Was out running today and on the descent from Ingleborough I deviated to glance at Grey Wife Hole. (A friend had asked me if I knew whether it was blocked, so I was just curious.) The pot is made stockproof by a small metal lid; this was missing. Staring down the entrance shaft revealed the lid had fallen down or been chucked down. I was tempted to nip down and recover it, as I could see the lid about 10 feet below. But nobody knew where I was and, although the walled shaft looks pretty stable, I'm not familiar with it. So I decided it was probably more sensible not to go down.

If anyone's likely to be passing who could recover the lid and replace it in the near future, please can you post here? (No tackle is needed and it's in daylight. The shaft is also dry, so OK in surface clothes.)

I've sorted this.

Incidentally, once I cleared the moss away from the steel frame which supports the lid, I found the frame is quite deteriorated. Part of the flange has crumbled away such that if the lid is placed on it a certain way it can scuttle off through and fall down the shaft.

Grey Wife Hole was discovered over 50 years ago by the Kendal caving Club. I have vague memories of the entrance being sorted some time in the 1980s (?) so the frame & lid may date from then rather than being original KCC. Either way it's been there a long time and it might be worth our CNCC folk having it on their radar for some fettling at some stage, though it's not the highest priority. I'll mention it to one or two officers.

Many thanks Pitlamp for reporting this and taking the time to head up there to recover the lid.

We'll discuss this and consider the best way forward; but of course in the meantime if there are any individuals or clubs reading this who would be willing to do a little work on this on behalf of the CNCC (funding available for materials), we'd be delighted to hear from you (contact our Secretary or Chair).