I was asking about a possibly easier route into the high level large passage via Madame Guillotine.
We visited the end of Batham Gate (Hollywood Bowl series) a few months ago, surprising how big the passage is up there! We had a team of 4 and all were flabbergasted at it's size and length! We're talking 4m wide & 2m high in places, it's a big old higher level fossil passage. We intend to go back to take photos and samples. The end dig looks very uninspiring and seems to be heading down-dip at the end, heavily silted with a slight draught. There's a couple of features along Batham Gate which are of note; a passage approx a third of the way along which ends at a dig with air-space and draughts! This is also un-surveyed (another job which needs doing). Newhall Aven which is a 8m high aven, heavily calcited just beyond the junction with HB -> MG, this calcite's up but has been radio-located to surface. I'm pretty sure theres another calcited cross-rift towards the end too. I don't think you're going to get another entrance anywhere along here nor anywhere else in the HB series.
Our main goal is to continue digging the end and now with easier access via MG and the via-ferrata route this becomes a long evening trip. Its heading into a huge mass of blank limestone with the swallets far-far away. Also there's still pleanty of other digs around the HB series that want a good fettle but Bagshawe still doesn't seem to attract anyone other than The Eldon.
As for other entrances England's Green and Pleasant Land above the aven series would be closest to surface but nothing would be gained from this.
More information for people who attend the Derbyshire Explorers Forum at the end of Sept.
