Eldon Hole - Trip Report
- Thread starter Mark Wright
- Start date
Mrs Trellis
Well-known member
True
http://www.highpeakbuses.com/Documents/189-190%20-%20Buxton%20-%20Whaley%20Bridge.pdf
Does the X67 still run to Tideswell?
http://www.highpeakbuses.com/Documents/189-190%20-%20Buxton%20-%20Whaley%20Bridge.pdf
Does the X67 still run to Tideswell?
Speleotron
Member
That bus works but the last one leaves Peak forest at 5 pm which would only give me an hour or two at the dig so I'll come another time I think. Would like to help out on this dig, it's ideal for bad weather days, at least it will still be going when I get a car 
Mark Wright
Active member
Speleotron said:Would like to help out on this dig, it's ideal for bad weather days, at least it will still be going when I get a car
You had better be quick getting that car.
Mark
Mark R
Well-known member
30/05/15
Chris H, Tim Webber, Claire Dunphy, Dan H, Bob Toogood, Paz Vale, A friend of Dans, two guys from MUSC sorry, I can't remember your names!
Chris and I arrived at 11:00 to an already busy carpark, we knew there would be a couple from SUSS/ MUSC joining us for some of the day but we're surprised to have such a large team- great stuff!
Whilst everyone was getting changed Dan managed to arrange vehicle access to the entrance for one trip with a big load of boards and scaffolding. This week will see us collecting stuff together and next Saturday it will all be taken up.
There were three routes rigged into the bottom of the hole which was good given how many of us there were. It only took a few minutes to have the music on and work began. For most of the day there were 7 of us, I had taken down the big hauling rope and gin wheel we used in Rowter and someone else had got hold of a couple more digging buckets and a hauling net. We had two people on the intermediate ledge hauling, two at the top removing buckets and tipping the spoil and three digging (yes, there is that much space). The buckets practically flew out, as fast as a bucket was hauled up, which was fast, an empty one was sent down but in the meantime a third was being filled. It worked like a dream and incredible progress was made. We all guessed at around 300 buckets for the day. We got the next ring in and dug another metre or so out of the floor beyond that to a point ready for more ring action.
We are thinking continue with big dimensions for now in the position we are in. The further into the rift you move the more clay you find.. Glacial fill which is not a great sign.
Oh yes- we did find some very big jawbones (horse?) and an extremely delicate brimmed leather hat!
Chris, TomTom and I may be back down tomorrow so will try and take some photos.
Mark R
Chris H, Tim Webber, Claire Dunphy, Dan H, Bob Toogood, Paz Vale, A friend of Dans, two guys from MUSC sorry, I can't remember your names!
Chris and I arrived at 11:00 to an already busy carpark, we knew there would be a couple from SUSS/ MUSC joining us for some of the day but we're surprised to have such a large team- great stuff!
Whilst everyone was getting changed Dan managed to arrange vehicle access to the entrance for one trip with a big load of boards and scaffolding. This week will see us collecting stuff together and next Saturday it will all be taken up.
There were three routes rigged into the bottom of the hole which was good given how many of us there were. It only took a few minutes to have the music on and work began. For most of the day there were 7 of us, I had taken down the big hauling rope and gin wheel we used in Rowter and someone else had got hold of a couple more digging buckets and a hauling net. We had two people on the intermediate ledge hauling, two at the top removing buckets and tipping the spoil and three digging (yes, there is that much space). The buckets practically flew out, as fast as a bucket was hauled up, which was fast, an empty one was sent down but in the meantime a third was being filled. It worked like a dream and incredible progress was made. We all guessed at around 300 buckets for the day. We got the next ring in and dug another metre or so out of the floor beyond that to a point ready for more ring action.
We are thinking continue with big dimensions for now in the position we are in. The further into the rift you move the more clay you find.. Glacial fill which is not a great sign.
Oh yes- we did find some very big jawbones (horse?) and an extremely delicate brimmed leather hat!
Chris, TomTom and I may be back down tomorrow so will try and take some photos.
Mark R
Speleotron
Member
Will have a car soon!
alastairgott
Well-known member
^David Duncan and Darren Jarvis from MUSC, i believe.
All the large animal bones we've pulled out so far are from domestic cattle, no sheep bones although these are fairly common in the boulder slope beneath the entrance to the main chamber.
The rocks that we're pulling out still seem to contain a fair bit of walling stone along with angular cobble sized pieces. This stone certainly post dates the sediment fill in the rift of the old dig as what we've been digging through is clean stone, the only mud being that pulled out of the old dig and dumped at the top of the shaft. Also what stone I've pulled out of the sediment fill is more rounded and there is an abrupt transition between these and the more angular material in the dig.
I've not been able to get a good luck at the sediment in the side of the shaft, we need to drop down another metre or so yet and what is exposed in the old dig is too messed up to study in detail. I wouldn't say that it is glacial in origin though, more likely local sediments washed in combined with those produced by solution and abrasion of the limestone probably when the main chamber was flooded and beneath the local water table.
The rocks that we're pulling out still seem to contain a fair bit of walling stone along with angular cobble sized pieces. This stone certainly post dates the sediment fill in the rift of the old dig as what we've been digging through is clean stone, the only mud being that pulled out of the old dig and dumped at the top of the shaft. Also what stone I've pulled out of the sediment fill is more rounded and there is an abrupt transition between these and the more angular material in the dig.
I've not been able to get a good luck at the sediment in the side of the shaft, we need to drop down another metre or so yet and what is exposed in the old dig is too messed up to study in detail. I wouldn't say that it is glacial in origin though, more likely local sediments washed in combined with those produced by solution and abrasion of the limestone probably when the main chamber was flooded and beneath the local water table.
Mark R
Well-known member
Chris H, Tom H, Mark R
Day two of Eldon Hole digging this weekend. After yesterday?s big hauling session Chris and I were feeling a little sore but still keen to go back down and get some more work done. We met at the civilised time of 11:00 and walked up with only one scaffold pole, three planks and three tackle bags between us. Tom Tom was suitably impressed by the progress since he was last there but there was no time for messing about... we began digging and hauling straight away to clear space for another ring. Yesterday we weren?t sure how many buckets we pulled out but guessed at around 300. We counted and timed today, we pulled out 80 buckets in 25 minutes. That?s about 30 buckets every 10 minutes, which averages out at one bucket every 20 seconds- filled, attached, hauled to the top, unclipped, carried to the spoil heap and returned to the top. We should probably revise yesterday?s estimate to something closer to 500!
Eventually we got the ring in and all boards hammered down, completing almost 2m of digging this weekend. We had to spend quite a bit of time backfilling behind the boards, it?s important that we keep packing spoil behind boards as we go to prevent any voids forming and giving material the chance to move. With that all done, we took some photos and packed up then headed to the pub for food and beer feeling very satisfied with this weekend?s efforts.
Day two of Eldon Hole digging this weekend. After yesterday?s big hauling session Chris and I were feeling a little sore but still keen to go back down and get some more work done. We met at the civilised time of 11:00 and walked up with only one scaffold pole, three planks and three tackle bags between us. Tom Tom was suitably impressed by the progress since he was last there but there was no time for messing about... we began digging and hauling straight away to clear space for another ring. Yesterday we weren?t sure how many buckets we pulled out but guessed at around 300. We counted and timed today, we pulled out 80 buckets in 25 minutes. That?s about 30 buckets every 10 minutes, which averages out at one bucket every 20 seconds- filled, attached, hauled to the top, unclipped, carried to the spoil heap and returned to the top. We should probably revise yesterday?s estimate to something closer to 500!
Eventually we got the ring in and all boards hammered down, completing almost 2m of digging this weekend. We had to spend quite a bit of time backfilling behind the boards, it?s important that we keep packing spoil behind boards as we go to prevent any voids forming and giving material the chance to move. With that all done, we took some photos and packed up then headed to the pub for food and beer feeling very satisfied with this weekend?s efforts.
alastairgott
Well-known member
Bloody hell, a whole second set of 7ft boards in one weekend?
