Dave Shearsmith
Member
BCRA NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2025
Our Social media news outlets...
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/groups/britishcaver
• BCRA News forum: http://bcra.org.uk/forum
• The Darkness Below https://darknessbelow.co.uk
• UK Caving http://ukcaving.com/board/?board=86.0
In this newsletter
2025 Hidden Earth Update The dates for Hidden Earth have been announced as 26th-28th September 2025 in the same venue as last year at Llangollen Please check with the Hidden Earth media outlets and website [ https://hidden.earth/# ] for further information . If you wish to submit a lecture/presentation / workshop ,you can now do this on the Hidden Earth website . Details of the various competitions are also available on the website. Lectures are filling up fast with a demonstration from Artist Robin Gray, an update on the Redhouse Swallet Extensions and Cave Archaeology. Tickets are now available on line
2025 BCRA Science Symposium and AGM Final circular and Registration being now open
The 36th Annual Cave Science Symposium will be hosted by Professor David Richards, Linda Wilson and Professor Fiona Whitaker at the University of Bristol’s School of Geographical Sciences, University Road Bristol on Saturday 11th October 2025. We welcome everyone with an interest in caves and karst science. This will be a live in-person event but will also be streamed online, where possible. The BCRA AGM will be held in person and online at the end of the morning session. Following the symposium, an informal evening meal will be arranged for those who are interested. Further details will follow. Field trips will take place on Sunday 12th October in the wider Bristol area, including the nearby Mendips.
Call for Abstracts
The lecture programme is now full but there is space for more posters.Those wishing to present a poster at the Symposium should send a title and an abstract of up to 300 words to David Richards (david.richards@bristol.ac.uk) by 15th September. Please include “BCRA” in the subject line of your email.
Registration is now open. There is no registration fee, but donations would be appreciated (we suggest £5 - £10 for non-students) to help cover the cost of the event. Donations can be made on the day or online at https://bcra.org.uk/bookshop/donate.html).
Student Travel Grants Support with travel costs will be available for students who provide a talk or poster and, subject to demand, it may be possible to offer travel support to other student attendees.
Further information Details of the venue and local facilities in Bristol as well as details of the programme and field trips are now available on the final circular . For enquiries concerning oral or poster presentations please contact David Richards (david.richards@bristol.ac.uk)..
www.facebook.com
BCRA Online Seminars The online seminars will re-commence on September15th via zoom with Linda Wilson from Bristol University Forgotten Voices Speak: Recording historic graffiti in Kents Cavern, Torquay
The Raking Light team are working with the management at Kents Cavern, Torquay on a
project to record and research the myriad inscriptions and other markings left behind by
visitors to the cave. Early researchers such as Father John McEnery and William Pengelly
noted many of the inscriptions they found but noted that some were already being lost to a
covering of calcite. As part of the cave's conservation plan, the aim is to record and
photograph the current state of the inscriptions as well as other marks throughout the cave
made with chalk, candle smoke and pencil. The project is amassing a wealth of detail about
early visitors to the cave and, working with genealogical and historic records, the team hopes
to shine a light on the identity of some of these people.
Please see the BCRA website for further details. If anyone can deliver a seminar later this year or in 2026, please contact the organiser, Emily Tilby.
BCRA membership . If you haven’t renewed your membership, or wish to join, go to the membership and subscription section of the BCRA website or upgrade your BCA membership through Just Go.
Supporting BCRA.
Members will note that there has been a lack of field meetings since the end of Covid restrictions and we encourage anyone willing to organise a meeting to contact the secretary.
Council membership
If anyone wishes to be on the BCRA council, then nominations have to be in by the end of September including members who are already on council . The application form is available on the BCRA website.
IT Support
As those who use the BCRA website will know, it has grown over the years thanks to a major time commitment from David Gibson. It now contains a large amount of important information but accessing this is not always easy. BCRA would welcome support from anyone with the time and expertise to improve, or possibly even to re-write, the site. If you feel that you can assist with this or other aspects of IT then please contact the secretary:
The next newsletter will be at the end of September 2025
Our Social media news outlets...
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/groups/britishcaver
• BCRA News forum: http://bcra.org.uk/forum
• The Darkness Below https://darknessbelow.co.uk
• UK Caving http://ukcaving.com/board/?board=86.0
In this newsletter
- Hidden Earth 2025 Update
- 2025 BCRA Science Symposium and AGM- Final Circular and registration
- BCRA online seminars starting on the 15th of September
- BCRA Membership
- Supporting BCRA
2025 Hidden Earth Update The dates for Hidden Earth have been announced as 26th-28th September 2025 in the same venue as last year at Llangollen Please check with the Hidden Earth media outlets and website [ https://hidden.earth/# ] for further information . If you wish to submit a lecture/presentation / workshop ,you can now do this on the Hidden Earth website . Details of the various competitions are also available on the website. Lectures are filling up fast with a demonstration from Artist Robin Gray, an update on the Redhouse Swallet Extensions and Cave Archaeology. Tickets are now available on line
2025 BCRA Science Symposium and AGM Final circular and Registration being now open
The 36th Annual Cave Science Symposium will be hosted by Professor David Richards, Linda Wilson and Professor Fiona Whitaker at the University of Bristol’s School of Geographical Sciences, University Road Bristol on Saturday 11th October 2025. We welcome everyone with an interest in caves and karst science. This will be a live in-person event but will also be streamed online, where possible. The BCRA AGM will be held in person and online at the end of the morning session. Following the symposium, an informal evening meal will be arranged for those who are interested. Further details will follow. Field trips will take place on Sunday 12th October in the wider Bristol area, including the nearby Mendips.
Call for Abstracts
The lecture programme is now full but there is space for more posters.Those wishing to present a poster at the Symposium should send a title and an abstract of up to 300 words to David Richards (david.richards@bristol.ac.uk) by 15th September. Please include “BCRA” in the subject line of your email.
Registration is now open. There is no registration fee, but donations would be appreciated (we suggest £5 - £10 for non-students) to help cover the cost of the event. Donations can be made on the day or online at https://bcra.org.uk/bookshop/donate.html).
Student Travel Grants Support with travel costs will be available for students who provide a talk or poster and, subject to demand, it may be possible to offer travel support to other student attendees.
Further information Details of the venue and local facilities in Bristol as well as details of the programme and field trips are now available on the final circular . For enquiries concerning oral or poster presentations please contact David Richards (david.richards@bristol.ac.uk)..
Log in to Facebook
Log in to Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family and people you know.
www.facebook.com
BCRA Online Seminars The online seminars will re-commence on September15th via zoom with Linda Wilson from Bristol University Forgotten Voices Speak: Recording historic graffiti in Kents Cavern, Torquay
The Raking Light team are working with the management at Kents Cavern, Torquay on a
project to record and research the myriad inscriptions and other markings left behind by
visitors to the cave. Early researchers such as Father John McEnery and William Pengelly
noted many of the inscriptions they found but noted that some were already being lost to a
covering of calcite. As part of the cave's conservation plan, the aim is to record and
photograph the current state of the inscriptions as well as other marks throughout the cave
made with chalk, candle smoke and pencil. The project is amassing a wealth of detail about
early visitors to the cave and, working with genealogical and historic records, the team hopes
to shine a light on the identity of some of these people.
Please see the BCRA website for further details. If anyone can deliver a seminar later this year or in 2026, please contact the organiser, Emily Tilby.
BCRA membership . If you haven’t renewed your membership, or wish to join, go to the membership and subscription section of the BCRA website or upgrade your BCA membership through Just Go.
Supporting BCRA.
Members will note that there has been a lack of field meetings since the end of Covid restrictions and we encourage anyone willing to organise a meeting to contact the secretary.
Council membership
If anyone wishes to be on the BCRA council, then nominations have to be in by the end of September including members who are already on council . The application form is available on the BCRA website.
IT Support
As those who use the BCRA website will know, it has grown over the years thanks to a major time commitment from David Gibson. It now contains a large amount of important information but accessing this is not always easy. BCRA would welcome support from anyone with the time and expertise to improve, or possibly even to re-write, the site. If you feel that you can assist with this or other aspects of IT then please contact the secretary:
The next newsletter will be at the end of September 2025
