Chartist Cave

[twiglet]

I am seeking info with a view to visiting Chartist Cave. I heard a rumour that the way on was blocked
by a dead sheep ! Does anyone know if this is still the case please ? Also, if we do get in, is it a dry grots,
trip, or would fleece/oversuit be the best. I hiked up there last sunday and eventually found the entrance,
a spectacular, scenic walk.

 

[LizW1985]

No sheep in there last time I visited. But that was over a month ago.

 

[Caver Keith]

Some photos and a description of the cave can be found at http://www.ogof.org.uk/chartists_cave.html. I seem to recall it is fairly dry but muddy in places.

 

[NigR]

Would wear fleece/oversuit/kneepads myself.

Quite an impressive cave, short but with vast potential.

Some of the digs are loose in places so be careful if you go poking around in there.

 

[twiglet]

Many thanks for all the info Would agree with comment about potential,judging by the number
of monster shakeholes up on the moor ! I think the sheep carcass was mentioned in Descent, so the info
must be at least two months old.

 

[Alkapton]

Can't help wondering why no effort has been put into Cresent Cave, which is in a sink hole within sight of Chartists, (you can see the sink hole - just - from the path)

OK I know it puts the fear into a certain club that discovered? the cave and most of whom got trapped when the entrance collapsed during a trip.  But that was many years ago and I don't know if anyone ever bothered with the cave afterwards.

There is a lot of potential in the area.

 

[Huge]

Sorry, I know this is supposed to be about Chartists Cave and not Crescent but I just want to correct/add to Alkapton's post. I wasn't one of the main diggers, just helped out on a few trips.

Crescent Cave was discovered by the Severn Valley C C in 1971 (Ref. - there is a book!). Then it was only a single, crescent shaped, chamber in the Millstone Grit, just under the surface of the moor.

Brynmawr C C dug back into this chamber in 1994 and then dug downwards through the boulder floor, following the draft, to eventually enter a tall rift via the 1st Pitch. A second choke was then passed into the continuation of the tall rift passage. A side rift off here lead to the 2nd Pitch, at the base of which was another choke.  It was the passing of this choke that lead to two more pitches and the breakthrough into the main part of the cave.

The diggers then invited the rest of the club on the follow-up trip and nearly all the active members went along the following weekend. This also represented 50% (probably more) of the membership of the Gwent Cave Rescue Team!

During the trip in and with about 3/4 of the party on the 'wrong' side, the 2nd Choke (in the middle of the tall rift passage) suffered a major run-in (not the entrance). Word came down the cave, along the line of cavers, that the choke 'had collapsed.' One of the regular diggers replied 'Oh, it's always doing that.' The team then split in two. A few people, who were still near the choke, spent some time digging it open again and then exited. Meanwhile, the rest of us carried on down the pitches and explored pretty much the whole of the known cave on that trip. We then exited to find the choke nicely open again. More shoring was put into the 2nd Choke and a lot more trips were done after that. I don't think the cave 'puts the fear into the club' - well, maybe just a few of the members! The upper part of the cave is very loose though.

Yes, there is lots of potential in this area but Crescent Cave ends with the water flowing along extremely narrow passages in the same fashion as at Blaen Onneu Quarry Pot not too far away.

Apparently the cave is now blocked at one of the shafts in the 1st Choke. Maybe we should have a go at opening it again.

 

[NigR]

Crescent is currently blocked directly below the first gritstone chamber just inside the entrance. This blockage probably extends as far as the acro you had to pass under immediately prior to the first pitch i.e. a depth of two to three metres. Digging it out would not be too difficult if you had enough manpower but it would definitely be best to scaffold it as you go. Both the roof and the main back wall of the entrance chamber are composed entirely of very friable gritstone and should be treated with the utmost respect. As I stated in an earlier thread, re-opening this cave would be a very worthwhile project. If Huge could motivate the current membership of Brynmawr CC to do so then that would be brilliant.

How far have you been down there, Alkapton?

 

[Huge]

I talked about reopening Crescent with one of the original diggers at the club meeting last month. There was more talk of it last night, unprompted by me.

 

[NigR]

That is good to hear, Huge.

If you are short of manpower then I am sure there are a fair few locally based CSS members who would be willing to lend a hand, just ask Stuart France to spread the word.