Video of recent flooding?

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
A fair few images on Facebook and seen other stills on email. Mr O'Doc took stuff in Swildons on Sunday. Mrs O'Doc clearly not amused. I expect his dinner was in the dogs. Withyhill entrance pipe gushing a stream and all of that corner of the quarry flooded. Will take a look today. Also, it looked like Gough's entrance was in flood. What folk are willing to share here is another matter. Sensibly I was at home.
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
Hello, Pegasus. I got some stick for visiting the cave on Sunday although plenty of people afterwards declared they had been down in worse conditions or during rescues. I doubt it. We emerged through the hollow tree which I think provides an escape route at all times. Also the blockhouse can be boarded up temporarily providing an escape route. However I would add that going below the Water Chamber in Swildons (where we were) is very  risky in these conditions. As you will see from a forum posting one couple lost wellies and a kit bag. The film of them coming up the Water Rift is impressive. One of them had to free climb the Forty not a safe or easy  option for most cavers. I filmed us going in and how much the water had risen in 2 hours when we came out as well as some of the 'pinch points'. 
 

Pegasus

Administrator
Staff member
Any chance we can see the films on UKC - not everyone is on FB.

Thanks so much - and glad you got out safe  ;)
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
Give me a day or two so that I can edit the film. I took clips throughout the clip and they need sorting out.
 

PaulW

Member
24hrs later it was back to ankle deep, this was just before the highest water
 

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mikem

Well-known member
3 days later the water is still trying to escape from wookey:
https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/3059
& Gough's:
https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/3410
Whilst flow from Burrington has dropped off massively (although this is more affected by surface runoff):
https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/3060
The Mells river has a lot of feeders on East Mendip:
https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/3024?direction=u

Weather site in Bath shows almost 100mm of rain, which was mostly in first 4 days of Oct (so Thursday to Sunday). Unfortunately there don't appear to be any publicly available that are closer to Mendip & I don't know if this is PaulW, or someone else:
https://www.paulwilman.com/
 

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
On Tuesday the lake in Fairy Cave Quarry had mostly drained leaving a flood gully from Withyhill to Hillwithy. The sump in Hillwithy was frothy but the only active stream could be heard below boulders not far in from the entrance.
 

PaulW

Member
Mike,

No that's not me......

I use this in priddy, you an view river levels aswell
https://www.gaugemap.co.uk/#!Detail/8383/3726

 

mikem

Well-known member
Do you know whereabouts it is? Hopefully not the one in Texas:
https://www.wunderground.com/weather/us/tx/priddy/76870
 

north doodle

New member
I live on Mendip about 4 miles from the Hunters and have a Davis weather station. Here are my rain results.

30-9-20    27.8 mm
1-10-20      4.2
2-10          58.6
3-10          37.4
4-10          55.8
5-10            4.2
6-10          27.8
               
Total        215.8 mm ( 8.5 inches )        No rain today so far  !!
 

mikem

Well-known member
Gaugemap use the data from EA:
https://defradigital.blog.gov.uk/2017/02/10/just-launched-near-real-time-rainfall-api/

north doodle - is that a tipping, or other sort of, gauge? (EA gives about 170 for same period)
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
I have done a quick and dirty edit of the film I took. For the technically minded I used an Olympus TG6 and the two others carried underwater video lights (plus our headlamps of course). It can be seen here: https://youtu.be/32_eN3MzzJY
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Almost like a Dales cave in normal conditions . . . .    :tease:

Joking apart, that's a cracking bit of footage mrodoc - thoroughly enjoyed watching it.
I'd forgotten what an excellent trip Swildon's is. Well. "trips" would be a better word, as there's so much to it.
 

Brains

Well-known member
Who says Mendip caves and cavers are are muddy? Came out of there lovely and clean!
Awesome footage  ;)
 
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