Cussey Pot, Eyam

[martinb]

The ladders are shot, got couple of metres down before running away. Might be ok with an electron or SRT.

Are we talking about the same shaft, the one in clay chamber? IIRC its only 3 meters deep, then an awkward slither a couple of meters to the letterbox with a drop down into a mined passage a few meters long before popping out into Streamway Chamber?

There was a fixed metal ladder I think.

John Taylor was the diver inserted into the downstream sump, on 9th October 2011.

Nickergrove Streamway was regained on 10th May 2011, we called on JSB with the news afterwards. I seem to remember picking up a speeding ticket on the way home that night.

 

[pwhole]

I think that might have been around the time we got through the Carlswark Resurgence a few times over a fortnight, and we also called in to JSB for a celebration mug of tea on the first one. That middle 'sough' section with the shotholes was very interesting. I think we got to Merlin's Sump 7 in the dry then too.

 

[martinb]

I think that might have been around the time we got through the Carlswark Resurgence a few times over a fortnight, and we also called in to JSB for a celebration mug of tea on the first one. That middle 'sough' section with the shotholes was very interesting. I think we got to Merlin's Sump 7 in the dry then too.

I have a feeling that my partner in crime, markc of this parish, also managed to push all the way to Merlins sump 7.

Also Phil, dm sent regarding an opportunity.

 

[Mrs Trellis]

Just a query on t'owd man's stuff in Cussey. Would it have been worked as part of Glebe? If so is there any evidence of another connection to Glebe as well as LL?

 

[Rob]

There's only evidence of T'owd man in two bits of Cussey:

In Rocky Horror (right hand circle) it's just a couple stemple marks and shot holes in an otherwise fully natural chamber. Whereas above Inglorious Bastards there's a picked climbing shaft which goes up to a choke (no evidence of hauling), and the lower bit there gets close to the Wet West section of Glebe. So I'm pretty sure both of these bits were connected to the old mines of the area at the time, although i think prior to the much more modern workings of Glebe Mine as we know it today. Unfortunately i've found very little information on the mining on Cussey Rake or the surface activities there.

Whilst on connections, it's mad to note that we now have three different ways into the Master Cave (Boil-up, Vulgarious and last week's newly connected Rat Hole) and a forth hopefully in the next couple weeks, but yet the miner's (and subsequent cavers) managed to miss it entirely until now!

 

[Mrs Trellis]

Thanks for that Rob - vairy interesting

 

[Rob]

A handful of snaps from our first photo trip into SMMC, and Jon's excellent trip report to go with it:

Team Neoprene and The Stoney Master Cave - 18/08/2022

 

[Brains]

Is there any particular reason for the natural passage to be so black and ochreous looking? Spectacular pictures!

 

[Andy Farrant]

Is there any particular reason for the natural passage to be so black and ochreous looking? Spectacular pictures!

The black is due to manganese and iron oxides being deposited. Acidic water draining the sandstone ridge between Great Hucklow and Eyam will contain lots of iron and manganese which gets deposited in the streamway as the pH of the water is reduced when it dissolves limestone. It is a strong indicator that the stream is fed by the sinks to the northwest. You see similar black deposits in Ogof Draenen and other caves that are fed by streams draining iron rich Upper Carboniferous rocks. See Gascoine, W., 1982. The formation of black deposits in some caves of south east Wales. Cave Science, 9(3), pp.167-175.

 

[Brains]

The black is due to manganese and iron oxides being deposited. Acidic water draining the sandstone ridge between Great Hucklow and Eyam will contain lots of iron and manganese which gets deposited in the streamway as the pH of the water is reduced when it dissolves limestone. It is a strong indicator that the stream is fed by the sinks to the northwest. You see similar black deposits in Ogof Draenen and other caves that are fed by streams draining iron rich Upper Carboniferous rocks. See Gascoine, W., 1982. The formation of black deposits in some caves of south east Wales. Cave Science, 9(3), pp.167-175.

Thanks for that, the overlying / nearby shales and coal measures have a lot to answer for... Raises a further question, in that being shale rich sources, does then mean there might be a higher level of radon present in the SMMC? By all accounts the air is fresh, but the system has only recently been entered. Are their air connections as yet undiscovered, or is the water keeping the air in balance with the atmosphere outside?

 

[Rob]

Now we are syphoning the sump there is a good draught through, probably driven from the fans like everything else in there.
The destination of this draught is yet unknown, but the next trip I do in there will be with bolting gear....
Unclear yet if there are other draughts in there when the sump is up.

 

[JonP]

http://www.eldonpotholeclub.org.uk/...ssey-pot/547-pushing-the-master-cave-31-08-22

Latest trip report from the Eldon.

 

[Mrs Trellis]

Moody

 

[Mrs Trellis]

So any suspects for the mine workings upstream?

 

[Rob]

That far upstream section of the SMMC is pretty close to Middlefield Rake. Unfortunately there's very few open shafts and we haven't got many useful records of mine workings, but probably worth a wonder on a snowy day...

 

[Mrs Trellis]

Some interesting stuff on Middlefield Rake here:-

http://www.tinpuffin.com/caving/DOUG_NASH_COLLECTION/Book-4.pdf

 

[Rob]

For any Peak caving/mining nerds, that Nash Collection should be treated like a bible

 

[Mrs Trellis]

.....also mentions "Cussy Grove Mine" p16 and also Linen Dale Cave which imho should be excavated if permission can be gained.

 

[T pot 2]

.....also mentions "Cussy Grove Mine" p16 and also Linen Dale Cave which imho should be excavated if permission can be gained.

That may be entered from the mine with the behive cap in linen dale

 

[Mrs Trellis]

Linen Dale cave is open but choked. We sent a dowser down the dale and he got very strong signals - if you believe in dowsing.