Portland Caves

tim.rose2

Active member
Hi,

Looking for current info regarding Portland caves (if there is anyone out there who still caves on Portland?)...

Lived there for years before going off to uni (now in Poole, Dorset) and as a results know the normal Portland trips.  Have been getting back into caving over the past 12 month (mostly mendips) having not done much for a couple of years.  Been on Portland today (visiting mum!) so had a look around.

Does anyone know whether Blacknor is accessible again (other than via sandy)?  I'm guessing not?

I noticed a couple of months ago Allotment dig is impassable, I used to like this entrance - anyone know why?  Also Rubbish Dump cave (Thrutch / Fossil officially I believe) now has no clear path across the trip.  Decided not to try to get to it.  I'm guessing there are no plans to clear the quarry still?

Other info - thought I'd have a look at the small caves in Inmosthay Quarry (used to know where the entrances were, however had never been in) and discovered the quarry has expanded recently over where the caves had been.  Any new ones appeared as a result??

Also finally had a look in a hole today (I've know about for a few years) not listed in the Portland book.  Its near Cheyne house.  A few impressive stals (for Portland) just inside entrance and at a lower level a very tight rift heading north (ish) for approx 4-5m at least.  Looks like it needs traversing at a high level (the wide bit) to see if it goes any further.  I couldn't be bothered today and wondered if anyone has ever looked at this?  I'm guessing other people know about it?  I took a couple of pictures of the stals and entrance.

Any other caving updates of interest on the island???

Cheers
Tim





 

pete h

New member
mrodoc said:
You could try Nigel Graham - i think he is on the forum.

As far as i know Nigel is not on the forum but if you want his phone number pm me and i will forward it on.
 

Ed W

Member
Tim,

I still cave occasionally on the Island, similar position to yourself - folks still live there and I have been digging in N. Passage in Sandy hole fairly recently.  I have talked to Nigel Graham and Mike Read, and they are not aware of any active exploration at present.  If allotment dig is impassable, that has happened in the last 18 months.  Why is it impassable?

Is the hole by Chene house a slip rift in a small quarry just by the track along the top of Northcliff (aka Neddyfields Cliff)?  If so then I think we may have looked at this c.1990.

Blacknor / Ariel is still inaccessible as the bolts on the cliff edge have been chopped.

I've not been in Thrutch Cave for a while, but the state of the tipped rubbish does vary slowly over time.

Ia am not awre of any significant discoveries on the Island since the big extensions to Sandy Hole in the late nineties.  There is however good potential for discoveries for the masochistic there still.

Perhaps we could meet up at some point!

Ed
 

tim.rose2

Active member
Allotment dig is filled (or at least was before Christmas) with rubble / dirt.  Took a trip with 2 others through flagpole one evening thinking it would be fun to climb out of allotment dig, got to the rift and couldn't find a way up (well not big enough to fit through)!  Initially thought it was my bad memory so had a looking in from above after leaving through Guano and the top of the rift was full of spoil (looked like it had been put there rather than a collapse).  Didn't really pay much attention to it other than can't go through there at the moment.

Sounds like the same hole at Cheyne.  I'm guessing its not worth looking at further then? 

WOEC used to keep a fairly sensible path across the rubbish dump but I believe they no longer do caving and so nobody is maintaining access.  18months ago 3 of us spent 30mins getting over the quarry and during last autumn we decided not to bother as it looked worse again.

Only been in Sandy a couple of times because its an arse to get to and blacknor only once before the bolts were cut.  Hence hoping access was ok again.  By discoveries I guess you mean crawling down "pointless passage" (ammonite passage)?  Couple of hours of that was more than enough for me.  Afraid I'm not a digger so only interested in existing passages!

Am planning a Sandy trip at some point in the coming months - I remember the scree slope leading to the entrance being a pain in wet conditions so was waiting for a dry spell.

Sure we can meet up.
Tim
 

tim.rose2

Active member
Cheers for link to photo's.  Pretty much as I remember - sore knees all the way!  I see you climbed into the entrance - I have a memory of hitching a ladder onto something using a v-topped stick, maybe a different cave??

I see you have some pictures of Walditch cave - I've alway been lead to believe access is banned???

Tim
 

southpembscaver

New member
Does anybody know if ammonite passage was pushed to a conclusion? The WCC book describes it as an open lead and I can't find any more up to date info.
Cheers
Dickon
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
tim.rose2 said:
Cheers for link to photo's.  Pretty much as I remember - sore knees all the way!  I see you climbed into the entrance - I have a memory of hitching a ladder onto something using a v-topped stick, maybe a different cave??

I see you have some pictures of Walditch cave - I've alway been lead to believe access is banned???

Tim

As I visited Walditch a long time ago access might be barred now. Sandy Hole is a tricky climb in but you could push a ladder up I suppose to get in!
 

Les W

Active member
mrodoc said:
tim.rose2 said:
Cheers for link to photo's.  Pretty much as I remember - sore knees all the way!  I see you climbed into the entrance - I have a memory of hitching a ladder onto something using a v-topped stick, maybe a different cave??

I see you have some pictures of Walditch cave - I've alway been lead to believe access is banned???

Tim

As I visited Walditch a long time ago access might be barred now. Sandy Hole is a tricky climb in but you could push a ladder up I suppose to get in!

I was up that way last year (didn't get underground though  :( ) and it is difficult to see how access could be denied.
The cave is wide open, in the middle of a field, several fields from the nearest buildings and right next to a public footpath.  :-\
 

Ed W

Member
Does anybody know if ammonite passage was pushed to a conclusion? The WCC book describes it as an open lead and I can't find any more up to date info.
Cheers
Dickon

Mrodoc's answer is just about spot on.  The end is still diggable, but takes about 4 hours of shear hell to get there.  There is only one place to sit up, and that is the inkwell, about 5 minutes into the trip.  As radio located, the end lies in a field, just behind some stables in Sweethill,  about 1.2km ESE of the Sandy Hole entrance as the crow flies.  Interestingly this is heading almost directly for Culver Well, a small active resurgence not far from the Bill.  I can only guess at the total length of passage beyond the old Ammonite Passage choke, as to my knowledge the survey has not been published.  Towards the end the main passage splits, and there are a couple of enticing leads.  The passage does get bigger, but this involves getting wider rather than higher...

The digs at the end all involve passage almost full to the roof of angular limestone blocks and chert.  The last small extension needed caps to advance about 20m.

This may just be the longest un-interrupted crawl in the UK - anyone know any better?
 

tim.rose2

Active member
[/quote]

As I visited Walditch a long time ago access might be barred now. Sandy Hole is a tricky climb in but you could push a ladder up I suppose to get in!
[/quote]

I was up that way last year (didn't get underground though  :( ) and it is difficult to see how access could be denied.
The cave is wide open, in the middle of a field, several fields from the nearest buildings and right next to a public footpath.  :-\
[/quote]


Cheers for the advice regarding Walditch - will have a look next time I'm over that way.
 

tim.rose2

Active member
Ed W said:
Does anybody know if ammonite passage was pushed to a conclusion? The WCC book describes it as an open lead and I can't find any more up to date info.
Cheers
Dickon

Mrodoc's answer is just about spot on.  The end is still diggable, but takes about 4 hours of shear hell to get there.  There is only one place to sit up, and that is the inkwell, about 5 minutes into the trip.  As radio located, the end lies in a field, just behind some stables in Sweethill,  about 1.2km ESE of the Sandy Hole entrance as the crow flies.  Interestingly this is heading almost directly for Culver Well, a small active resurgence not far from the Bill.  I can only guess at the total length of passage beyond the old Ammonite Passage choke, as to my knowledge the survey has not been published.  Towards the end the main passage splits, and there are a couple of enticing leads.  The passage does get bigger, but this involves getting wider rather than higher...

The digs at the end all involve passage almost full to the roof of angular limestone blocks and chert.  The last small extension needed caps to advance about 20m.

This may just be the longest un-interrupted crawl in the UK - anyone know any better?


Certainly agree with the "shear hell" comment, 1hr30 of crawling was more than enough torture for me.  I wouldn't recommend it if you value your knees or sanity!

I'd never thought about it connecting to culverwell, I guess that waters got to be coming from somewhere though obviously not ammonite passage as its dry.  Other than noticing water coming out the ground (and playing in it as a kid) I've never considered the possibility of a cave beneath it, or at least not one big enough to fit in.  Has anyone ever considered this link before these posts??

Tim
 

southpembscaver

New member
Ed W said:
Does anybody know if ammonite passage was pushed to a conclusion? The WCC book describes it as an open lead and I can't find any more up to date info.
Cheers
Dickon

Mrodoc's answer is just about spot on.  The end is still diggable, but takes about 4 hours of shear hell to get there.  There is only one place to sit up, and that is the inkwell, about 5 minutes into the trip.  As radio located, the end lies in a field, just behind some stables in Sweethill,  about 1.2km ESE of the Sandy Hole entrance as the crow flies.  Interestingly this is heading almost directly for Culver Well, a small active resurgence not far from the Bill.  I can only guess at the total length of passage beyond the old Ammonite Passage choke, as to my knowledge the survey has not been published.  Towards the end the main passage splits, and there are a couple of enticing leads.  The passage does get bigger, but this involves getting wider rather than higher...

The digs at the end all involve passage almost full to the roof of angular limestone blocks and chert.  The last small extension needed caps to advance about 20m.

This may just be the longest un-interrupted crawl in the UK - anyone know any better?

Sounds like a sporting trip, will definitely have a look at some point although it might be difficult to persuade anybody else to come. Do you know if it's being actively dug at the moment? Does it have any real prospect of finding anything other than more crawling passage? I imagine it'll be getting into camping territory as a digging proposition, although a camp with no standing or sitting space sounds interesting to say the least!
 

Ed W

Member
Sounds like a sporting trip, will definitely have a look at some point although it might be difficult to persuade anybody else to come. Do you know if it's being actively dug at the moment? Does it have any real prospect of finding anything other than more crawling passage? I imagine it'll be getting into camping territory as a digging proposition, although a camp with no standing or sitting space sounds interesting to say the least!

I don't think there has been a pushing trip for many years now.  The guy to contact would be Mike Read, he is in the Chelsea, and lives locally - he also has all of the survey data.  At Hidden Earth this year we did TALK about going back again...

 

ttxela

New member

As I visited Walditch a long time ago access might be barred now. Sandy Hole is a tricky climb in but you could push a ladder up I suppose to get in!
[/quote]

I was up that way last year (didn't get underground though  :( ) and it is difficult to see how access could be denied.
The cave is wide open, in the middle of a field, several fields from the nearest buildings and right next to a public footpath.  :-\
[/quote]

I'm doing a bit of work in Bridport from time to time at the moment and this mike make a pleasant evenings diversion if I get a chance. Any update on access?


Cheers for the advice regarding Walditch - will have a look next time I'm over that way.
[/quote]
 

portlandcaver

New member
i have the survey for flagpole and have been many times in the cave and also in guano rift but i cant seem to find the "letterbox" or the bypass. ive been right there on the survay, ive been to concrete corner and i go right and get to the end of the passage and i cant seem to see any way forward? can anybody help with this, im planning a visit on tuesday and if ican find out before then would be brill, if not i will have to spend this visit looking some more!  :-\
 

zaphod79

New member
From my memory you should walk along a passage until you reach two options a drop down tight (hence letter box) that goes left, if you have to climb up and then down and come to a dead end you have gone to far, however the straight on option goes on a lot further than the survey suggests in The Caves Of The Isle Of Portland.  Would love to head down there myself, however I am now living in Yorkshire!
 
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