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Sludge Pit and Nine Barrows Swallet

P

Peter Burgess

New member
How long is it now since these two cavers were closed?

I am wondering whether giving a cave a 'good rest' does it some good? Obviously if a cave is suffering from being visited by people who harm it, then closing it stops it getting worse. But perhaps when (here speaks an optimist) access is allowed again to these caves, it might be a good idea, before the 'hoards descend' on them, to go round very carefully to see whether there is evidence of wear and tear from the past being diminished. For example, does limestone that was worn smooth by cavers' bums show any evidence of new corrosion? Or is there any sign of a new film of calcite growing on previously worn or muddied stalagmites.

Its just a thought in an idle moment.
 
graham

graham

New member
Can't speak for all caves, but I know that the first party down GB after FMD found a slight but perceptible improvement.
 
whitelackington

whitelackington

New member
The supposed "Lost Cave of Hutton"

Has not apparently been entered for more than two hundred years.
Mind u it was trashed by miners/early explores but 200+ years ago,
I suppose their morals were a little different, caving as a sport had not really been invented then.
Varrious people, not least Axbridge Caving Group have made many attempts to
re-locate it over the last fifty years, several "False Dawns" one of which was the finding of Bleadon Cavern, a fine 1000 feet long cave, at first this could have been the fabled Lost Cave of Hutton but was not.
On-going investigations are still occurring.
So only then will we know if two hundred years+ of being left alone will have aided any recovery.
I expect it has been abused by badgers though, hundreds of the b*****s up on that part of the hill.
 
Hughie

Hughie

Active member
Careful, Whitelackington, referring to badgers as b******s is probably inflammatory and politically incorrect! ;)
 
cap n chris

cap n chris

Well-known member
Caves do "recover" during closed periods; near the surface the acidity of the sink water corrodes the limestone to a fresh sharpness and calcite deposits replenish too; what doesn't tend to clear within human time frames is layers/lumps of claggy mud which is above water flows.

The recovery of less-visited caves and passages is reason to exercise caution when negotiating them since a single hand print may take another decade to wash clean!
 
graham

graham

New member
The best example I know of this is a moonmilk covered side passage near the bottom of Poulnagree in Co. Clare. This has only been visited twice. Between the two visits, 4 or 5 years apart, the moonmilk had covered virtually every trace of the first visit. The second visit was about 4 years ago (I would need to check the logs to be exact) and I am fairly confident that it will have recovered again.
 
Hughie

Hughie

Active member
Chris - is the damaged moonmilk in Reservoir recovering? I'm presuming that it hasn't been touched since the damage occured.
 
cap n chris

cap n chris

Well-known member
Hughie said:
Chris - is the damaged moonmilk in Reservoir recovering? I'm presuming that it hasn't been touched since the damage occured.
Click to expand...

Not noticeably. It will probably always be visibly affected for the duration of our lifetimes U/F.
 
paul

paul

Moderator
graham said:
The best example I know of this is a moonmilk covered side passage near the bottom of Poulnagree in Co. Clare. This has only been visited twice. Between the two visits, 4 or 5 years apart, the moonmilk had covered virtually every trace of the first visit. The second visit was about 4 years ago (I would need to check the logs to be exact) and I am fairly confident that it will have recovered again.
Click to expand...

I'm curious - I've been to that cave twice in different years myself. How do you know it has "only been visited twice"? Is it due to footprints or some other indicator?
 
graham

graham

New member
paul said:
graham said:
The best example I know of this is a moonmilk covered side passage near the bottom of Poulnagree in Co. Clare. This has only been visited twice. Between the two visits, 4 or 5 years apart, the moonmilk had covered virtually every trace of the first visit. The second visit was about 4 years ago (I would need to check the logs to be exact) and I am fairly confident that it will have recovered again.
Click to expand...

I'm curious - I've been to that cave twice in different years myself. How do you know it has "only been visited twice"? Is it due to footprints or some other indicator?
Click to expand...
'cos it's beyond the sumps & at the far end of the Priory Streamway. I don't believe that anyone except UBSS members have been through those sumps.
 
danthecavingman

danthecavingman

Member
The pool in Column Hall in OFD2 is recovering well after suffering a lot of abuse years ago.  :)

Crystal are regrowing on the surface of the pool and actually in the footprints in the mud below water level.

Dan.
 
whitelackington

whitelackington

New member
When bats hanging around in caves with nothing better to do, poo, does this eventually "Blendin" with the formations, I've seen flies, calcited over and a photo from france of bears skulls, I think it was, calcited over. :cautious:
 
cap n chris

cap n chris

Well-known member
In Shatter and W/L there are many examples of this occuring but the bat turds tend to flatten and just become darker smudges in the stal rather than stal-coated bundles of fun (exactly unlike miniature yoghurt-coated raisins).
 
whitelackington

whitelackington

New member
1) Was that a human?
2) Is it actually in Sludge Pit or Nine Barrows?

If answer to 2)
is YES.
Then Mister C.S.C.C. C&A Officer, I sincerly hope you were on  official business :clap:
 
cap n chris

cap n chris

Well-known member
Err, no; it's an example of how stuff can get stalagmited into caves. The skull (is it human? - what sort of damnfool question is that?) is in a cave in Italy.
 
Hughie

Hughie

Active member
Have seen human bones in a mendip cave. Apparently they date from the 1800's and are extremely well calcited.
 
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