Has anyone done any prospecting or caving in Smardale (near Kirkby Stephen)? I've been attempting to reach the resurgences in Crag Wood on the opposite side of the valley to the Witches Stride for the last couple of years but have been beaten back by covid, nettles, loose vegetated rock and...

Why have a couple of bolts been placed a few feet above the floor in the Main Chamber on the wall opposite the entrance? There is no sign of bolts higher on the wall and they are too far from the mud dig to be of use there.

The Westmorland Gazette reports that Giggleswick Quarry is to be developed as an industrial facility (whatever that means). The quarry would be an ideal sheltered venue for mountain biking (along the quarry terraces), rock climbing and zip wires (if you can stand 'em). It also contains at least...

Cave & Karst of the Yorkshire Dales states that Blowing Pot, situated above Penyghent Gill on Wilson's Pasture, is now over 200 feet deep. Anyone have any information about this pot beyond that given in CKYD i.e. a description and how it ends?

Around here (Grange-over-Sands) we have several large new housing developments. Rather than connecting into existing (inadequate) foul water systems, the developers are saving money by using a septic tanks system (one per site) which, in extreme conditions, dumps the overflow into limestone...

Does anyone have any information regarding Penny Farm Cave (near Sedbergh) and the immediate area around the cave? Is the cave worth a visit, permission required and any other info. would be useful.

Forget your diving rods, joss sticks and general poking around when prospecting for new cave. This is what you need - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/12201086/MoD-gravity-sensor-breakthrough-to-see-underground-or-through-walls.html

Here's one of the latest additions to our household - We seem to have quite a family up there with flights out every few seconds and a fair pile of guano on the path in the morning. The roost is above the black oak beam and behind the white cladding and so is of no concern to us. A tawny owl...

Has anyone done any prospecting or digging in the Hampsfell area? There's a lot of limestone (up to 700 ft thick)  and a sizeable culverted sea-level resurgence below Grange prom but no known caves (as yet) other than a rock shelter of some archaeological interest.