Chanterelle Pot

[Alex]

Who is best to speak to about Chanterelle Pot. We came to the entrance and found it collapsed. We managed to open the original way in (so we could see our way in) but the later installed plastic tube is in the way. The tube is all buckled and warped.

Who installed that please?
We need to know: How far down does that tube go, i.e. how much would need to be dug out and whether the tube being collapsed would block the way on just around the corner.

 

[Badlad]

Hi Alex

Pete O, Lugger and myself dug Chanterelle and extended it quite a time ago.  It has been collapsed for a long time and I haven't been up for years.  It shouldn't be much to open it up again with the right gear.  CNCC might be able to supply a pipe to keep it open.  I can't remember exactly but it isn't far down to the passage.

 

[Pitlamp]

There's a survey here, which shows the passage being initially very close tio the surface: http://cavemaps.org/surveys/ncc/full/NCC%20Chanterelle%20Pot.png

I think this was with an article in BCRA Caves & Caving no 83, which may give more detail? The earlier survey in MUSS Journal 8 also suggests it's really close to the surface. Their article in that Journal may well give useful clues. If your club doesn't have a library, Mary Wilde or Jenny Potts at BCA Library would almost certainly be happy to scan it for you:
bcra-librarian@bcra.org.uk

 

[Alex]

Thanks Pitlamp and Badlad, I have read that article, though it don't give the idea of depth of the tube. The reason I was asking is that I was trying to work out how much work it would be to restore the entrance to this cave with the CNCC's help. We have asked Lugger, but he did not know about the pipe as it was put in afterwards.

If it's only shallow, then that's great. I can already see into the old watery tube after digging it with my barehands but the actual pipe is physically stopping me from getting in that way. I suppose I could remove that with a saw that cuts plastic, but I am thinking if we did that A) We would be entering via a flood prone bedding plane which is not ideal and B), I assume the cave comes back under itself and would be blocked where the pipe comes in having slumped there.

You half answered my question of it not being too much work, just nice to hear from whoever installed that tube to be sure.

 

[Alex]

This is what it now looks like after we dug it for a bit, you can see the plastic pipe blocks the old way in.

 

[Badlad]

I'll check with Pete tomorrow to see if he has a better memory.  It was down and to the left into low crawl I think.