Extracts from Johns diary
Sunday 22nd December 1974.
Yesterday?s party attacked the north east end of Stub Scrin in Merlin. Mark and Kevin descended shaft S3 (as denoted by King, 1962) but it was blocked with boulders. They tried clearing a trial about 10ft down, without success. The choke beyond may be a shaft to surface. Kevin began clearing it. We thought this shaft must be close to the one further up Eyam Dale, but it turned out that it must in fact be in the fields of Auton Crofts. There are two other shafts in between, in fact.
Monday 19th April 1976.
Keith and I went to investigate the big spoil heap. Ted arrived, and we dug, prodded, climbed trees for vantage points, and even divined, without success. We didn?t find the shaft.
We went for a brew, then down Merlin S3, where we uncovered a fissure with a slight draught. A dig is planned. We went to the Cowlishaw Shaft. Ted climbed down and listened, but despite a dangerous cessation of breathing, nothing was heard of the stream. We returned to Glebe Cottage.
Saturday 18th September 1976.
Keith, Mark and I went to dig at shaft S3 in Merlin. Pete Whatley etc went up to Sump Five and report Five full but static, and Shag's Sump still down.
The S3 dig went smoothly, and we broke into a level to the north east. It ended after a few feet at a further blockage, and the draught seemed to come down through this.
Friday 31st December 1976.
Chris, Mark and I went to organise the dig in S3 in Merlin. A bolt was placed in the roof, a large bucket was mounted with a double pulley, and we began to move rocks.
The middle level was largely filled, as was the one found on the last trip at the bottom. Mark considered the collapse here impossible, and it was walled off. There were some epic collapses during backfilling at the bottom. An undercut was found on the south west side, but may close after a few feet. We left at about 3.45, washed at Hawkenedge, and returned to Eyam.
Sunday 2nd January 1977.
Quite an early start. Chris arrived back from Chesterfield, and Mark, Chris and I set off to work on S3 in Merlin. Keith and I stayed in the level 10ft down, where backfilling is going quite well. Mark and Chris continued to dig down, and reached ginging on the south west well. The shaft became very much narrower, and the fill a lot muddier.
Slots and holes for stemples occur in two regular parallel sets in front of the ginging, and two new stemples were placed for safety. It is intended to build a platform for additional protection of diggers on the next trip, and to board up bad ginging in case of any collapse.
According to the geological section recorded in Shaft S2, we should only be a short distance above the anastomosed bedding plane which roofs the stope leading to the streamway. There is likely to be at least a trial on this bed.
Bolts are now needed for belaying the ladder; the present belay (a log) means that the ladder hangs over loose rocks. The log can be used for stemples.
Saturday 8th January 1977.
Keith, Mark, Chris and I went to the S3 dig in Merlin. We reached the base of the ginging, where a rotten timber fell out.
Andrew and John arrived, and two timbers were set in. Timbering is planned for Wednesday.
Saturday 22nd January.
Mark, Chris and I went to S3 in Merlin, as Chris was only equipped with dry grots. We did a lot of digging, and put in a new bolt, but the level we are filling is in need of retaining timbers. We came out fairly early.
Then we started digging the deep shaft entrance into big dig
S3 might be worth another look?