I have just picked this up on the BBC website. The hole is described as about 2 metres wide and 18 metres deep and widening out at the bottom to about 10 metres by 4 metres.
I am thinking maybe a Bell Pit by the sound of it?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-56290236

Just was reading this myself  sounds like a roof collapse in the mine workings .

Old ironstone mine workings most likely, several old mineshafts are shown on BGS maps of the area.

He was well lucky to survive that fall, on a quad bike. Blimey. I guess they do have padded seats though! I wonder if anyone will attempt a quick survey. There were tons of these in Kimberworth in Rotherham where I grew up, but as far as I know there was never a collapse. Still time though

These photos were taken in a quarry in South Yorkshire which has both ironstone and coal deposits, both worked in the 18th Century in the same fashion. The top layers are ironstone interbedded with shale, then coal, then a shaley/clayey wayboard and then very hard cream sandstone beneath, but I don't think there's a ganister here. The randomly-assorted lumps of shale are the guts of an old backfilled pillar-and-stall working spilling out, where the quarry face has interested them. It's rare to find a real-life section as good as this.

He was hauled out of the hole in south Cumbria by firefighters

So all those mountain rescue people are just there as spectators then?

Seems like it would have been perfect for COMRU (Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit) ...

Chris.

trying to estimate what/where, is this relevant?
https://www.aditnow.co.uk/Mines/Stank-Iron-Mine_7571/
Not sure if that would be bell shaped?

Cantclimbtom said:

trying to estimate what/where, is this relevant?
https://www.aditnow.co.uk/Mines/Stank-Iron-Mine_7571/
Not sure if that would be bell shaped?

Click to expand...

https://maps.nls.uk/view/102339228

Could be Yarlside Iron Mines, too. https://www.aditnow.co.uk/Mines/Yarlside-Iron-Mine_7721/

More photos here: https://www.lancs.live/news/local-news/quad-bike-rider-survives-60ft-19969200

ChrisJC said:

Seems like it would have been perfect for COMRU (Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit) ...

Click to expand...

They were called out, but stood down as they were en-route, according to their FB page.