New work at North End Pot

[Badlad]

Hi all

Here is a fine photograph of North End Pot taken just last week. In the righthand corner we have the new North by North End Pot entrance which connects to LLean Bean Aven and the Eastern Front of the Three Counties System. This thread isn't about that. In the lefthand corner we have the original Earby Pothole club dig which descended two pitches into a fine rift and the spectacular St Georges Hall. Sadly the 40 year old shoring has perished and the entrance pitch of 15m is in a sad state of collapse. In fact it is all but blocked - unless you are a suicidal rabbit.

A few of us have had it in our minds for the last year to reopen the original route by relining the entrance with modern digging materials. We started this last week and I hope to keep this thread updated with our progress. The CNCC have offered to fund the materials for the project so it is just a matter of human resource. Nick Bairstow, Dave Gledhill and Bob Riley have formed a crack team to start the work.

 

[Badlad]

To give an example of the state of play here is a photo, taken about a year ago of the entrance shoring. It shows a toilet door used as shoring which had survived for some considerable time. This was taken at the time of our last descent when we did some smoke testing between this hole and our dig at the other end of the shakehole. Photo by Dave Gledhill.

Here is the same door/shoring last week.

Top of the shaft looks like this...

 

[s_allshorn]

Structual paint!

 

[Lankyman]

A plastic door would have lasted better. I know, hindsight is 20/20 vision ...

 

[Maisie Syntax]

Covering the door with this would have worked.

 

[Badlad]

Starting to sort out the entrance. A small collapse set off a bigger collapse below as rock hit the rotten wall at the bottom of the pitch. There was then an even bigger movement as the whole lot dropped a few feet. Unfortunately didn't get that on video.

 

[Badlad]

Took several trips to carry up new shoring and scaffold.

Chopped up some of the old materials ready to take to the scrappers

..and finally made a start of getting some support in at the top

 

[Badlad]

We had a good session last Sunday getting the new shoring started. It was a dangerous game, cutting out some of the original scaffold in order to get the new timbers in place. Luckily it held up long enough without further collapse. We are trying to keep our shoring in line and as close to the original as possible so there should be only the minimum of settlement against the new boards in the future.

Looking worried

Cutting out

Finally new boards in

 

[Goydenman]

good job after what looks tricky worrying work

 

[Badlad]

We managed another good day last Wednesday and welcomed Geoff Yeadon onto the crack team. Thanks to JJ also for helping with the carry up the hill. Progress was good down the hole with another set of 2.4m boards just about set in place. Lots of the old scaffolding needed cutting out in order to get the new shoring down and close against the original. It is a bit of a lottery on how much you dare to remove in case that is the bar holding the whole show in place. On a couple of occasions whilst cutting a bar it pinched the blade tight as the pressure forced the cut together. It is then a risk completing the cut from another angle and waiting to see how it 'pops'. Anyway, 'cutting' a long story short it is all going well so far.

Third set of boards nearly in. You can see the collapse blockage at the bottom where a slight narrowing led onto ledges and to the next pitch.

Looking up at the top of the shaft you can see the towering spoil heap which has come out of both digs. Some of this is loose too and we'll start re-terracing some of it on the next trip. Plenty still to do.

 

[Tritim230]

Amazing engineering!

 

[Goydenman]

good progress well done team. It will look quite different after your re-terracing

 

[Badlad]

We were also up at the pot on Sunday. There was a lot to carry up and we were fortunate that a couple of passing cave divers were out for a stroll at just the right time. (Thanks to Emsy and Jason). Also joining the crack team was one legged Mick Nunwick who struggled up the hill on his crutches.
At the bottom of the pot we finished installing the boards from Wednesday. A bit more grinding was needed but they were soon in. A fair bit of old scaffold needed cutting out below this, but not all the pole was actual scaffold. It was some sort of hardened boiler pipe. Anyway the reciprocating saw would not touch it, so had to resort to Nick's 4 inch grinder, but that doesn't cut all the way through. Eventually, though we found a way. New scaffold was set in place ready for another set of boards,. At least we are now stood on the blockage and not swinging around on a rope.
While this was going on below, Nick, Mick, Bob and Geoff set about the new terracing. Using some of the old boiler pipe as support for stone steps. Most of the rock for this had to be taken off the top of the spoil heap and lowered down by the bucket - carefully, as someone (me) was working 9m below.

A trip to the scaffold yard - ready to carry up the hill.

The carrying team up at the pot on Sunday

Some of the old scaffold must have been boiler pipe.

We're back tomorrow...

 

[Badlad]

Had another good day of progress at North End Pot on Wednesday. Mick, Geoff and Dave were later joined by Bones who cycled over. They cracked on with the terracing whilst I made slow work down below. Photos by Geoff.

Never one for lying on the couch, Mick struggled up on his crutches.

Moving spoil from the top of the heap back down to terrace the monster wall. This had become a little too loose in places.

The second terrace well on its way

Sisyphus had it easy....

 

[Badlad]

Meanwhile down at the bottom we've shored nearly down to the blockage. To the side is a large alcove and that is planked off to stop anything collapsing in around the side and it also makes for very useful storage. The blockage is held up by a couple of large rocks on top of old collapsed rotten timbers. On top of that a load of small stuff; soil, plants, rocks and more rotten timber and scaffold. It is carefully scraped up and put behind the boards. The big rocks break up with the hammer so there is no need for the capping gear we carried up the hill. The route down is open, but still needs more work but as the rift narrows this will be easier.

Peering down past the rotten timbers

Side shoring in and a nearly open hole!

More to do

 

[georgenorth]

Exquisite workmanship. Good to see that Mick’s come back out of retirement.

 

[Badlad]

For aficionados of digging or the plain bored, here are a few short videos.