mr conners
Member
Cant find any history on it. Its an amazing achievement and i would love to know a bit more about it.
who did giants/oxlow connection first?
- Thread starter mr conners
- Start date
SamT
Moderator
Bit of stuff here..
http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=4004.0
- more if you search for 'chamber of horrors'
Have you done it, its not as bad as everyone makes out, but then I'm smaller than your average.
http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=4004.0
- more if you search for 'chamber of horrors'
Have you done it, its not as bad as everyone makes out, but then I'm smaller than your average.
Speleokitty
New member
The words summer, aquatic and supine spring to mind 
pwhole
Well-known member
Here's an account of a very early descent (1922) of Oxlow, including a survey showing just where all the miner's platforms and stemples were - the last line is particularly choice:
The Oxlow Caverns are the largest in the Castleton district, not excluding the Blue John, and it is a great pity the miners built up so much rockwork in the passages. If this would only tumble down, instead of lingering as it does, these really magnificent chambers would be a joy to the cave enthusiast for ever.
http://www.yrc.org.uk/yrcweb/index.php/journal/vols1-5/volume5/60-no16/265-v5n16p135
Also some info on the digs that led to the Giant's link here - and it was the BSA followed by Eldon that made the connection:
http://www.yrc.org.uk/yrcweb/index.php/journal/vols6-11/volume10/87-no33/597-v10n33p89
The Oxlow Caverns are the largest in the Castleton district, not excluding the Blue John, and it is a great pity the miners built up so much rockwork in the passages. If this would only tumble down, instead of lingering as it does, these really magnificent chambers would be a joy to the cave enthusiast for ever.
http://www.yrc.org.uk/yrcweb/index.php/journal/vols1-5/volume5/60-no16/265-v5n16p135
Also some info on the digs that led to the Giant's link here - and it was the BSA followed by Eldon that made the connection:
http://www.yrc.org.uk/yrcweb/index.php/journal/vols6-11/volume10/87-no33/597-v10n33p89
Goydenman
Well-known member
Very interesting, thanks pwhole.
Remember once rigging Giants and then goin to Oxlow and doing the through trip. When we got to Garlands pot no ladder hmm. Then a light and the farmer shouted down 'you know you can't do this go back'. He then noticed me (local lad at that time) and said 'and you Fox should know better'. So we went down Crabwalk hid round the corner waited froze waited and then climbed out when he had gone and legged it over the fields. Never did understand why when willing to pay the normal amount we were not allowed to do the through trip. The climb up Garlands was interesting
Remember once rigging Giants and then goin to Oxlow and doing the through trip. When we got to Garlands pot no ladder hmm. Then a light and the farmer shouted down 'you know you can't do this go back'. He then noticed me (local lad at that time) and said 'and you Fox should know better'. So we went down Crabwalk hid round the corner waited froze waited and then climbed out when he had gone and legged it over the fields. Never did understand why when willing to pay the normal amount we were not allowed to do the through trip. The climb up Garlands was interesting
mr conners
Member
I haven't done it Sam, would love to. Have done the sting in nettle about five times and the freeze squeeze.SamT said:
How does it compare to those two beauties?
mr conners
Member
Yes thanks pwhole. Great articles.
Important in awe of those boys. Must have been real adventure. No decent lit. Crap lights. No rescue. Brilliant.
Oxlow was my first ever srt trip as the rigger and it always has a special place in my heart.
Wonder if i will ever do the connection? Not sure important brave enough
Important in awe of those boys. Must have been real adventure. No decent lit. Crap lights. No rescue. Brilliant.
Oxlow was my first ever srt trip as the rigger and it always has a special place in my heart.
Wonder if i will ever do the connection? Not sure important brave enough
bograt
Active member
mr conners said:
Done connection a few times, done most parts of Nettle a few times, don't know the "Sting", so can't compare (where is the Sting? is it recent?) best comparison I can make is the last squeeze in the very bottom of Devonshire times 6 length, or Critchlow, might be others elsewhere but can't recall.
All I can say is pick a dry time and make yourself thin.
Pitlamp
Well-known member
Goydenman said:Very interesting, thanks pwhole.
Remember once rigging Giants and then goin to Oxlow and doing the through trip. When we got to Garlands pot no ladder hmm. Then a light and the farmer shouted down 'you know you can't do this go back'. He then noticed me (local lad at that time) and said 'and you Fox should know better'. So we went down Crabwalk hid round the corner waited froze waited and then climbed out when he had gone and legged it over the fields. Never did understand why when willing to pay the normal amount we were not allowed to do the through trip. The climb up Garlands was interesting
Would that have been the late Tom Watson? He was alright really. Wish I'd been a fly on the wall though; bet that was hilarious!
Goydenman
Well-known member
Yer Tom was ok once you got chatting to him but I think it was his son that caught me that day pitlamp. As a local you could not get away with anything but having said that I did find a way to get back into the place I worked each day after it was shut!!! Sorry going off topic.
bograt
Active member
Yea, Dave was a bit like that in his younger days, that was before he met TSG and began to be a normal caver, ( as normal as you can be, owning a cave like giants) .
He once did something similar to me while I was down there, 15 years later he persuaded his dad to employ me on the farm when I hit hard times, be careful what you say about them in my presence.
He once did something similar to me while I was down there, 15 years later he persuaded his dad to employ me on the farm when I hit hard times, be careful what you say about them in my presence.
underground
Active member
nice one bograt the Watsons can't have been anything but reasonable or even totally accommodating as far as cavers have been concerned. It's easy to see farmers as miserable / grumpy etc but f*** me, try doing it for a year, it's 24/7 hard graft with no day off. That's harder than an Oxlow-Giant's -Oxlow trip, however hard you are....
I doubt the 'no exit' rule was for the sake of it. It'd be good to know, actually....
the Watsons can't have been anything but reasonable or even totally accommodating as far as cavers have been concerned. It's easy to see farmers as miserable / grumpy etc but f*** me, try doing it for a year, it's 24/7 hard graft with no day off. That's harder than an Oxlow-Giant's -Oxlow trip, however hard you are....I doubt the 'no exit' rule was for the sake of it. It'd be good to know, actually....
I remember Tom Watson as a lad younger than me at the time. Old man Watson, name escapes me, used to put us up in the barn and let us down giants, pre backwash baling days, all for a shilling. We'd stay for a night or two having cycled from Sheffield and sometimes help on the farm. Mrs Watson would give us tea and cakes, lovely people, great days. It was cavers walking over from Edale station that started the rot by cutting across the land and damaging walls.
As others have said it's more "uncomfortable" than difficult. The tightest bit is at the Oxlow end but the Giant's end can become impsssable in wet weather. In the good old days (ladder n line)a good 'ard trip was to bottom Giants in AND OUT of Maskhill.
I recall Tom once threatening me with a shotgun when I was trying to pirate Giants following his ban, we later became firm friends.
I recall Tom once threatening me with a shotgun when I was trying to pirate Giants following his ban, we later became firm friends.
Mrs Trellis
Well-known member
"Old man" Watson was George iirc. He was the one who got Joe Revell to work on Giant's.
As for the first throught the connection I'm fairly sure Westy, the Gills, Henry Mares, Geoff Dobson would have been there or thereabouts. It must be in the Eldon records somewhere.
As for the first throught the connection I'm fairly sure Westy, the Gills, Henry Mares, Geoff Dobson would have been there or thereabouts. It must be in the Eldon records somewhere.
bograt
Active member
Mrs Trellis said:
Sorry to dissillusion you but there was no George, Tom was the first Watson, bought it from the Devonshire estate when they got hammered for death duties in the '1950's(ish). Same time as Ritters bought P8, Gautries etc.
I do admit that he co-opted the help of Bill (?) Revell (Bagshaw Cavern) to try to turn it into a show cave during the 1970's foot and mouth crisis, but planning law prevented it.
