Recommend me a trip

[Cantclimbtom]

Hi all, hoping someone could recommend a trip please.

I'm driving back from Sheffield to London, probably Saturday lunchtime and wanted a quick trip. I was thinking Matlock area as that's kind of roughly on my way home as it's be a shame to be in the Peak and see nowt underground.

Want something that ticks some of the following:

• Fairly idiot proof, including finding audits/shafts (and available survey etc to use map/compass style as getting lost is undesirable )
• Low stress for a nice treat, not an ordeal (occasional ordeals can be good, but not this trip)
• Quick like a couple of hours maybe
• Not a gazillion fathoms of rope, but a little SRT is fine
• A no wetsuit trip, just oversuit and furry.
• Minor squeezes fine but nothing that requires emaciated snake proportions
• Through trips a big bonus, always live a through trip
• No digging collapses, because if I'm unfamiliar with the route I might spend my time digging in the wrong place (see idiot proof requirement)

I was thinking Jug Holes from the top ("water cavern"?) and out the adit, since I've never been there and a look around may be nice. But happy to hear any suggestions

Thanks all

 

[wellyjen]

Devonshire Cavern ticks all your boxes. Survey available and if in doubt, everything is either up, or down dip. Some short SRT pitches, if you want them, but not essential. Two entrances, three actually, but the third needs permission in advance, so through trip possible.

 

[pwhole]

Or Wapping Mine and Cumberland Cavern, which are connected, and easy, but very, very good.

 

[Brains]

If you haven't visited Jug Holes before, route finding is easier from the adit up. There is also the streamway series as well as the old workings off the water chamber where the lower stream series and upper mine climbs are located. Excellent interpretation pack with survey is a free download from the web. Devonshire and Wapping Cumberland are both good, but you might also consider Masson, two entrances in the quarry allow a through trip, best done from the side to the overhang.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Thanks everyone, I'm totally spoiled for choice!
Been digging about PDMHS and Wapping-Cumberland looks good. No SRT but that does makes things simpler for a quick nose about when passing.

<Text removed>

Edit: ignore previous question it won't be a Sunday so I'll try parking by the church

 

[zomjon]

Tom, I would very much endorse your own and Brain’s suggestion of Jug Holes, offers a little bit of everything - bit of route finding, but nothing too challenging, bit of mud, but you won’t be caked, some crawling but your knees will survive, a bit of thrutching but no need for Vaseline, interesting entrance (through the pipe) and exit (climb is a bit of fun), quite a bit to look at, even more if you go down to the Beehive!

 

[owd git]

as Zomjon said, if only to add drop a rope from top to aid climb up (it's on the way , practically.)if not sure of the climb.
Happy new year call! O.G.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Oh no, this is awful...
Logically I should be compelled to both trips (Wapping-Cumberland and Jug Holes) but due to trying to already be in 2 places at the same time I can only manage 1 quick trip.

Since I've spent time reading up PDMHS reports for Wapping (noting the need to go up and left ish to look for Cumberland and avoid getting lost in the maze) I think I'll go for Wapping.

But it sounds like I need to engineer the need for another Sheffield trip very soon (all underground trips under the radar ), and visit Jug Holes too .

 

[pwhole]

'From memory' (don't hold me legally responsible!) the path upwards to Cumberland is where this iron bar is stuck in the floor - straight on is into the fluorspar maze.

 

[jasonbirder]

Oxlow (SRT) or P8 possibly?
I mean who REALLY considers Devonshire, Wapping/Cumberland, Jug Holes..."a nice treat" ?

 

[Cantclimbtom]

P8 was my first thought, but it's out of my way on a London--Sheffield--London drive

 

[tdobson]

> I mean who REALLY considers Devonshire, Wapping/Cumberland, Jug Holes..."a nice treat" ?

@jasonbirder All context-specific, and how rich you are in opportunities/time/skills/friends/rope etc. I do love P8, but lots of people find Cumberland Caverns inspiring the first time they visit.

@Cantclimbtom : You'll have a great time in Wapping+Cumberland. Sadly a place showing its frequent visitation. Let us know how you get on.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

> I mean who REALLY considers Devonshire, Wapping/Cumberland, Jug Holes..."a nice treat" ?

@jasonbirder All context-specific, and how rich you are in opportunities/time/skills/friends/rope etc. I do love P8, but lots of people find Cumberland Caverns inspiring the first time they visit.

@Cantclimbtom : You'll have a great time in Wapping+Cumberland. Sadly a place showing its frequent visitation. Let us know how you get on.

Thanks... Oxlow or P8 would definitely be "better" trips, but with the time available... I need a quick and easy walk about.

Gentlewoman's shaft to Youd's has been on my list of things to do for that area, for a while now. But even without the worrying other thread about recent rescue it's not the quick and easy trip I'm after here

 

[Brains]

Oxlow (SRT) or P8 possibly?
I mean who REALLY considers Devonshire, Wapping/Cumberland, Jug Holes..."a nice treat" ?

Depends what you want from a trip. Yes Oxlow and P8 are great fun trips, but the mines mentioned have masses of geology, history and industrial archaeology, easily enough for a days exploration

 

[pwhole]

I've been to Wapping-Cumberland a lot more times than P8, despite it being further away

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Probably my last post and my status will be "banned" after Pegasus/Badlad read this

But.. truth be told if everything else was equal, I'd pick a mine over a cave. More artifacts, history, etc

 

[Fulk]

So Tom where did you get to?

 

[Cantclimbtom]

So Tom where did you get to?

Absolutely nowhere.
My son decided he'd changed his mind and didn't want to be dropped with his stuff in Sheffield this weekend (and told me Friday night before an early start Sat morning).
Now looking [probably] Sunday 11th. Planning on Wapping-Cumberland exactly as described. A bit disappointed as I was really looking forward to it . One benefit of solo exploring though, you can only mess yourself about and not inconvenience others!
Thanks for asking though.. will let you know how it goes

Edit, if spell autocorrect changes Wapping to Wrapping one more time - I'll lose it

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Thanks for the skittles!

Left a carrier bag with a jacket in it, just in the entrance/first stoped of Wrapping. When I came back to it someone had left a bag of skittles in the top (not empty packet, I mean a bag of skittles!)

THANK YOU

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Aggh spelling autocorrect... the first stope of Wapping