Fairy Cave Quarry. The Last 45 Years.

[The Old Ruminator]

Looked at the Hillwithy entrance with a view to flood relief at Withyhill.

The back up in Withyhill has been caused by the inability of the water flow to access Hillwithy, the original pre quarry route. Basically the quarry floor is now in the way plus a large pile obscuring Hillwithy entrance. It would require a huge engineering project to rectify that. This recent flood image must run close to the original buried portion of passage though.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Links to other posts on the forum.

Some Withyhill Photos. Dec. 16.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=21318.0

46 Years Between Photos. New Balch Entrance. July 16.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=20595.0

Balch Aven Chamber Series. April 16.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=20155.0

Shatter Photo Trip Jan 16.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=19639.0

Fairy Cave Quarry Art Exhibition. Oct 15.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=19639.0

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Video. Fairy to Hilliers Trip. July 15.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=18744.0

Fairy Cave Quarry Photos.  June 15.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=18586.0

Shatter Cave Photos. May 15.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=18439.0

St Dunstan's Well Cave. Oct 14.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=17136.0

Wonderful Withyhill . May 14.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=16591.0

Photo Section of Forum.

Shatter in Macro. March 15.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=19971.0

A fair bit of text I am afraid but gets it all under one roof.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Will add in this one as it explains a name and was left on a more obscure post.

Barabobath's Bath.



This one from a recent trip in Withyhill. Not what I wanted as the camera got wet along with my drying cloth and the nice back lit images were steamed up. Another time.

Bob Whitaker came from Bath and acted as liaison between the quarry company and ( as it was then ) Bath and Avon River Authority. Obviously he caved as well and made frequent visits to the quarry in the 1970's. So we have the name conjured up from all of that. On a very early trip into Withyhill Bob did not realise that a dry bypass existed for this foot deep pool and got rather wet in passing it. Bob also gave his initial to WL Caves he and Jerry Lavis cleared the entrance to find it.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

On another trip in December 16 I ventured up to the terminal choke in Withyhill to look at the chamber we discovered in the 1970's. I posted that up in trip reports as I need a new Scurion !

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=21367.0



Well at least I wont have to do that again as the boulder chokes are not very nice.
This time around we found a fairly new can of WD40 in the final bit of the streamway. I can only think that it belongs to the owner of Withybrook Slocker

 

[The Old Ruminator]

I am hoping to get some early images from Brian Prewer.
Meanwhile some of mine from ages past.

Entrance tube to Jonathan's Chamber.



Darn Photobucket's gone blinky again so just a couple via Postimage.

post images

picture hosting

A younger me in Shatter by Pete Rose.

upload img

Old Withyhill entrance by Pete Rose.

image hosting site

Shatter helectites by Pete Rose.

free jpeg images

Pete's images scanned and re edited by Peter Glanvill. I will return when Photobucket is mended. ( Usually when I re boot )

 

[The Old Ruminator]

A few more " oldies " from Pete Rose. Well its all part of the history and fairly unusual that so many photos were taken back in the 1970's. Funny really. He took photos of me and I took photos of him. First time I have seen these as Mrodoc has kindly digitised them. Sneaky thing about old originals is that many were taken pre taping and cannot be done now without extreme censure. ( He said knowingly ).





I am pretty sure these two are East End Sink. The quarry company at Bector Wood wanted to extend their workings
and did not want to intercept the water from this sink. It appears to be mis fit as the stream runs across the limestone to sink under a hedge. Like Fountain sink we seem to have a buried depression full of mud and boulders. The diggers reached some 20 ft down with the water sinking against limestone bedding. One side of the hole remained as clay and boulder fill. The job was done in Autumn 1974 with Willie Stanton as consultant geologist.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

This from my log on 16 th October 1974.



One of THOSE days!  Visited the sink prior to digging the boulder choke at the end of Withyhill with Graham Price. The choke collapsed on me badly bruising my leg.Had to be assisted out in much discomfort by the afore mentioned.

Me at the entrance to Withyhill c 1973. We had asked the quarry company to clear all of the boulders out. Afterwards we asked them to put them all back again so we could install a small gate. ( The old gate is still inside. ) Notice the blast fracture radiating outwards from the small fault . No doubt a control feature for this section of cave.



To be honest pre all of this health a safety issues the quarry company were exceedingly caver friendly. You wont get that now. Yesterday I was talking to a quarry manager from a limestone quarry near Bristol airport. Do you ever find caves I asked? We have had a few he told me. Usually deep shafts which we fill in immediately as they pose a risk to our plant and workers. Ooo. Can you let me know when you find another one I asked. Not bloody likely said he.

 

[Pegasus]

A younger me in Shatter by Pete Rose.

The Young Ruminator 

Loving the thread - especially since I've actually now visited the quarry and been down Fairy Cave (thanks, Kermit  )

 

[The Old Ruminator]

The Withybrook Fault Plane 1970's and East level. Near centre Balch Erratic Passage oddly crossing the fault at right angles. In fact I cannot recall anywhere in Shatter or Withyhill where the fault is exposed. All development appears to be in the smaller fracture zone on either side of the fault. I am gradually forming a theory of development for all of the quarry caves. That would include me saying that Shatter and Withyhill were formed by the same stream.



I must ask Pete Rose about this one. Its the down dip side of the quarry probably the then corner of the face opposite Withyhill. It could be " Price's Purgatory " into which we thrust an unsuspecting Graham Price in the early 70's. Being CSS newsletter editor for a while I got to name a lot of cave passages and bits in the 70's. I had a cunning plan to use all of the digger's names for the rubbish bits and save my own for something special. Rose's Rift and Price's Purgatory were two such and soon quarried away. Me ? Not yet but there is still time !


'

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Brian Prewer in a flooded Withyhill 1970's.



Withyhill main passage 1970's. Despite all the care they both got broken and are now half that size.



Me and the famous twisted stal in Withyhill early 1970's. We took a load of photos of this which is just as well as he is no more. His mortal remains were returned and laid to rest here at the end of last year.





The one I took with my brother.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Perhaps a bit of a treat then. A few of my favourites from recent years.

























That lot should clog a few phones up!

 

[The Old Ruminator]

A few more whilst I can find my albums in Photobucket.

A more subtly lit Withyhill for the person that thinks some of my images are " garish " whilst I think his are too dark. There is no right way really its down to taste and the time you have editing. He uses RAW whilst I spend less time on edits and set up.



From Pete Rose.

I think this is Oliver Lloyd. Mrodoc will know.



Me again c 1972.



A repeat of one of my favourites. My son Jonathan in Jonathan's Chamber which I found the same month that his first birthday occurred. The foot high tube into the chamber is proving to be a bit of a struggle now.



Kit to wash -- Bye

 

[The Old Ruminator]

The trouble with this sort of thread is that folk think that its exclusive so the poor old OP sits at home wondering if people like it or not. Still with over 19,000 views and 567 in the last couple of weeks somebody must care. Now if I were to argue some obscure point of caving I would get all and sundry here. Well I now have a few more historic photos from Brian Prewer but here are some of mine, unpublished , from Withyhill trips in the last few years.

Helectite Corner.



Through the window.



In the roof.



Lets Join Up.



The Crystal Edge.



Wiggly Worm.

I have not done him justice as with macro the depth of field suffers. Good thing is in the whole wide world only I know where he lives.



Mr Streaky.



Little Pool.

 

[Laurie]

I'm still watching. 
You haven't lost your number one fan, it's just that I've not been too well lately.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Get well soon Laurie  :hug:

Something in common with all those images in the last post.

They have no people in. I prefer it that way for smaller formations stuff. Not a fan of a big hairy nose thrust up against helectites. Anyway if its a question of scale all cavers know how thick a straw is. No quite often I find folk in an image a distraction. Now one from the Brian Prewer/Mike Baker archive.

Maypole Pitch, Balch Cave. Early 1960's.

 

[tony from suffolk]

Another member of the OR fan club checking in. Keep going old bean, your postings are a pleasure.

 

[Roger W]

Keep 'em coming, OR!   

And, Laurie, sorry to hear you've not been so good.  Hope you' re fit again soon.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

I am truly honoured to have such loyal watchers I shall continue my work with much greater effort knowing that its so well appreciated.

Spent half a day at FCQ and thereabouts yesterday taking surface shots and mulling over my all embracing theory of everything at the quarry. I shall add some of that when the whole thing crystallizes into a pure nugget of clarity in my bends enfeebled brain.

More early 60's Balch Cave images from the Prewer/Baker archive.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

More from the Prewer/Baker archive.

Cambridge Grotto, Hillier's Cave. Early 1950,s



The original Balch Cave entrance. Early 1960's.



Fernhill reopened.





The beginning of " The Concrete Cannon " c 2008.