P9/Christmas Swallet

[jasonbirder]

Does anyone know anything about this cave..its mentioned in COPD as a sporting Stream Cave, but with no access - but i believe that Giants Farm has changed hands since that was written so i wondered if the situation has changed?
From the description it sounds an interesting...if wet and potentially hazardous trip but certainly worth looking at...has anyone been in it recently or know anything more about it?
Thanks 

 

[Mark]

Its only the beginning of October, far too early to be thinking about Christmas

 

[Pitlamp]

It's a good little trip but does need care regarding the weather. I can't tell you anything about the current access situation but there's a useful article including a survey in BCRA Caves & Caving 35, pages 10 - 12. I seem to remember there was also a good article about it in the DCA Newsletter around the 2nd half of 1986 or early 1987.

When I went down there Dave Arveschoug (one of the discoverers) told me that the main stream sinks elsewhere in the same shakehole and you don't see it in the cave except in flood when it backs up and submerges the entrance passages of the swallet - presumably making the rest of the cave nasty in the process. I remember thinking I'd not want to be near the place if the weatherr was at all dodgy.

 

[Scud]

I suggested to DCA Access Officer about a year ago, that he should approach the landowner with a view to negotiating access to Christmas Swallet and Snelsnow Swallet for sport caving. 

The lid over the entrance needs some working doing on it, i don't think you can access to it at the moment, i think the lid is jambed / rusted in place.  This was noted several years ago during the SSSI cave monitoring work and when we did some work on Snelsnow Swallet, removing the old scaffolding structure that was over it, and other digging tools etc.  The work on Christmas Swallet entrance is on the SSSI Project list that DCA maintain on behalf and in association with Natural England.  We might be able to get around to undertaking some work later this year or next year on this lid, assuming the landowner gives us permission.

The DCA conservation officer and myself know the landowner, we have negotiated with him in the past when we did the work on Snelsnow.  I will speak to the conservation officer and the access officer, to see if we can set a meeting up with the landowner to discuss the access arrangement.  I will report back.

Wayne

 

[jasonbirder]

Thanks for the info...and good luck with the access meeting!
If you get the go ahead and are looking at opening it up...theres a couple of us that can offer willing but unskilled labour to help lol!

 

[Pipster]

Does anyone know if we are any closer to getting down P9/Christmas Swallet yet?

 

[Scud]

I was only reminded of the above last week that i was going to see the landowner.  From looking at the posts below, it was October 2008 when i said i would do this so doesn't time fly.

I will aim to see the landowner prior to the end of this month and see if we can sort out access to this swallet then i liaise with the DCA access officer to see if can get anything official sorted out.

Wayne

 

[Pipster]

Thanks Wayne, that would be awesome, and very much appreciate your efforts. 

It'll be nice to get down somewhere different!