Eyam Dale House Cave

Pete K

Pete K

Well-known member
Hi all.
The new DCA negotiated access agreement for Eyam Dale House Cave is very nearly ready to go public but there is one more small job to do. The cave will now be approached from Eyam Dale only and not through the old route by the house. This track heads up past Fireset mine and then becomes a jungle of brambles and rhododendron. A few hours here with a saw, loppers and some slashers will be all that is required to sort this and get open access again for the cave.
We are hoping to do this on Tuesday the 29th. I'll have more details when I know how many we may have to help.
Cheers,
Pete Knight
DCA Projects Officer
 
AR

AR

Well-known member
Should be able to join you for the morning at least Pete, I can bring my own billhook and drag rake too.
 
Pete K

Pete K

Well-known member
Cheers AR. We have a good crew for this so it should not take long.
Eyam Dale sub station pull in for about 10am.
 
Tommy

Tommy

Active member
Thanks Pete,

Your (and the team's) efforts are much appreciated, hoping to get down there soon.

Mind the thorns!
 
Pete K

Pete K

Well-known member
You're welcome. Hopefully all thorn free by Wednesday! Keep an eye on the new DCA Database for the details. They should go live (including map and code for lock) as soon as we've finished the track.
http://thedca.org.uk/dca-cr/registry/sitedetails.php?id=108 (Still showing old info today until update later this week).
I'm ashamed to say I've not been down here yet myself, so that will be a very high priority for me in the next week or 2.
 
A_Northerner

A_Northerner

Active member
Parking in Electric Quarry Layby, and no key/other access requirements needed then?

Thanks for this Pete, might organise a SUSS trip there once the work is done - don't think we've been there for a few years!
 
Pete K

Pete K

Well-known member
There will be the requirement to email a notification in advance but no key to collect or door to knock on. Details to come...
 
2xw

2xw

Active member
A_Northerner said:
Parking in Electric Quarry Layby, and no key/other access requirements needed then?

Thanks for this Pete, might organise a SUSS trip there once the work is done - don't think we've been there for a few years!
Click to expand...

Speak for yourself ;)

Thanks again Pete. I can't make it to the clear up but I will help out eith some maintenance at some point. I'll be staying in Eyam doing nowt from about the 13th so if ewt needs doing gis a shout
 
Madness

Madness

New member
I'm planning on visiting Eyam Dale House Cave soon.

Do you need anything to be able to lift the cover and what do you belay to? Do I need to take a piece of scaffold tube to belay to?
 
Tommy

Tommy

Active member
Madness said:
I'm planning on visiting Eyam Dale House Cave soon.

Do you need anything to be able to lift the cover and what do you belay to? Do I need to take a piece of scaffold tube to belay to?
Click to expand...

There's a lovely stainless steel bar to belay to, this is what holds the lid down.
Remove the lock, slide the bar to the side, lift the lid off, slide the bar back, lock back on, belay, and off you go.
 
Pete K

Pete K

Well-known member
I have just spoken to Alan B who is in the Dale. The lock is not working. No idea why and I can't get to it as I'm away all week. Correct combination entered, button pressed, not working. Brand new padlock. Combination can't be changed without a tool. Any ideas anyone?
If anyone wants to have a look before xmas please message me and go for it!

Pete Knight
DCA Projects
 
Pete K

Pete K

Well-known member
Has anyone been in since access was restored? Just want to see if lock has worked or has died as soon as installed.
 
Madness

Madness

New member
I had a trip planned there tonight. I'd okayed it with Steve, the new owner of Eyam Dale House by email. When we got there we could not get the padlock off. The code given on the DCA website appears to be incorrect. We tried every combination of the numbers that we could think of but the lock wouldn't budge. We bumped into some other cavers as we made our way back towards the sub station (Possibly Alan B).

Rather than just going to the pub we opted for a quick trip into Carlswark via Eyam Dale Shaft. It was more interesting than expected and free-climbing back out (protected by jammer) was interesting (and slippery)
 
pwhole

pwhole

Well-known member
Those padlocks are a goddamn nightmare - we bought a brand-new one at work to lock up a cement mixer on an outdoor site, and it failed the next morning - and no-one could find the reset tool. We had to hacksaw the chain, which was surprisingly easy. So the lock was pretty pointless anyway! Plus the instructions were printed so small, that none of us, even a 17 year-old apprentice, could read them. Sadly I have no better suggestion other than one that doesn't need a reset tool.
 
al

al

Member
Yes, Madness, it was me you met last night and four of us tried to release that lock to no avail.

Strongly suspicious that somebody may have changed the combination - although it apparently worked for Tommy and Tony on Sunday morning two days ago.

Considering that this entrance is a long way from normal tourist haunts, I wonder whether we cannot do away with a lock here altogether. Fireset Mine, a similar 20m lidded shaft which is passed on the way to Eyam Dale House Cave is lock-free, much closer to the road and has never caused a problem. Just a thought.
 
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