Quick Wookey Question
- Thread starter Pitlamp
- Start date
JohnMCooper
Member
It's Edmunds Chamber in the book, Wookey Hole 75 Years of Cave Diving & Exploration by Jim Hanwell, Duncan Price and Richard Witcombe. Page 252.
The Old Ruminator
Well-known member
Was there ever an Edmund. If so it should be Edmund's Chamber I guess.
The Old Ruminator
Well-known member
Mike M. You are a pedant of the highest order. Keep em coming.
Pitlamp
Well-known member
Thanks all - I asked this question in connection with proof reading the forthcoming July CDG Newsletter. Just to explain, the reason was because I knew Colin Edmunds had found it and I knew his surname has an "s" on the end. So logically it ought to be "Edmunds' Chamber". But we've run up against this before and it seems that the correct (i.e. original) name leaves out any apostrophe. I just wanted to be sure that folk who know Mendip far better than I do didn't disagree. So I'm grateful for the replies above.
I realise that all three people who produced that magnificent Wookey book would be very unlikely to get this sort of thing wrong; it was merely a case of double checking.
Edmunds Chamber is a fine place. Mind you, so is most of Wookey!
I realise that all three people who produced that magnificent Wookey book would be very unlikely to get this sort of thing wrong; it was merely a case of double checking.
Edmunds Chamber is a fine place. Mind you, so is most of Wookey!
mrodoc
Well-known member
I feel I have some skin in this game having named Edmunds Chamber! It accentuates the importance of recording all your dives. In the rush upstream in Wookey in the 1970's when Colin Edmunds found the chamber was blind underwater he just made a brief one liner report and the reel removed shortly after. In around 1986 I found the report and went looking on a dive trip with Clive Westlake - and there it was. So we started a climb from the pool -as you might. It is all in the Wookey book. By the way one of my practice partners casually mentioned a while later when we out for a meal that he had trained as a GP in South Wales and got friendly with a Colin Edmunds who was the very same person who found the chamber. By another coincidence Colin rang Martyn (the ex partner) the next day - after not being in contact for years - to say he was holidaying locally. They met up so I was able to pass on to Colin a disc with photos and report of our explanation - he was reportedly a bit surprised.
cap n chris
Well-known member
It is gettable-toable without divering nowadays, courtesy the 2015 showcaves tunnel to Wookey 20 and an enlarged link (IIRC D Price, A Moody, A Atkinson being protagonists of same) going to a pitch head from which some relatively straightforward SRT (permanently rigged from new/er anchors, probably a Grade 3 equivalent) delivers you to a 2021 divers' platform (metalwork courtesy MCG, installed by M Thomas, R Thomas, P Short, yours truly) where diving/SRT/dry caving exchange trips can occur. The original climbing efforts up from EC to the pitch head must have been very exciting and character-building!* The dry link from 20 remains very muddy but is significantly more doable than it was just a few years ago. There's a fair amount of video of the route/EC/diving etc. online.
* I am aware of some very interesting/daring reports on same but think it best for the "stars" to write more on this themselves rather than a third party (probably inaccurate) report from me!
* I am aware of some very interesting/daring reports on same but think it best for the "stars" to write more on this themselves rather than a third party (probably inaccurate) report from me!
cap n chris
Well-known member
In the new Wookey Hole Caves Guide (bring printed from tomorrow onwards) it is Edmunds Chamber. I know the proof reader ;-)
mrodoc
Well-known member
I had always suspected Edmunds went to 20 but without an accurate survey then we didn't realise how close we were and you are a long way from home at the end of Beyond the Thunderdome. In the past diver's surveys have led to links but also to people ignoring the obvious when bearings are way out. Classic example is ANUS cave and Farr Series where all the evidence pointed to an obvious link but Martyn's original survey was way out. The link was finally dug open in one session!
mrodoc
Well-known member
Regarding the histoy I suggest those who wish to learn more about the exploration of Edmunds Chamber buy a copy of the book on Wookey Hole (a companion volume to that on Swildons Hole) which has chapters written by those active at various stages of exploration. It is a great read. I have no financial interest in the book by the way - just contributed a chapter.
Pitlamp
Well-known member
Or - the other way around - all the excitement in the 1970s over Mike Wooding's survey of Gandalf's Gallery in Clapham Cave which showed it virtually connecting with GG. It was only when Steve Pickersgill and Rob Palmer glanced at a compass in there that they realised Mike's survey was 180 degrees out!
Never trust these dodgy divers . . .
;-)
cap n chris
Well-known member
Don't trust dodgy spit hangers either! 😉
PeteHall
Moderator
There is an entertaining twist to this, in that after the link was sufficiently enlarged (I assisted Mr Price in this task), I had a look down a slope under the dig and popped back into Wookey 20, without any digging, so it was actually open all along!
Duncan Price
Active member
Andrew Atkinson & Ali Moody opened up the connection from 20 to Beyond The Thunderdome in early 2016. I came along later and made it bigger with the help of Max Fisher & Pete Hall. We took a boat to Edmunds Chamber (or Rift) as it is sometimes called for some exclusive canoeing. The contact between the limestone and dolomitic conglomerate following a diagonal line down the wall of the chamber. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a viable dry way on from the place towards 22 and the large rift itself is aligned N-S not E-W. It is Mendippian habit to drop apostrophes e.g. people write about going to the Hunters (not Hunters').
Ali M
Active member
Pete - I believe that is probably the way I dug in originally and then opened a second route up from the far side for Andrew.
PeteHall
Moderator
I heard that your original route was very narrow and only Ali-sized. I believe that this is the route that Duncan and Co. enlarged.
The route I came back through was not at all tight, so I'd assumed that it wasn't the way you went. I may have moved one loose boulder, but I can't remember exactly.