JonP said:
surely conservation work cant have take 6 months+ I mean it was already taped what not.
Yes the taping has been done. The wait has nothing to do with taping.
From the original posting re the gate:
"At the request of Natural England, DCA has agreed that a gate should be placed on the new extensions to Water Icicle Close Cavern, which is part of a Scheduled Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI). This is to ensure the protection of the very fragile floor deposits, which were carefully taped by the original explorers when they were first found, and to allow cave scientists to examine the new section while it is still, as far as possible, in pristine condition."
In fact I was in Water Icicle yesterday evening with two cave scientists who were studying the Geomorphology, so the scientific work is still being carried out. This particular cave seems to be of great scientific interest due to some unique features in the Peak District and possibly also age. This isn't a Time Team dig over three days. The investigation take time, samples need to be taken, tests to be carried out. The important thing is that the features are not disturbed as then they would become worthless from a scientific point of view. Plus the scientists are not able to visit all the time as they have other work to do as well.
Saying that, as already said,
access is to be allowed very shortly, even though the scientific work is not complete.
Mind you, the new section will probably be an anticlimax to most cavers as it just involves 10 minutes of easy walking...
However, as I have already said an announcement on access arrangements will be made very soon.
Were there not two digs that 'went'? First the one on left as you approach the great rift, then one high in an aven (with a dig ongoing below with rubber matting on the floor?) at the end of the larger passage, Which is the one that has been gated?
The dig which went and where the gate was installed is at the end of North-West Passage - I assume this is the one you're thinking off when you refer to the high aven and rubber matting.