John Wilcock was a very nice man, who still came up to Ario on expeditions well into his seventies. However, the evidnce suggests his dowsing results were, indeeed, bunkum.

Bitch Pitch in JH is fine if you're competent, but a little awkward if not. Rather narrow and wiggly. But I got the impression the party is fairly competent from the posts at the top. That said, Cartgate, the long mined passage between the entrance pitch and Bitch always makes me a bit uneasy. A...

There are few finer trips in the UK than a visit to the White River Series going in and out of JH or Titan. Block Hall is rigged for upwards SRT. Make sure you'd don't descend the Moosetrap by mistake, then pull through at the downstream end of series. The way back to the Speedwell streamway...

Oops missed that - so he did.

https://unherd.com/2025/05/inside-britains-underworld/

The Sunday Times has an article today (paywalled) https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/mans-30-year-obsession-unearths-caves-as-big-as-cathedrals-under-forest-of-dean-pc2p8srfn

The Sunday Times has covered Redhouse too https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/mans-30-year-obsession-unearths-caves-as-big-as-cathedrals-under-forest-of-dean-pc2p8srfn

I hope so if I get the chance! Such a great cave.

Thought you might have to on the UnHerd site, but it turns out you don’t

Yes Inside Britain’s underworld https://unherd.com/2025/05/inside-britains-underworld/

I’ve written an article with photos by Bartek Biela about the wonderful newly-discovered cave system that is Redhouse Lane Swallet in the Forest of Dean. It should be posted on UnHerd.com at about midnight tonight. You can get it free if you register on the site. Hope y’all enjoy it.

My article on Redhouse will be posted on UnHerd.com at midnight tonight. Photos by Bartek Biela.

If Aggie connects to Daren, that will eliminate one cave from the longest in UK list. So I guess if the Redhouse dream is fully realised, maybe to include Big Sink, ahead of it would likely be the 3 Counties, OFD, Aggie-Daren and Ogof Draenen. My article on the cave with some of Bartek's photos...

Jimi well described the sinking feeling of arriving at a cave with a gated entrance where one's been planning an exciting trip, only to discover unexpected access problems. I believe this happened to some during the (we can now surely say, insane) Ogof Draenen cold war. Wait a minute...

Does anyone else think of Jimi Hendrix when down there?