On trip to Poachers cave (today, Sat 29th Sept 12) I noticed a couple of changes to the ?Boss Chamber?.

1) Someone has removed the cave paintings that adorned the rear wall
2) Someone has bolted the wall in an attempt to access the passageway above the Chandelier

Couple of questions;

Anyone know who did either of these and, since I don?t believe anyone has ever previously been in the passage above the chandelier ? what?s in there .... ?

Ian

Well the paintings were all present and correct when we were in there on 8th July. Shame they have been removed as they were always a talking point for novice trips.

I seem to remember reading a long time ago that either NWCC or GCC maypoled up to the chandelier and found the passage didn't go anywhere. However I can't remember where I read it

Dave 

""Shame they have been removed as they were always a talking point for novice trips."" 
it is all an act of Vandalism after all 

"it is all an act of Vandalism after all"

I think you could class all graffiti in caves as vandalism, but what about, say,  old miner's graffiti in Derbyshire caves?
That's to be preserved as a historical record.

The 'cave art' in Poachers has been around for a fair few years, maybe if it hadn't been removed then in 100 years it too would be of historical significance...

It's a moot point now anyway.

Dave

To be fair old miners took time to write there name even carve it sometimes , no muddy fingers on white formations, marker pen or spray paint from them guys

It is interesting to consider where you might draw a line (if it is possible at all).

As Dave says, the paintings in Poachers Cave are in no way ?old? as the cave was underwater until around 100 years ago. However, they did make a splendid talking point especially for novice trips and scout trips as they would be given the history of the cave (and the Milwr Tunnel underneath it) and later asked to deliberate on the likely genuineness of the ?paintings?. As ?graffiti? goes, it wasn?t ?mindless? or destructive and it was interesting in a number of ways.

So, at what point is a decision made that something should be removed and at what point does it become part of the cave, mine or the ?experience? ?

I have seen crisp packets carefully laid to one side in mine dated 1960(ish) and newspaper cuttings left at the side dated 1930?s ? should they be removed ?

A tough call ?


Anyway ... I wonder who did it ?

Ian

To be fair old miners took time to write there name even carve it sometimes , no muddy fingers on white formations, marker pen or spray paint from them guys

Click to expand...

Didn't they also break off formations to sell them?