Darfar Ridge pothole in Derbyshire

J

juliemorgan

New member
Hi everyone,

Apologies for pouncing, but is anyone familiar with Dapha Ridge pothole in Derbyshire? (excuse the spelling if this is wrong).
 
alastairgott

alastairgott

Well-known member
Hi Julie,

The best place to find information is the Peak District caving website.

I think you might be looking for dafar and darfar caves, there's about 5 with similarly spelt names in hamps and manifold https://peakdistrictcaving.info/home/the-caves/hamps-manifold

There is a survey for Dafar ridge cave on the peak district caving website under the SSSI audit word document.

https://peakdistrictcaving.info/home/the-caves/hamps-manifold/dafar-ridge-cave


If you havn't already got one, I would highly recommend buying a copy of Caves of the peak district http://www.caving-supplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/68010%7C%7C%7C600%7Cuser%7C%7C762
 
J

juliemorgan

New member
Hi,

Much thanks for replying and the info provided is very useful, although I'm actually trying to track down long lost relatives who were involved with this particular cave. Does the name Stephen Johnson mean anything to you? If so that would be great!
 
alastairgott

alastairgott

Well-known member
It doesn't to me, but I've just done a google for "Stephen Johnson" caving

the Result popped up with a Scarborough caving club newsletter. http://nymcc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1993-10.pdf

An interesting thing about it was that another Derbyshire name pops up too, Mike Higgins, whether it's the same Mike we know is another question? I'm sure he'll spot this and correct me if not.


---edit-----
If Stephen was indeed in Scarborough Caving club, then a person named Stephen was in another newsletter in the year after. "chalky" is mentioned as digging with "Stephen" in newclose rigg pot.
http://nymcc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1994-7.pdf
I know Chalky is still active on the North York moors scene, but I think with York Caving Club now? (or at least closely associated).

 
AR

AR

Well-known member
The Derbyshire Caving Association may be able to help - although the Darfar Pothole Club has now folded, some of its members are still active.
 
J

juliemorgan

New member
AR said:
The Derbyshire Caving Association may be able to help - although the Darfar Pothole Club has now folded, some of its members are still active.
Click to expand...

Had a feeling this might be the case, but if members are still active then perhaps they'll be able to help? I'm planning on heading out that way in the summer so would be good if to catch up with them if I'm lucky enough to find them...
 
Z

zomjon

Member
Try Pete, dead opposite Ye Olde Royal Oak in Wetton, was an active member of Darfar and I know he had a key to Darfar Ridge, forgotten his surname at present, pub would know though!
 
mch

mch

Member
alastairgott said:
Mike, you weren't part of Scarborough caving club were you? Have I lost the plot again?
Click to expand...
Funnily enough, I was a member of SCC for several years in the early 90s when I lived in Bridlington.
 
mrodoc

mrodoc

Well-known member
juliemorgan said:
Hi,

Much thanks for replying and the info provided is very useful, although I'm actually trying to track down long lost relatives who were involved with this particular cave. Does the name Stephen Johnson mean anything to you? If so that would be great!
Click to expand...

It was Steve Johnson who took me into Darfar Ridge Cave some years ago. I did a bit of caving with his group and visited their digs in the area.
 
B

bobdearman

New member
Also you could try Pete Mellors, he's the DCA  Legal& Insurance Office who used to cave a lot with the Trent Valley cavers in the Manifold Valley. His email is legal.insurance@theDCA.org.uk
 
J

Jenny P

Active member
We also have a number of the Darfar Potholing Club Newsletters in the British Caving Library - mainly in electronic form (jpegs of each page from 1992 to 1995), which I'm presently sorting and turning into pdfs to enable them to be read sequentially and possibly printed out. 

This includes the newsletters from predecessor club, Trent Valley Cave Exploration Group, which changed its name to DPC in, I think, 1986 (but that's the one year we don't have).

I also have some contact emails for past members of DPC if you'd like to PM me.

 
S

sjukmidlands

New member
juliemorgan said:
Hi,

Much thanks for replying and the info provided is very useful, although I'm actually trying to track down long lost relatives who were involved with this particular cave. Does the name Stephen Johnson mean anything to you? If so that would be great!
Click to expand...

That would be me. I'm Steven Johnson, not Stephen Johnson. With Martin, I was the first through into the Darfar Ridge Cave extensions.
 
S

sjukmidlands

New member
mrodoc said:
juliemorgan said:
Hi,

Much thanks for replying and the info provided is very useful, although I'm actually trying to track down long lost relatives who were involved with this particular cave. Does the name Stephen Johnson mean anything to you? If so that would be great!
Click to expand...

It was Steve Johnson who took me into Darfar Ridge Cave some years ago. I did a bit of caving with his group and visited their digs in the area.
Click to expand...
Hi Pete!  Hope you're ok. It was me who took you through Darfar Ridge Cave, and caved with you elsewhere too.
 
J

Jenny P

Active member
Worth reading the Cave and Mine Conservation Audit for the Manifold and Hamps Valleys, 2nd. Edn. 2007, which Mel Milner produced for DCA.  This 79 page book has sections on the geology & geomorphology, hydrology, archaeology and biospeleology of the Manifold and Hamps Valleys and the caves therein plus numerous maps, surveys and photos, including details of Darfar Ridge Cave and all the others in the Manifold Valley.  This is available for a free download from the DCA website at www.theDCA.org.uk
 
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