Spencer?s Level (Via Gellia) CROMFORD

Skinnymatts

New member
Hi I have been doing a few of the Adits/mines and caves around the Via Gellia, Cromford area. I Just wondering if anyone had any information on Spencer?s Level? Travelled to Cromford today and set about knocking a few mines/adits/caves off my list and on entrance to Spencer?s level there are hundreds of bones.. just wondering if anyone can shed any light on this because After taking 1 photo I quickly dispersed back out of hole. thanks again! Skinny
 

mch

Member
That's interesting - I've been in Spencer's Level several times over the last few decades, the last time about 2 years ago, and I've never seen a single bone!
This must be a recent development. Any idea what sort of animal the bones were from?
 

Skinnymatts

New member
I?m sure I have the right one pinned. It?s just to the right after the wood bridge that leads up to goodluck? Definitely a fox living down there or something  so didn?t want to disturb it. Was a lot of big bones down there though😂
 

AR

Well-known member
I was thinking the same - I don't recall there being bones in Spencer's, just lots of spiders! I wonder if a fox has taken up residence? As for information, there are several articles in old PDMHS bulletins about Goodluck and the other Via Gellia levels.
 

Skinnymatts

New member
Only managed to get a quick snap. Like you say the spiders are huge in this one😳 still didn?t fancy venturing down that tunnel to find a fox😂 yeah I?ve read up a little about it just wondered if anyone else had noticed the bones! Thanks again guys!!
 

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Mark

Well-known member
Maybe this explains it
 

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wellyjen

Well-known member
Or the creatures shown in that fine caving documentary The Descent have moved to Cromford and you've found their table scraps.
 

Skinnymatts

New member
If anyone has any photos inside of Spencer?s level they wouldnt mind sharing with me would love to see the inside. Was the only one I?ve come across with stoned walls so far. Would love to see the rest of it. Thanks again everyone, glad I joined this group. It?s full of information and banter😆😆😆😆👍👍👍
 

mch

Member
Skinnymatts said:
If anyone has any photos inside of Spencers level they wouldnt mind sharing with me would love to see the inside.

As requested. Top is a few yards inside the entrance showing the stone stemples in the level roof, middle is the forefield in solid limestone at the end of the level and bottom is a cache of nuts in a small gap in the stonework at the side of the level, presumably left by a squirrel.
 

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Paul Marvin

Member
braveduck said:
If there is a Fox in residence there will be a very strong pungent smell at the entrance .

True they have a very distinct smell once you have been introduced to it  :yucky:
 

AR

Well-known member
I don't think it would be a badger, they tend to be a lot cleaner - a bone scatter like that is usually a fox, but you'd expect it to be pretty pungent. The nut cache will have been made by a wood mouse, not a squirrel.
 

Skinnymatts

New member
I have no idea what animal it could be then. Some of the bones were the length of my foot and as thick as 2 fingers. There were scattered everywhere.
 

AR

Well-known member
Another possibility is that a local farmer has decided to use it as a dead sheep repository... :ras:
 

AR

Well-known member
I'm thinking that because a few years back, I found a dead calf dumped in a binliner outside Spinney. Reported it to environmental health...
 

bograt

Active member
A farmer is unlikely to put a dead calf in a bin liner before dumping it, folk are too quick to jump to the wrong conclusions, I would suggest people think carefully about following this line of accusation----
 

pwhole

Well-known member
I found a 'rack of lambs' stuffed headfirst down a small partially-blocked climbing-shaft on farmland near Castleton that we were looking for - at least four pairs of tiny back legs sticking out. So we decided to leave it a couple of years and try again - though still not been back. But that was definitely not done by a member of the general public.
 

NewStuff

New member
bograt said:
A farmer is unlikely to put a dead calf in a bin liner before dumping it, folk are too quick to jump to the wrong conclusions, I would suggest people think carefully about following this line of accusation----
I know a few livestock farmers. Several are in my family, both retired and present. I spent a number of childhood years on dairy farms, we had pet cows, as the dogs were working dogs. There's pictures of a very, very young me riding around on one such pet.

If they find an issue with a calf (sheep, whatever) before it's tagged and registered, that calf doesn't actually "exist" as far as bureaucracy and paperwork are concerned. Plenty of reliable stories of less scrupulous types doing such things, though less common now than in say, the 80's.
 
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