Giants Hole access track problem

Jenny P

Active member
It has just been reported that there is a problem on the track leading to Giants Hole at the sharp bend where the track to Peakshill Farm leaves the B6061 road.  Cavers driving down to the parking place for Giants Hole are advised to go very cautiously past this point at present.

Jenny Potts,
DCA Hon. Secretary
 

Pete K

Well-known member
For those not in the area, the road is now closed between Sparrowpit and the top of Winnats Pass. Access to Peakshill Farm, and therefore Giant's Hole, looks doubtful as it is their track that is currently collapsing into a mineshaft on the edge of the road.
 

SamT

Moderator
They've been rebuilding the wall there for a little while now. I assume theyve disturbed something that didn't want disturbing!
 

cavermark

New member
Pete K said:
For those not in the area, the road is now closed between Sparrowpit and the top of Winnats Pass. Access to Peakshill Farm, and therefore Giant's Hole, looks doubtful as it is their track that is currently collapsing into a mineshaft on the edge of the road.

Out of interest, is it a known/explored mineshaft?........
 

Pete K

Well-known member
If I had to guess - the material they levelled the shaft hollow with to build the wall on has collapsed whatever cap lay on the shaft below and this has led to the rather large sinkhole now present. The nice new wall is now missing about 6m from the middle. It's gone to T'owd man.

cavermark - there is a thread here somewhere I saw. Search something like 'Whats this hole?'

Edit: http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=10932.0
 

bograt

Active member
I'm over that side of the hill tomorrow, I'll  see if I've got time to detour and have a look.
 

Rob

Well-known member
We went into Giants last night without issue.

The road is officially closed, but the bollards are positioned to allow access to the farm track ok. The collapse is on the West (Sparrowpit side) of the track so i would have thought access from at least the Winnats end should be kept possible for the foreseeable.

The hole is big, so i can't see a solution happening quickly...
 

Moose

New member
I wish who ever decided to do this work had contacted someone who knew what was there first.

Surveyed in 2010 :

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pu18bgglvzt6ghy/Shaft_Faucet.3d?dl=0

Went over today and had a look, its not a big issue from my point of view. All that's happened is that some fool has pushed a load of debris into the hole and back filled it, when in actual fact all the debris pushed in was being held back by a restriction. As these things do it's now run into the bottom (-32m) and the hole at the top is the same size and stability that it's always been. There is absolutely no danger that the road is going to subside into the hole.

They need to :

a) Fill in the hole completely, which will take a fair bit of filling.

or

b) Install some engineering just above the restriction and then just back fill the top bit.

Either way, it's all mined out faucet rake and there's no natural down there.
 

bograt

Active member
Had a look in passing today (in fact, met Moose up there) the road closure is an over-reaction, I think they have to cover themselves when something like this happens within so many feet of a public highway.
Access to the Giants driveway is still available from the Winnats direction for vehicles with a good steering lock, I would advise others (minibusses etc.) to approach from the Eldon Quarry direction, they are only plastic barriers which can be easily swung open, but make sure you close them again!

The hole itself is very interesting, I would put it about 20metres, (but there again Moose has surveyed it) a level goes off at the bottom, I didn't ask Moose what was at the end of it but it is likely to have an effect on the drainage of the Snelslow swallets if the depth could be attained.

I think the best solution would be to bridge the roadside section to allow the wall and drive to be finished, but leave a caver access on the off-road side to allow for further exploration.

 

Mrs Trellis

Well-known member
I thought Faucet rake was further south , running through Maskhill & Oxlow roughly parallel to the road.

I think the rake may be the same one that comes over the hillock (Snelslow) with a double line of mounds clearly visible north west of the Sparrowpit road when going west to the Wanted Inn. It's not labelled in my Ford & Rieuwerts.
 

Moose

New member
You're right, it is the Oxlow/Maskhill rake but it comes down the hill gradually getting closer to the road as you head west. At the point where this feature is, the rake has just crossed the road. i.e just after or before that corner depending on which way your travelling you drive right over it.

There's a map I have which sums it all up perfectly but I've got no idea how to get it on here?.

West of this feature it does appear to fragment somewhat and it's not at all obvious what's what.
 

biffa

New member
https://twitter.com/hollowford/status/536901697801818112

See if I can embed the image from Tw*tter
B3N1P9lIYAAxWds.jpg


Looks quite big!
 

bograt

Active member
All that from a 14inch (approx 350mm) borehole???
Don't know what its got to do with Snelslow though, no salt up there!???

BTW Moose, What did you find at the end of that level? , need to go down to find the water!.
 

Moose

New member
I was trying to demonstrate that it's not that big a hole?

So, it's a mined out section of the rake which is fairly wide (2-3m) and descend vertically to a restriction. From there it starts off vertical again for perhaps 3-4m onto a steeply descending slope of boulders (mined deads to be precise) eventually it pinches in as it reaches the vein running down the east side. There's a small bit in the roof which is just an alcove.

There may be a way on down amongst the boulders at the bottom but it's only a slim chance and it would be mined as opposed to natural. Also it's now under several additional tons of slop.

Obviously there's previous for mines in this area breaking out in to natural but I rather think that any effort would be better trying to get into boggards roaring hole on the other side of the road.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4hcioop98cgclgx/boggard_hole%20copy.jpg?dl=0
 
Top