Hi all,
Sorry for another post. Had a quick re-fresher trip round Goatchurch this evening, made good progress down through the Dexion to the very end (less tight than I remember thankfully!) Coming out we decided to explore some of the smaller passages. We bumped into a group of cavers, and asked about some of the smaller passages - they explained that the one we were looking at 'f-ing' tight was for size 6 cavers only. Being a size 8 I thought I stood a good chance of getting through, got to the middle, with both hands in front of me, but made the mistake of putting my arm through a hole and got well and truly stuck.

So this post is a thanks for the kind (unknown) caver who talked me down and got me to reverse after a good 5 minutes of total panic. During the kerfuffle I managed to lose my spare Petzl torch down a hole. If anyone is mad enough to go down f-ing tight and happens to find it I'd be very greatful if you could let me know, and I will return the favour with a pint or two.

PS I also owe the unknown caver a few pints too.

Which bit is 'f-ing' tight? I've been through hellish tight once in my younger, slimmer days. That is the horribly small tube from the water chamber to the passage before the drainpipe (easily reached by the more conventional route). I went through there with one arm in front and one behind and ended up firmly wedged, having to be pulled out of the hole by my arm.

The other fun tight bit of Goatchurch I can remember is a rather obscure route between the water chamber and the boulder chamber above that avoids either of the routes by the coffin lid. From the very back of the water chamber there is a very tight vertical squeeze with no foot holds (and I vaguely remember a right angle turn part way up) that emerges in the floor of the boulder chamber above.

It's possibly Hellish tight, your description sounds about right.  It was horribly tight, and near to the drainpipe. There was a rope passing through it, which if you got through and followed it down it leads to a ladder & a dig.

It didn't have a rope when I did it (though this was around 15 years ago) but I reckon it is the same place. The fixed ladder to a dig is near the start of the drainpipe and my recollection of hellish tight was that it came out somewhere in that vicinity. The entry to the passage was on the right hand side of the water chamber looking downslope.

The water chamber to boulder chamber route is well worth a go if you can find it.