This summer between lockdowns I was privileged to be invited by the digging team to photograph 'Land of Hope and Glory'. The culmination of 4 years of digging effort by the Wookey Hole digging team. The latest breakthrough revealed over 300m of new passage with further leads ongoing. This month the full story has been published in Descent magazine issue 277 and is well worth adding to any cavers library.

In the beginning.....the 2019 breakthrough chamber:






The bedding passages:



The lofty Rift:



Stunning conglomerates:





Dog tooth crystals in the eastern end of big rift:







Coz mud can be pretty too at the western end of big rift:







The big Rift:

Great shots Mark. It looks big! 

Wow - an amazing achievement! That'll be why you all look so excited in the photos!!

Elaine said:

Wow - an amazing achievement! That'll be why you all look so excited in the photos!!

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Haha, not like us Cussey lot 

Fantastic; congratulations all!

Yes a BIG WELL DONE to all....thanks Mark for the photos

Great work - and great photos. Well done to Max, Duncan and the team.

irnbru said:

Great work - and great photos. Well done to Max, Duncan and the team.

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I would like to note that I played a very very minor roll in this

maxf said:

irnbru said:

Great work - and great photos. Well done to Max, Duncan and the team.

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I would like to note that I played a very very minor roll in this

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Maybe not in the discovery of Land of Hope & Glory but you were essential for "the other dig" that went recently.

Edit: nice pictures Mark - it's good of you to share them.

Duncan Price said:

maxf said:

irnbru said:

Great work - and great photos. Well done to Max, Duncan and the team.

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I would like to note that I played a very very minor roll in this

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Maybe not in the discovery of Land of Hope & Glory but you were essential for "the other dig" that went recently.

Edit: nice pictures Mark - it's good of you to share them.

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Chief drill sherpa 

Knowing what's it is like lugging stuff around underwater  in Wookey I would say that was a significant role.

Rob said:

Great shots Mark. It looks big! 

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Cheers Rob. Congratulations on your new discoveries and fab photos. Lovely cover shot!

Awesome photos Mark,  & really well done to the digging team. What a find!!!

Tav's face in the third photo down 

Awesome photos, fantastic geology.. that last photo really shows up the rift nicely, which is formed along a 'neptunean dyke'. This cuts through the dark red Triassic conglomerate and is infilled with younger paler grey Late Triassic mudstone, which you can see in the roof. The mudstone  is cemented with celestite, with some great dogtooth calcite.

Duglasogr said:

Can I contact Administration?
It is important.
Regards.

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Yes you can.  You can use the report a post system, the email on the front page (ukcavemail@gmail.com) or contact one of the users identified as either admin or moderator.

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