team already assembled and signed in at the hotel reception. So, quickly off to the cave, some of us carrying bags, strops, and rope.

As usual it was a warm trip through the cave to the dig in LoH&G and then straight into digging, no chance of cooling down! The digging was ‘easy’ enough, just sinking a spade into the fine-grained sediment (silty fine sand) and filling the bags on a downward spiral in a relatively constricted area. The filled bags were more easily moved along the narrow approach passage than the buckets and progress through the evening continued at a steady rate.

At the end of the session, it wasn’t quite so easy to climb up and out of the small pot and a spade was employed as a ‘stepping’ aid, as the dig progresses some thought will be given to making easier access into and out of the ‘pot’.

At the entrance refreshments in the ravine were enjoyed, at least by those that had remembered to bring along a suitable beverage!

Vince, Nick, Jon, Jake, and Mike

Met in the car park, called in at Hotel reception and walked up to the cave, tunnel entrance where we got changed.

As usual it was a warm trip through ‘20’ to LoH&G and on along the narrow passage to the dig we call the ‘Diamond Mine’. Before digging got underway took some photos just in case it became too ‘steam’’ later. Nick was digging in the small pot we are hoping to extend/expand. Initially, I passed the filled buckets to Jon on the other side of a ‘blasted-bottleneck’ who in turn moved the buckets along to Jake and Mike, their combined effort got the spoil all the way along the narrow passage to the dumping area. It was warm work.

The filled buckets were not easily moved through the ‘bottleneck,’ so we came up with an alternative plan. The sediment was compacted into ‘balls’ and rolled down the slope and through the constriction. This worked, but it was improved when Jon created a bucket platform, so the ‘balls of spoil’ landed directly into the bucket. It was like a fairground amusement and provided some entertainment while it lasted. It worked until the sediment became drier and sandier and did not compact as well. Another strategy will need to be employed next week, we will bring some new bags!

Anyway, the evenings effort had progressed the dig satisfactorily and it is clear that further excavation is required to see if there is potential in this location. By now all participants in the evening’s activities were feeling thirsty and it was time to leave, as Jake put it “the beer clock is ticking!”

Refreshments were enjoyed at the tunnel entrance gate in the ravine. Lots of bats flitting around. A positive session!

Vince, Nick and Jake

Well, it’s been quite a while but we’re here again after talking about it too long and not getting it together! A new procedure – checked in (and out after our trip) at the Hotel reception before walking up to the cave entrance.

The main purpose of this trip was to clear away more of the accumulated digging paraphernalia from Land of Hope & Glory. Took in some empty tackle bags just in case. A steady trip to L0H&G with plenty of banter along the way. Quick check in Colston Hall for any tools left there (to be collected on the way out) and onwards to the ‘diamond mine’ dig. Once we arrived at the end the question was posed – Have we really finished here? Do we need to leave some tools, just in case? After some discussion, it was decided there was more to do, we will leave some tools, and we’ll be back next week to continue digging! Tools and other items not required were removed.

A quick recce around the rest of LoH&G collecting the remaining tools left in various locations before returning to Fuzzy Wuzzy to pack bags and carry some of the larger items out of the cave.

A slower trip out as there was quite a lot of stuff to pass up climbs and through constrictions. It is always a warm trip. Back at the entrance to change, and as is our habit, enjoyed some refreshments there in the fading evening light. It had been a good trip.