Cheshire Sandstone
- Thread starter mikem
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RobinGriffiths
Well-known member
Billy Tweedle's Conker Cave eh? That's a new one on me. Shame they don't have a publically visible gazeteer of locations.
ILT
Member
I've never heard of Bill Tweedles conker cave but have photographed many of the others in the past. Frodsham I revisited a couple of years ago as there is interesting geology and not just a scouring sand/block quarry. As a kid the caves under Beeston Hill were easily accessible but these days access is frowned upon and they are gated (Beresford's) / bricked up (don't recall Granddad ever using a name for that one)..
Away from the ridge there is an interesting carved room in one of the Lymm sandstone quarries.
SUSS were involved in at least some of the surveying a couple of years ago....perhaps one of them can tell us more about a potential list/gazetteer?
Away from the ridge there is an interesting carved room in one of the Lymm sandstone quarries.
SUSS were involved in at least some of the surveying a couple of years ago....perhaps one of them can tell us more about a potential list/gazetteer?
Big Bad Botch
Member
You're right, some SUSS members had a look round a few of the caves as part of a cave biology project. Unfortunately due to other projects taking up our time it was never really wrapped up. I couldn't say it was a very comprehensive look at the caves on the ridge, but we went in some of the significant ones, including Beresford's under Beeston castle.
The caves we saw were: Queen's Parlour, Bloody Bones, the Musket Hole, Beresford's, and a couple of other smaller ones. We surveyed what we saw, but only Queen's Parlour and Beresford's went more than a couple of metres in. Queen's Parlour was a large enough chamber, being roughly a 10x10m square and easily accessible from the ridge trail (marked on open Street map). Beresford's was by far the largest but needs agreed access due to bat populations (another cave we weren't even allowed in!). Beresford's is a maze of columns at least twice the size of Queen's Parlour, but as I remember the presence of iron distorted the survey somewhat. I'm not sure where the survey data went in the end, but the locations we visited (apart from a collapsing scrothole in the grounds of the castle) are on open Street map.
The stuff we visited was interesting, but more from an archaeological/local interest than a speleological viewpoint. Queen's Parlour has some interesting carvings and graffiti (old and new), and the maze of Beresford's is forbidding. If you're in the area they're worth a visit, as it's a nice part of the world anyway. I don't know how Beeston would react to a request to go in the caves without a 'purpose', but combined with a look round the castle it's a good day out.
The caves we saw were: Queen's Parlour, Bloody Bones, the Musket Hole, Beresford's, and a couple of other smaller ones. We surveyed what we saw, but only Queen's Parlour and Beresford's went more than a couple of metres in. Queen's Parlour was a large enough chamber, being roughly a 10x10m square and easily accessible from the ridge trail (marked on open Street map). Beresford's was by far the largest but needs agreed access due to bat populations (another cave we weren't even allowed in!). Beresford's is a maze of columns at least twice the size of Queen's Parlour, but as I remember the presence of iron distorted the survey somewhat. I'm not sure where the survey data went in the end, but the locations we visited (apart from a collapsing scrothole in the grounds of the castle) are on open Street map.
The stuff we visited was interesting, but more from an archaeological/local interest than a speleological viewpoint. Queen's Parlour has some interesting carvings and graffiti (old and new), and the maze of Beresford's is forbidding. If you're in the area they're worth a visit, as it's a nice part of the world anyway. I don't know how Beeston would react to a request to go in the caves without a 'purpose', but combined with a look round the castle it's a good day out.
ILT
Member
Frodsham Caves, Queens Parlour and Beresford's are the most extensive and interesting. All the result of sand extraction. Bloody Bones and Musket's Hole (sometimes Musket depending on the age of the reference) are small. Mad Allen's Hole was once bigger than it now is, part of the roof now makes a nice moss-covered slab in front of the remaining two level cave (basically it is a small hole). There are a few small caves within the grounds of Carden Park (though of more interest to me are the hydraulic ram pumps which supplied the estate with water!).
I've asked a few other local friends and they haven't heard of Billy Tweedle's - maybe it is only known as that very locally in Helsby/Frodsham. The geocache link doesn't help as there is no location BUT I suspect it will be in one of the block quarries near Foxhill House / Woodhouse Hill.
I've asked a few other local friends and they haven't heard of Billy Tweedle's - maybe it is only known as that very locally in Helsby/Frodsham. The geocache link doesn't help as there is no location BUT I suspect it will be in one of the block quarries near Foxhill House / Woodhouse Hill.
