The British Caving Library (BCL) has been asked if it has a copy of the survey of Sod Hole Gill Cave (or Sodhole Gill Cave), originally produced by the Yorkshire Underground Research Team (YURT). This is known to have existed as a separate survey. It turns out that BCL doesn't have a separate...

Hollow Earth, Nottingahm - Art, Caves and the Subterranean Imaginary is happening from 24 September 2022 to 22 January 2023. This is a series of "galleries" illustrating various aspects of the caves in Nottingham, which has over 800 caves carved into the sandstone rock, as well as other...

The British Caving Library would like to complete its run of CDG publications and we are seeking 4 issues of the early "CDG Letters to Members", which pre-date the more familiar CDG Newsletter. If anyone has copies of issues 21, 22, 23 and 24, published between Dec. 1950 and Dec. 1956, please...

COVID 19 Update We are pleased to welcome visitors back to the British Caving Library from Wednesday 12th August.  We will accept one visitor at a time or two if they are from the same household.  Visits must be booked in advance via email and at that point we will let you know of our special...

During the coronavirus outbreak, for the moment the British Caving Library will still be dealing with queries received by email or phone to the usual contacts. However we cannot accept visitors to the Library at present. This is, of course, subject to any further government rulings on travel...

Orpheus C. C. Cottage closed to all members and visitors On Monday 16th March, the UK Government released updated advice regarding the COVID-19 (coronavirus) virus. The BCA and ESF have also shared some guidance specific to caving and similar activities...

We have now been able to do a mega-sort-out of our holdings of BSA publications, thanks to Katie, and find we have quite a few duplicates of various items.  There don't seem to be any complete runs and sometimes there is only one spare copy.  We have some copies of the following issues: Caves &...

We have in the British Caving Library just one copy of the Brigantes Rover Crew Log Book for 1956.  They were the Brighouse District Rover Scout Group and they were keenly interested in caving.  Below is their report of a trip to Pikedaw Calamine Caverns, on a snowy weekend in January 1956...

Just bought a copy of this, published in 2018, for the British Caving Library as part of our plan to acquire all published material on the Thai Cave Rescue. Unfortunately it must take the biscuit for the worst caving book I've ever read - it's absolutely dire!  It purports to be "... a work of...

Just to let everyone know that the British Caving Library will be running a stand all weekend at Hidden Earth where we will have our traditional "Lucky Dip" boxes. All boxes contain spare duplicate copies of items we already have at BCL so we'd like to "recycle" them to other cavers or club...

A ?KEEP OUT, TURN BACK.? sign has recently appeared next to the public footpath on the gate which gives permitted access for cavers across private land to Lathkill Head Upper Entrance.  This notice is NOT aimed at cavers - it appears to be aimed at young people on Duke of Edinburgh Award...

The combi. lock on the Mandale Aqueduct level has been broken so it has had to be replaced by an ordinary padlock.  For information on how to obtain a key, email the DCA Access Officer at access-off [at] theDCA.org.uk. This is a public safety issue because it is at the side of the Lathkill Dale...

Following the identification and extraction of one duff P-bolt, please avoid using anchors at the head of the usual route down Leviathan.  A second bolt in this area also failed its test but could not be extracted and this has been marked with red cable-ties. Following a report of a suspect...

A really positive TV piece about caving on Tuesday evening:  More 4, ?The Yorkshire Dales and the Lakes?, the last segment of the programme starting at about 9.45pm.  A caving instructor took a small group of elderly ladies (one aged 80+) from Hardraw Village into Kingsdale Master Cave.  The...

The defunct anchors at the top of Eldon Hole have now all been replaced by Dan Hibberts & co., following consultations with Bob Dearman and Pete Knight.  The original anchors had rotted and were removed by being given a hefty kick, so constructing suitable long-lasting replacements has taken...

Unfortunately it has proved impossible to maintain safe access to the site using the ?Derbyshire Key? system because persons unknown persistently leave the gate open after undoing the bolt.  Lathkill Dale is very popular with the general public and it is essential that the site is kept safe to...

It has recently been reported that, at the first natural anchor, before going through the very tight window into Damocles Rift, the fixed SRT rope appears to have been attached to the anchor in a less than safe way, such that there may be a danger of it failing.  It is suggested that the rope...

DCA's Legal & Insurance Officer has been in touch with Joe Oldfield and he is agreeable for cavers to use his office car park at weekends and weekday evenings to help prevent further confrontations with the owner of Holme Hall.  It means cavers can park and change out of sight of the Holme Hall...

The owner of nearby Holme Hall is now refusing ALL access to Holme Bank Mine, regardless of which entrance is used.  He insists that Joe Oldfield does not own the land next to Entrance 2 and has no right to grant access via this entrance, despite DCA being advised that Mr. Oldfield does have...

A report has just been received that the slope leading up to the Banana Slide in Mouldridge Mine has collapsed and there is no way through. This area should be avoided until this has been investigated further. Jenny Potts, DCA Hon. Sec.