Found a big cavern under slab but not sure where to find surveys

[StoneyGraham]

Whilst lent over cutting a sheep out of a brambles in a very scrubby dense woodland area I felt a cold breeze up my shirt which i couldnt understand. I just thought it was the wind at first and then it happened again and after some shuffling i found the exact spot to stand in to get the breeze to him me. The breeze was coming out of the entrance some kind of rabbit hole on a slight bank, and when i shone my phone torch in i could see the corner of a limestone slab, anyway i found it interesting so dug into the slope and uncovered the slab which is rectangular with diagonal grooves sort of chiselled into it. Using some crowbars a two car jacks i eventually managed to move the slab less than a foot but enough to wriggle in and theres a cave under it.
anyway basically there a passage to a massive long cavern must be the size of like 10 terraced house. Ive looked on the peak cave data base and a few other website and cant find any mention of it. Was wondering if anyone could recommend a book of like peak district caves because i know all the caves are recorded with surveys somewhere?

 

[Edwardov]

Whatever it is, if you aren’t knowledgable in what you are doing be careful! Holes in the ground can have a lot of hidden dangers.

 

[Andy C]

You should be able to find all known Peak cave entrances here:

Caving Areas

Locations: Peak District, Location: Derbyshire, Location: Staffordshire, Caves, Mines, Potholes, Caving, Potholing, Guides, Surveys, Speleology, Hydrology

www.peakdistrictcaving.info

Click on the area where your site is located, then click on Area Map - this will bring up the locations of all recorded caves in your area. If your cave is not on the map then it is a new find, and the best idea will be to contact Derbyshire Caving Association or one of the reputatble caving clubs for further advice.

 

[mikem]

Sounds like it is more likely to be a mine passage, many of them were covered up & no record made of the earlier ones. If you click UK it'll ask for OS map details:

Lists and maps of UK and international mines and quarries

Search engine and database for UK and international mines and quarries with mapping facility.

www.aditnow.co.uk

 

[StoneyGraham]

Sounds like it is more likely to be a mine passage, many of them were covered up & no record made of the earlier ones.

In the passage part the walls and floor are very smooth, narrow and winding with the calcium stuff everywhere. ive never seen a mine but just get the feeling it might be natural

 

[mrodoc]

Sounds intriguing!

 

[Brains]

https://www.aditnow.co.uk/Database/?country=232&zone=27&page=1&records=1000

The Aditnow.co.uk database MIGHT have it listed... The link is for the SK OS region. Enter a mine or site near your find and then see what is around in the area of interest... If you cant find anything then user Historytrog or Pwhole on here could be useful people to ask. If you need to go as far as looking at old documents or Barmaster maps they could point to the right archives?

 

[Mark]

If it is in the Stoney Middleton area, as your name suggests, get in touch, I am only up in Eyam and have quite an extensive knowledge base

 

[Bob Mehew]

Or try https://peakdistrictcaving.info/home/the-caves

 

[Wayland Smith]

The National Library of Scotland has an online section of Ordnance Survey maps, including 6 inch and 25 inch of most of the country.
They are always worth browsing for historical information.
Try this. Stony Middleton 25"

Georeferenced Maps - Map images - National Library of Scotland

 

[mikem]

Most metal mines follow natural rifts as that is where the minerals were deposited.

 

[StoneyGraham]

Ive got an interesting update, this afternoon i found "seethenmere" carved in big letters on a boulder. i guess thats the name of someone who visited maybe? ive heard of ppl carving their names into caves and churches before. And ive checked the mine databases and cant find anything within a few hundred metres of it.

 

[richardg]

As mrodoc days " sounds intriguing, please keep us informed..

 

[AR]

Is this on the north side of Coombs Dale by any chance? About opposite the little side dale with the footpath?

 

[StoneyGraham]

Is this on the north side of Coombs Dale by any chance? About opposite the little side dale with the footpath?

Its in coombs dale yeah do you know it? Ive been told its bad practice to give out the exact location though.

 

[pwhole]

Very much so. And it depends who you give it to

 

[AR]

Very much so. And it depends who you give it to

Yes, you don't want that dodgy PDMHS Conservation Officer to know where it is...

Seriously though, I think this is something I was looking for last year, namely part of Shepherds Mine that John Beck got into and surveyed back in the 1970s. After I'd got home, I realised I'd probably been looking in the wrong place!

 

[T pot 2]

Very much so. And it depends who you give it to

Laporte minerals sealed a couple of adits for safety reasons in Coombs dale shepherd's flat was one of them

 

[AR]

You mean Shepherds Sough, by the ruined coe? I had a look at that last year, and thought it had been "chemically encouraged" to run in.

 

[Mark]

Yes, you don't want that dodgy PDMHS Conservation Officer to know where it is...

Seriously though, I think this is something I was looking for last year, namely part of Shepherds Mine that John Beck got into and surveyed back in the 1970s. After I'd got home, I realised I'd probably been looking in the wrong place!

We got into Shepherds Mine via a shaft, not far from the field boundary above, we fitted a manhole cover eventually, probably grassed over now

Might not be quite right, it was 45 years ago