Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone had any info on any cave development on or around Chrome Hill in Derbyshire. I also heard that there was a dig there back in 1960s?, but can't seen to find any reference to it and wonder if it did exist and if anyone knows anything about it. 

Apart from these:
https://thedca.org.uk/dca-cr/registry/sitedetails.php?id=417

Mike

That's awesome cheers.

Isn't there something about that area in Trevor Ford's "Limestones & Caves of the Peak District" book?

Hi.
The Journal of the Orpheus Caving Club.
The Lyre.
September 1981.
Page 4 onwards.
Chrome Hill Swallet including a survey and accounts of the digging there.
By Mick Phipps....

Another reference.
The Upper Dove.
The Lyre.
No.3. Volume 1.
P. Smith 1959......

Nice one Richardg.

Yes, of course - Mick Phipps, aka "The Oracle".

That area is very much on the Orpheus' patch, so delving into OCC literature would bring rich rewards. If you really want to research it in detail it might be worth asking permission to arrange a visit to the Orpheus library and glance through various hut log books. These often reveal gems which didn't always make it into published literature. The excellent Orpheus Newsletters (less easily found in other club libraries) also have vast amounts of information of this sort in them.

I've just uploaded PDFs of early Lyres (nos. 1 to 5) on the Club website at http://www.orpheuscavingclub.org.uk/newsletters.html so you should be able to see Vol 3 as quoted above.

Paul.
Thank you for doing this... These journals contain a huge amount of information....
The Orpheus have certainly done loads of original stuff and always documented it to a high standard....
I hadn't realized that Geoffrey Workman was one of your club's officers in the early years...

AP 493..
What's your interest in the area?
Are you hoping to open a way down into the so far unexplored Caverns of Chrome Hill /Dowel Dale? With its potential link up with the Crowdiwell river system?

I don't know if you realize that the main resurgence for the area, Dowel Resurgence is actually an overflow for a much bigger underground watercourse.... Hence the possibility of the long distance link up with the Crowdiwell, a mile (?) or so further down Dovedale

With the massive Owl Hole and Pikers Pit and the numerous swallets/ shakeholes along High Edge..... There's bound to be a very interesting series of caves to be entered and explored....

The area is a unique spectacular area of Karst landscape, one can see why the neolithic people buried so many of their folk on the hill tops and in the caves.....

Camping in the valley and waking up surrounded by those giant dinosaur look alike hills is always a special experience....

richardg said:

The area is a unique spectacular area of Karst landscape, one can see why the neolithic people buried so many of their folk on the hill tops and in the caves.....

Camping in the valley and waking up surrounded by those giant dinosaur look alike hills is always a special experience....

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I can only second this, I couldn't believe the landscape was in Derbyshire when I drove upto try and go caving there.

If only I knew where to park.

Hi,
I must point out that digging in this area has been suspended /nay banned by the farmer much to our dismay. However you can still get down Owl Hole provided you park in the right place and don't cause any obstruction, as it would be dissapointing to lose that privalidge.
Also you need to ask permission to wander around on the land belonging too Stoop Farm for the upper parts of Chrome Hill.

                                                             

cavefinder said:

you can still get down Owl Hole provided you park in the right place and don't cause any obstruction

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Unless you've got a decent 4 x 4 the designated parking spot for Owl Hole is a waste of time unless the weather has been dry for a long time. There's other better parking places available, but I supspect the farmer doesn't want you to use them.