Caving shops no more

Badlad

Badlad

Administrator
Staff member
This morning I was trying to think of all the caving retailers which had closed down in the last 30 years or so.

Hitch n Hike
Cave and Crag
Bat Products
Settle Water Sports
Bernies

All came to mind straight away.  Can anyone remind me of others?
Thanks
 
Pete K

Pete K

Well-known member
Caving Supplies is now up for sale too. I don't expect it will remain a caving shop.
 
Alex

Alex

Well-known member
I have updated the Bernies entry. I will leave the other areas to cavers who live in those areas.

Added an important missing one too!
 
royfellows

royfellows

Well-known member
Pete K said:
Caving Supplies is now up for sale too. I don't expect it will remain a caving shop.
Click to expand...

Oh no!
Mind Phil must be at retiring age by now. Hopefully someone will take it on as a business.
 
M

mikem

Well-known member
TBF several of them have retired, or passed away.

I would include Daleswear; Beaver (diving) still produce a basic caving suit & kneepads, but you rarely see them:
http://www.beaversports.co.uk/Catalogue/Category/156?cat=oversuits

Bernies is now run by ISCA Outdoors from Devon: https://www.berniescaveshop.co.uk/

Not quite sure when this was last updated, but quite some time ago (& do Field & Trek really qualify?):
http://www.arbarama.com/cave/speleo/suppliers.html

Rocksport is nearer 40 years ago. Jo Royale never did much, but is still going in Buxton.

Related threads: https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=2994.0

& https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=2996.0
[it would appear Baines was gone by 1979: http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/baines.html ]
 
M

mikem

Well-known member
Which features in a similar thread:
https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/gear/remembering_good_climbing_shops_that_closed-618129

A lot of canoe / kayak shops have gone the same way, but so have many small high street retailers.
 
C

Chocolate fireguard

Active member
In the 90s there was one in Settle.
Going into the town from the E, off the main street to the right, about 100m before the market square. Perhaps 30m along that street on the left.
I think it was a converted house.
 
Alex

Alex

Well-known member
Alex, I'm not sure if Tony would be happy to be described as "Semi Active"!
Click to expand...

That was how he described his activity to me at a Hidden earth, but I guess his activity is irrelevant to the info anyway.
 
Pitlamp

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Some readers will remember Brendan Brew's caving shop in Ingleton; he had some gear of his own brand "Brock".

Incidentally, before Inglesport was where it is now, it used to be a right good fish and chip shop!
 
andys

andys

Well-known member
mikem said:
Chocolate fireguard said:
In the 90s there was one in Settle.
Click to expand...
Cave & Crag (in first thread I linked to already)
Click to expand...

I seem to think Cave and Crag moved a few times - I've a memory of them being down by the Post Office at some stage - as well as where the "vintage/antiques" shop is now, not far from the Naked Man.
 
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