As you drop down from Tor Rocks on the path to Chrome Hill, there's a lidded entrance nestled in the base of a sink. Complete with small shaft, 3 layers of oil drums and one rigging pole. Tried to look it up in Ford's book. Anyone got any more up to date info on it? Cheers :?

zomjon said:

As you drop down from Tor Rocks on the path to Chrome Hill, there's a lidded entrance nestled in the base of a sink. Complete with small shaft, 3 layers of oil drums and one rigging pole. Tried to look it up in Ford's book. Anyone got any more up to date info on it? Cheers :?

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I stumbled across the very same sink (and another one nearby) yesterday, and was just going the ask the very same question!

The oil drums you mention seemed to have moved somewhat (particularly the bottom one) but its still *looks* passable. Also, immediately next to the shaft, an area approx 1.5m x 1.5m of land has sunk and looks fairly recent - at a glance it appears to line up with the shifted oil drum. I couldn't tell if it was passable beyond the oil drums. There was a stream sinking just couple of meters above the shaft and water could be heard below.

Another swallet: Nearby, if you continue along the path heading towards Chrome Hill, and take a left turn off the path following a wide shallow gully there is another sink slightly smaller than the other one. The bank end of the swallet has a lot of loose material slumping into it, but the cave is still accessible with a stream flowing straight into it. Interestingly a fixed hand line was in place! Intriguing....

What are these two sinks? Is one "Chrome Hill Swallet"? Are they extensive? Worth an evening trip (and the walk in!) ?

The walk in is definitely the best bit. Sink 1 is a very old dig - not sure of its current status. No.2 sounds like Chrome Hill Swallet: follow stream down feet first and drop into small pot, then down sloping rift into large mud-walled passage which peters out in depressing mud banks almost immediately. Getting out of the entrance climb/squeeze is interesting first time (the rope won't help much). See 'The Lyre' 1975-ish or ask at OCC.

Thanks for the info Armchair... I definitely know who to speak to at the Orpheus as I have no doubt they've dug down there.

Yeah, the entrance looked like it could be interesting getting out again! Tiz a shame its full of mud banks.

Yes, it looks very enticing, but the end is pretty undiggable. Dye tests were inconclusive in the '70's, but there are some impenetrable risings in the river to the W to which the water might well go in the end. More promising is Sandholes swallet a few hundred metres to the S, which was also dug during the same period through large boulders to about 8m depth before it ran in very suddenly. Positively tested to Dowel, but slim chance of permission to dig these days, as the same, albeit very nice farmer has filled in and indeed completely obliterated all signs of the equally promising Stoney Low Hole to the NE. Again, contact OCC for advice re. maintaining goodwill in the area.