Hillocks/Wharf Mine

[alastairgott]

What did you make of the Phreatic down there? Nice?

 

[Pete K]

Way more in Whalf than I remember. I'll be back off down there again soon to poke about some more when my back/shoulder are not so knackered.

 

[shotlighter]

Thanks for checking. I have a feeling that I've read Trevor Ford confirming that the way on in this sump was run-in - it has a hand-picked forefield at the far end? About 5m long to the back wall? It seems as though he knew about this phreatic tube we were discussing, as it's vaguely mentioned in Limestones and Caves of the Peak District, in 1977. He also mentions Crimbo Swallow being 15m above Lathkill Head Resurgence in there...so none of this is new, but may be more significant now more cave (and thus better models) has been found.

Steve Knox has kindly forwarded me a scan of his paper copy pages (looks like this one was pre digital issues).
I've done a PDF of them, so if you or Alistair PMs me with an email address I'll send you a copy.
Nigel

 

[alastairgott]

Thanks Shotlighter, I had no Idea that Whalf climbing shaft was opened before the Engine Shaft, and all in the last 20 years!

Things always seem to come in two's! 2 for 1 on entrances.

 

[shotlighter]

Thanks Shotlighter, I had no Idea that Whalf climbing shaft was opened before the Engine Shaft, and all in the last 20 years!

Things always seem to come in two's! 2 for 1 on entrances.

It's not often we do special offers!! 

 

[pwhole]

One other thing I forgot to mention was that toward the end we headed up the larger passage toward Meccano - the one that opens into a larger space with the length of rail leaning up to a ledge. On the opposite wall to that, under an overhang, is a circular scrape-mark and centre-hole for a windlass. The floor below it is just gravel and sand, but surely this must be a filled-in shaft. No idea where it went, but it does hint there may be more down there, and possibly dry.

 

[Chocolate fireguard]

I have noticed that windlass hole and obviously filled-in shaft. Many people have seen it over the years (it's in plain sight on the right as you head away from the bottom of the Whalf shafts) but I have never met anybody who has investigated, or knows what's below there.

Re the "sump" mentioned in Shotlighter's reply #17 (in blue), I have only seen water in it a few of the times I have been there and get the impression that it's mostly dry. Which may not always have been the case of course.
Somewhere at the back of what I used to call my mind I believe it was pumped, perhaps by the TPU, which means back in the 60s/70s.
Or perhaps I am confusing it with the flooded shaft in Knotlow's Waterfall Chamber.

 

[alastairgott]

"Or perhaps I am confusing it with the flooded shaft in Knotlow's Waterfall Chamber." Chocolate fireguard

I'm almost sure this was pumped, the extension of the flooded shaft in Knotlow is called the Pump series on the Westlake (and Whitehouse) survey.

http://thedca.org.uk/publications/surveys-test-only

http://thedca.org.uk/publications/surveys-test-only/file/92-knotlow-hillocks

 

[pwhole]

Found it! This is, as far as I remember, the entrance to the sumped section, which ends in an arched set of vertical pickwork marks. There's a grovelly little passage goes off to the right up that ledge:

 

[danthecavingman]

There is an interesting lead in Hillocks if you go down Whalf Climbing shafts and turn left at the bottom. Before you get to the very end there's a short coffin level on the right that ends in a rift / stope that's choked from above - might go somewhere interesting?

Anyone else recognise this from my vague description?

Dan.

 

[al]

There is an interesting lead in Hillocks if you go down Whalf Climbing shafts and turn left at the bottom. Before you get to the very end there's a short coffin level on the right that ends in a rift / stope that's choked from above - might go somewhere interesting?

Anyone else recognise this from my vague description?

Dan.

Hi Dan, That sounds like the one Matt Ryan was digging in the'90s - he had a pulley set in the ceiling to help with dragging the kibbles out. My midweek bunch (Lofty, Keith Joule, Howard Taylor, John Martin and myself) took it over at a later date and worked on it for a winter - it was very cold and very wet! The coffin level ended in a boulder pile which was either a run-in shaft or a stope (a lot of the rocks we pulled out had a high proportion of galena) and we played a dodgy game of jenga below it, but never got through before we finally moved on to other things.

 

[AR]

"Or perhaps I am confusing it with the flooded shaft in Knotlow's Waterfall Chamber." Chocolate fireguard

I'm almost sure this was pumped, the extension of the flooded shaft in Knotlow is called the Pump series on the Westlake (and Whitehouse) survey.

http://thedca.org.uk/publications/surveys-test-only

http://thedca.org.uk/publications/surveys-test-only/file/92-knotlow-hillocks

The pumping was written up by Dave Penney in the PDMHS bulletin - https://pdmhs.co.uk/bulletins/new-pumps-for-old.pdf

 

[Alex]

Planning a trip down here tomorrow, has anyone been down recently, what's the CO2 conditions?

 

[paul]

No problems when we were there in June. I don't think there have been bad air issues with the Knotlow / Hillocks / Whalf Pipe for a while now.

 

[Alex]

Thanks for the info

 

[A_Northerner]

Not too sure on CO2 levels exactly, but the section between Whalf Engine and Whalf Climbing was absolutely honking of death this last Sunday (25/08/19).

 

[Brains]

Air quality is good through the entire Hillocks / Whalf / Knotlow area at prsent, but a number of small furry lemmings / voles / rats have fallen down the varius shafts. On Bank Holiday Sunday there was a squishy one under the Whalf Climbing Shafts, and at least three at the foot of the Whalf Engine Shaft. Previous Friday there was at least one in the Knotlow Climbing Shafts between the first two pitches. All honking and feeding beetles. 210 was clean and fresh today.

- The oil drum coffin level is badly silted again and needs clearing of tailings. Likely to sump in wet weather as the floor no longer drains either
- Base of the WCS has been reduced to a flat out crwl due to rubble accumulating at the bottom (NOT fresh falls), and could do with cobble clearing session to bring it back to hands and knees before that chokes off
- The East Level climb down has a very ancient and crusty rope on drilled threads and could do with replacing, the electron ladder in rusty and broken on one side, belayed to a thin iron bar by a ball of rust that used to be a krab. Next time I am there I will take it out / replace the handline. Could really do with a couple of P bolts - Who has the DCA kit thesedays, if I can borrow it will pop some in (after approval / retraining as my bolting "ticket" is expired!)

The paper in the ammo box is unuasble due to being damp and the biros wont write... suggest some pencils or crayons, after all we all carry a penknife for emergencys like pencil sharpening and nail trimming...