Ricklow Quarry caves ?

[JAM]

Hi folks,

Has anyone here had a play around in the caves at the back of Ricklow ?
I was out for a walk with the better half when our geological guide to lathkill dale lead us to Ricklow quarry. My map mentioned nothing of caves in that particular area, so you could imagine my suprise when I stumbled up on them.

Of course, I had me helmet and head lamp in me ruckie, so I popped down for a look.
I found a reasonable sized chamber with superb Crinoids all over the walls. I also found some very small passages that appeared to plunge down a bit and may need at least a hand line to help climb in or out. Needless to say I called it quites at that point.

Another entrance on the surface is rather deep too. I dropped a rock down and it took a little while to stop bouncing around.

So, anyone know anything about these caves ?

Rich.

 

[Turner]

is it boulder pot? thats at the back of ricklow quarry

 

[John B]

I had a good look at the caves in Ricklow Quarry in the 1970s and concluded that a lot of work would be needed to get anywhere. I remember most of them as very ancient solution features associated with the mineralisation, later filled with sediment and flowstone, and nothing to do with the modern day landscape. Some of them are quite large however, and there may be other chambers hidden amongst the breakdown. My other memory is the distinct possibility of getting squashed.

 

[Turner]

perhaps something we could rectify with a quantity of Dr Nobels linctus





[mod edit - we try not to be so err obvious on public forums]

 

[martinm]

The 'caves' in Ricklow Quarry are for the most part very unstable, although there are some nice chambers in there. (I explored them in the 1980's.) Most of the 'caves' are actually remnants of a Marble Mine.

Boulder Pot is way past there up near the Monyash - Bakewell Road. I've been down to the bottom of it several times with Pete Mellors looking for ways on! (Again, back in the 1980's.)

 

[JAM]

Thanks all. 

John B, you may be describing Ricklow cave (Lathkill head) system. The caves i'm trying to describe fit the description below far better. Although, you are right in saying " you have the distinct possibility of getting squished", it does look loose in places.

The 'caves' in Ricklow Quarry are for the most part very unstable, although there are some nice chambers in there. (I explored them in the 1980's.) Most of the 'caves' are actually remnants of a Marble Mine.

Boulder Pot is way past there up near the Monyash - Bakewell Road. I've been down to the bottom of it several times with Pete Mellors looking for ways on! (Again, back in the 1980's.)

Now this fits the bill....   When you said you've been down several times to find ways on, where you refering to Ricklow or Boulder pot ?

Thanks for the info..

Rich

 

[martinm]

LOL, both!

Ricklow links to Lathkill Head Cave as you know and is down in the valley, below the quarry spoil heaps.

Boulder Pot is near the top of the dale, close to the foot of a small crag and not too far down from the road. It spirals down through boulders, then breaks out into much more solid and larger stuff. Looked really promising and eventually entered some 'Critchlow-like' rifts/chambers, but we could never find the way on.

Ben did a lot of banging down there to try and find the way on before we first went down, but wasn't successful. (Just left a load of very cracked limestone :-/ ) There was a good draught initially encountered in the cave, but you lose it near the bottom and it was difficult to re-locate.

A very interesting, but frustrating place. (Hence why I've not been down there since... ) But if someone could link it to Critchlow, it would make for a classic (ie:- difficult, tiring, nearly all crawling and taking many hours) through trip!

 

[JAM]

That sounds like a gauntlet being laid down and when I feel I have enough experiance to start looking for potential areas to dig without killing myself or putting DCRO members a risk I'll very happily pick it up and run with it... Cos to be honest it sounds like fun (hard, muddy, sweaty) fun!! 

Critchlow you say ? 

Cheers.

Rich

 

[JonP]

If your interested its definatily worth getting your hands on a copy of TSG 14 containing "Extensions in Lathkill Dale" By K. Bentham & M. Sutton. I got one from TSG last year but i cant remember how many they had left...

It mentions that the origonal boulder corked shaft could not be located which was filled some 20 years earlier (re-entered 1991) even the farmer couldnt pin point the exact location but draught was located at many places. They dropped a shaft which hoped to intersect the cave. The shaft was partially concreted and a steel lid capped it. It dropped around 50ft mainly through boulder choke with little solid rock reaching the previous limit of the known cave. A choke at the bottom emitted a good draught with the presence of bedrock they started to remove the choke. They sunk a shaft 15ft to a tight crawl which took a small wet weather stream in solid rock. It continued for 30ft and split into 3 routes, the centre being a dangerous choke which gave most of the draught. The left route entered Cube chamber which took the stream via a short climb and a free-climbable pitch the last dropped down 25ft to the lowest point in boulder pot 95ft from the entrance.
Although it doesnt mention how it ends...

 

[JAM]

It's all good stuff Jon, thanks for the pointer. I've just looked and it's not a bad price for the journal, infact it's a bleddy bargin if it's got relavent info..

Thanks again.

Rich.