Dig above Austwick

[skippy]

Can anyone shed light on the dig thats slap bang in the middle of the Norber Erratics?
I've passed it dozens of times but found very little info on it.
I have been told its an Earby dig.
It appears to have been a well established digging spot over the years given the quality of the cap but maybe not activly dug now.
@Pitlamp ... Do you have any info?

Cheers

 

[Lankyman]

A few years ago there used to be a bat-shaped (literally) hole cut in the metal lid which appears to have been replaced by a rectangular one in your photo. I'll see if I can find the photo on my laptop. I don't know anything about what's down there but it is above the rising below Nappa Scar not far away and assumed there might be an association?

 

[MarkS]

I was curious after walking past it a while back. https://web.archive.org/web/20211027182922/http://earbypotholeclub.co.uk/?page_id=523 gives some info.

 

[skippy]

Ah, Sue and Tony's lot.

Cheers.

 

[Pitlamp]

It is indeed a project by Earby members and others. I think some archaeological stuff was encountered, so best not to interfere with anything without first talking to Lugger.

The resurgence is almost certainly Nappa Scar Cave, which you can read all about in your July '25 edition of the CPC Record or thge July CDG Newsletter.

Looks like you had a cracking day out with the new President; I'd have joined you if I'd not had to work yesterday!

 

[Lankyman]

The resurgence is almost certainly Nappa Scar Cave, which you can read all about in your July '25 edition of the CPC Record or thge July CDG Newsletter.

I thought it might be related to Nappa Scar rising. Do you know where the rising water comes from? There's a massive amount in wet weather and I've never noticed anything sinking anywhere among the Norber erratics or up on Norber itself.

 

[Pitlamp]

Pretty sure it's mainly autogenic, so no discrete sunks to test.

 

[skippy]

It is indeed a project by Earby members and others. I think some archaeological stuff was encountered, so best not to interfere with anything without first talking to Lugger.

The resurgence is almost certainly Nappa Scar Cave, which you can read all about in your July '25 edition of the CPC Record or thge July CDG Newsletter.

Looks like you had a cracking day out with the new President; I'd have joined you if I'd not had to work yesterday!

Yer know, I religiously read the Record from cover to cover but this completely bypassed me..cheers

 

[Lankyman]

Here's the lid with the bat hole from April, 2019

and a wider view of the entrance location. Maybe the bats couldn't get through the bat hole?

 

[Lankyman]

Pretty sure it's mainly autogenic, so no discrete sunks to test.

If that's the case today do you think the dig up by the erratics is a fossil sink (perhaps taking water from the ice which dumped the erratics themselves)? I must admit there seemed to be no sign of a watercourse leading to it and it's so inconspicuous that I failed to even see it earlier this year. I do wonder how the original explorers even found it. There is a wide dry valley coming down off the Norber ridge which seems to head towards where the sink is.

 

[Pitlamp]

Well my ten bob's on it being part of an ancient sink (pre last ice advance) which lost its feeder stream and valley due to glacial erosion. Maybe along the lines of Kail Pot, or Jackdaw Hole. It may even pre-date the last but one glaciation (the real biggie) as it's a long way out from the limestone / shale margin

 

[zzzzzzed]

It was an active dig a couple of years ago. Lugger, Long Bob and others were involved.