ramblingon

30th August 2015 : A personal account of today’s trip.

With Nick Hawkes, Paul Brock and Tony Audsley at the surface.

My second visit to this cave. Today’s plan was to start opening up the slot beyond which can be glimpsed space and the sound of falling water can be heard. Usual struggle through narrow passages with the bags, just seem to have gotten out of the habit over the last few years, still it will come back. Down the 80 foot pitch using SRT and with bags dangling. It is a fine pitch although damper today. Nick took the drill bag along the crawl for me, Paul had gone ahead with a new skip and hauling rope, I followed with my second bag. The crawl was more squalid than last time and by the time we got to the end we were suitably coated with mud. While I took a little time to formulate a plan of action and clean mud from the rock surface, Nick and Paul set up the skip and cleared digging spoil to a chamber up beyond. I drilled 6no. holes and managed to keep my drill relatively clean and dry. Just as I completed my task the others returned and took my bags out through the crawl while I reversed out laying the wire as I progressed, there was just enough wire to get to the end of the crawl. The morning was brought to a very satisfying conclusion with a resounding and reverberating echo. Paul and Nick had made their way up the pitch and I followed soon after. At the surface de-kitted and a chinwag with others who had appeared before walking back to the van to change and then head off to the Queen Vic for refreshments – too late for the Hunter’s.

Paul Brock photographed by Tony Audsley after Sunday’s digging trip in Home Close Hole.

29th August 2015

With Tav, Nick, Alan Gray and Pete Flanagan.

Eventually managed to open the gate which was blocked by debris, the cave is seldom visited and closed during the winter months due to bats. Rigged a 10m ladder and 25m lifeline, the descent of the pitch revealed a very different cave to Upper Canada Cave which is nearby. The upper part of the cave is phreatic and there are some calcite formations. The cave had been entered by 18th century ochre miners and antiqurian bone collectors and there are several examples of graffiti and smoke marks dating to this period (the images below were all taken by Alan Gray either on today’s trip or a previous trip in 2014). We located several now blocked miners entrances in the upper series and enjoyed a good thorough examination of the passages before heading down to the lower series.

The image above was taken by Alan Gray is me emerging from the wet squeeze to the lower series.

The lower series is a number of interconnecting chambers accessed by some short free climbs. The final chamber is of a good size with lots of fractured rock that appears a little unstable in places.

A thoroughly enjoyable trip to a little visited cave. Missed the pub though because Tav [who was driving] had to return home to attend a street party!

Above and below are some examples of the inscriptions and smoke marks found in the upper part of Bleadon Cavern. Photographs by Alan Gray, Axbridge Caving Group.