Deepest caves in the Peak

Rob

Rob

Well-known member
Survey trip last night demoted Nettle to 174m total depth, making Rowter a clear 3rd.
 
S

SJB

Member
For the sake of  completeness is there a no 20?

WICC by the way is 65/65m deep, will process survey data soon and give a measured actual.
 
Rob

Rob

Well-known member
Another quick update. Not many changes over the last 5 years....

1.    268m Peak Speedwell
2.    211m Giants/Oxlow/Maskhill*
3.    182m Rowter Hole*
4.    180m Nettle Pot
5.    145m Winnats Head
6.    125m Waterways Swallet
7.    97m Robins Shaft*
8.    90m Blue John Cavern
9.    80m Eldon Hole
10.  76m Hungerhill Swallet
11.  70m P8 Jackpot
12.  70m Christmas Swallet
13.  66m Water Icicle Cavern*
14.  65m Cussey Pot
15.  64m Bagshaw Cavern*
16.  61m Carlswark/Merlin*
17.  56m Eyam Dale House Cave*
18.  55m Lathkill Head Cave
19.  54m Ilam Main Rising
20.  53m Darfar Pot
 
M

mikem

Well-known member
Either that or you've worn the top down by too many visits (or just a more accurate survey)...
 
Rob

Rob

Well-known member
mikem said:
Either that or you've worn the top down by too many visits (or just a more accurate survey)...
Click to expand...
Yes, that 80m is using my 2015 survex data. I'd love to add more Badger exploration/discoveries to the survex file........  :spank:
 
pwhole

pwhole

Well-known member
Haha - shooting straight into the top ten, with their new hit single - a revamp of an old classic: 'Under the Boardwalk'  ;)
 
Katie

Katie

Active member
What is the criteria for being on the list?
Robins shaft is pretty much all mine, with limited natural - surely there are lots of other deep mine shafts in Derbyshire that hit some natural?

 
pwhole

pwhole

Well-known member
I guess Long Rake Mine should be on there then - and there's several more where that one came from. I guess it's more of an interpretation of how you get to the natural, and whether you could without the mine shaft. Though that would exclude Rowter Hole and JH immediately! I can't remember, but is that what the asterisks signify? That's they're accessed by an artificial shaft?
 
M

mikem

Well-known member
Criteria are on the original post - it includes those he thinks should be, but excludes those he thinks shouldn't! (Do longcliffe / long rake include natural passage?)

* Assisted by mines
 
2xw

2xw

Active member
Aye if we're including mine then Ladywash pops into the number 2 spot from entrance to sough
 
pwhole

pwhole

Well-known member
mikem said:
Criteria are on the original post - it includes those he thinks should be, but excludes those he thinks shouldn't! (Do longcliffe / long rake include natural passage?)

* Assisted by mines
Click to expand...

90% of Longcliffe is natural passage. We're still trying to work out where most of the galena was ;)

I've never been down Long Rake as it was 'closed' due to a carbon monoxide scare the week before my first trip. It's never been resolved and it's never been re-tested as far as I know, and as a committee member of DCA, that bothers me - not least from a safety perspective, as CO in a mine is very, very odd (though I have subsequently been on a test where we found lethal levels in a shaft near Elton, but the circumstances were extremely fuzzy to say the least - but the meter was calibrated). But mainly as Long Rake's meant to be one of the best trips in Derbyshire, and does have plenty of natural, I'm assured - and a swallow at the bottom that goes to I know not where, but I have an idea. The landowner is iffy about the liability issues, despite reassurances that there are none, but I think we should politely but firmly request another test - it's been over ten years. We don't have to go down immediately and could easily do a controlled test down the shaft first. But I'm straying off-topic ;)
 
AR

AR

Well-known member
pwhole said:
90% of Longcliffe is natural passage. We're still trying to work out where most of the galena was ;)
Click to expand...

Probably in the sediment fill, just waiting for the miners to dig through and buddle out! (y)
 
Rob

Rob

Well-known member
So i think the "deepest caves" could be judged in two ways:
[list type=decimal]
[*]the maximum vertical extend of continuous natural formation
[*]the maximum depth accessible below the entrance/highest point [/list]

My current list uses option (2), admittedly missing a lot of deep mines that intersect some cave.  After some further consideration i think option (1) is more appropriate.

This is trickier however because, where caves also have a significant portion of mine connecting, a keen understanding of the natural development is required. For example, the highest natural in the known Peak Speedwell system is the top of Horne's Gulley in Titan. This connects to Main Rising (the deepest point) through entirely natural development. It is 29m below the entrance of JH, so therefore reduces the judged depth to 239m.

Before i start to update the list I'd be interested in other people's thoughts regarding this approach.
 
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