Wormy
New member
Another little trip report from the past couple of months, one of myt caving freinds and I decided that as we both had half a day free we would go back to Jacobs well and finally get through that hole at the bottom of the wall, we set out in glorious sunshine but unfortunately by the time we had got to Frosterley the Weardale influence had struck and the rain had set in.
Jacobs well was as always nice and dry and full of Meta Menardis (Big spiders) and there are always the creepy paintings in the entrance chamber to keep you entertained:
A female freind once described this as 'an angry tree with an erection' which I think is quite apt. BTW this picture is from an earlier trip.
Anyway we bashed on and decided to have a poke about in the lower tier as well:
Not too much down there, just one or two short rifts that eventually become too tight but interesting all the same, some nice fossil beds as well, mostly Siphonodendra I believe.
Anyway, we eventually got to the strange (victorian??) brick wall at the end of the right hand fork and after a short, wet rebirthing experience I was deposited into a delightful muddy puddle, its that awkward a squeeze i had to take my helmet off:
Behind the wall the cave was a lot wetter and the ever present sand, of the front passages, replaced with thick, sticky clay. After a wander around we established that the cave did not go much further before hitting a total collapse (the purpose of the wall is still a mystery to me, if anyone could give me a clue id be most grateful?):
The only really notable feature behind the wall was a tube going straight down for about 10 to 12 feet, we rigged a short rope and I dropped into it only to find it went.....nowhere. A gravel floor awaited and confused me at the bottom. Anyway getting back out of the afore-mentioned hole was interesting as by this point all of the kit, me, my gloves, Pojs camera and pretty much every available surface was covered in clay that somehow was as slippery as grease whilst being horrendously sticky at the same time.
Back through the wall and then decided to do the little squeeze on the way back to the entrance:
An afternoon well spent and its just a good thing that the owners of our local dont mind us tipping up for a pint in superman overalls and covered in mud!
Jacobs well was as always nice and dry and full of Meta Menardis (Big spiders) and there are always the creepy paintings in the entrance chamber to keep you entertained:
A female freind once described this as 'an angry tree with an erection' which I think is quite apt. BTW this picture is from an earlier trip.
Anyway we bashed on and decided to have a poke about in the lower tier as well:
Not too much down there, just one or two short rifts that eventually become too tight but interesting all the same, some nice fossil beds as well, mostly Siphonodendra I believe.
Anyway, we eventually got to the strange (victorian??) brick wall at the end of the right hand fork and after a short, wet rebirthing experience I was deposited into a delightful muddy puddle, its that awkward a squeeze i had to take my helmet off:
Behind the wall the cave was a lot wetter and the ever present sand, of the front passages, replaced with thick, sticky clay. After a wander around we established that the cave did not go much further before hitting a total collapse (the purpose of the wall is still a mystery to me, if anyone could give me a clue id be most grateful?):
The only really notable feature behind the wall was a tube going straight down for about 10 to 12 feet, we rigged a short rope and I dropped into it only to find it went.....nowhere. A gravel floor awaited and confused me at the bottom. Anyway getting back out of the afore-mentioned hole was interesting as by this point all of the kit, me, my gloves, Pojs camera and pretty much every available surface was covered in clay that somehow was as slippery as grease whilst being horrendously sticky at the same time.
Back through the wall and then decided to do the little squeeze on the way back to the entrance:
An afternoon well spent and its just a good thing that the owners of our local dont mind us tipping up for a pint in superman overalls and covered in mud!
