Some Fun Images From Vurley Over Three Years.

The Old Ruminator

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
Vurley has consumed some 100m of scaffolding. Some 60m of this was kindly donated by JR Diving Services of Cullompton. Not the normal Mendip way but fast and effective remembering that time is short for us old codgers. Also Galmington Social Club for donating the rust proof mesh ( left over from the football court fencing ) with which we made gabion baskets of sorts for The Egg Timer. Actually I would think quite useful in cave digs though not cheap.

http://gabion1.co.uk/gabion-baskets/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6rHQ8b3b3wIV7r3tCh04Ug33EAAYAiAAEgLnlPD_BwE
 
The Old Ruminator

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
Ladder in the pot about to be bolted to the stemples.

Vurley at about 60m down by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Following the solid wall and the stream behind the choke.

P2270016 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

At last we get under the choke and into solid rock.

Peter Glanvill. Vurley. by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Thats it. The very last and deepest boulder in the choke now securely scaffolded in. Depth about 65m.

Vurley. The lintel. Holds up the big choke ! by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Scribble from my log. The brown line is the " event horizon " . The change to cave in solid rock.

P3070002 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr
 
The Old Ruminator

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
" Putinesque" at the hut . Joint caving experience 110 years.

P7240002 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

The " dew pond " in Winter.

Vurley. by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Long Summer days.

Vurley in September by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

The selfie stick.

vurleyaug112017 017 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Shifting.

Help ! Vurley. Nigel Cox. by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

When all seemed lost. The Egg Timer has timed out.

After the fall. La La Land by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Surveying the mess.

After the fall. La La Land by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Unhelpful models.

Stop it Sally ! by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Meanwhile at The Hunters.

Trevor and Pete in The Hunters. by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

 
The Old Ruminator

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
The reindeer shed.

PC130007 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Doctor Hilti.

Peter Glanvill in Vurley. by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Sally in the ally .

Vurley with Sally Glanvill by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Bone found at 36m.

Bone found at _36m. Vurley. by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Bubble draught testing.

Bubble draught test at Vurley. by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Mr Up and Mr Down.

P9200116 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Supporting " Damocles "

P8020004 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Old Sparky

P7050077 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Thank you JR Services.

P6140015 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Mark's marvelous wall.

P6070047 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

To baldly go.

To baldly go --- by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Fun with photoshop.

Peat Rose at home by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

The view from the hill.

Cheddar by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr
 
The Old Ruminator

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
The Old Ruminator

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
A good day experimenting with the TG2 and Yongnuo flashgun. Failed in clearing the Jill's Slither sump with drain rods.

Ladder fixed in the pot.

Fixed ladder below The Egg Timer. by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Under the choke is a small chamber with a tight slot leading off to the left. The stream follows this.

P3040072 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Taking a look.

Unentered streamway ( as yet ) Vurley. by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Widening the slot beyond which is a big deep hole. Boom, boom.

Vurley. " The Master Cave " by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr
 
The Old Ruminator

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
Nearly there.

Vurley. decent stal at last . by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Start of the slot.

P3040020 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

The little stream enters.

P3040031 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

The initial slot widened.

Kate. Vurley. by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

The slot leads to an awkward take off on a pitch.

Vurley by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

P4170320 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

The pitch is 11m and quite roomy.

Vurley by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr



Vurley by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Below a bigger chamber at the head of a bedding passage.

P4170121 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Vurley by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

P5010069 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

P5010347 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Vadose trench at the end of the bedding plane.

P5010091 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Fault below the 11m pitch.

P4170025 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr






 
The Old Ruminator

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
ChrisJC said:
Where do you get your concrete pipes from?

Chris.
Click to expand...

Serendipity.

In the next field somebody had attempted to construct some sort of soakaway or cess pit with the pipes buried upright two at a time. The present landowner was glad to get rid of them. So we had a nice hut, pipes to hand, an occasional stream sink, a closed karst basin in lovely surroundings and a helpful landowner. ( now changed to another nice landowner ). Acquiring the initial finance meant getting all interested parties together to form a consortium. Keeping that on track is the hard part.

 
The Old Ruminator

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
Vadose trench at the bottom of the bedding passage.

P5010144 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Leading to 20m pitch.

Vurley by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Vurley by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Vurley by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Not much recorded beyond here. Only 5 of the group have been down the 20m pitch then the other two shorter pitches that follow. Final point is a view down into a small chamber where the stream sinks under the wall. Nobody has been there yet. CO2 still %3 at the 11m pitch. You dont want to climb 3 more pitches with that.

Poor photo looking up 20m pitch.

P5170066 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Friable cobble layer at around 120m at the base of the Clifton Down limestone.

P5170055 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Small scallops at about 110 m. Possibly indicating fast vadose flow. Large, possibly phreatic, scallops are seen closer to 150m.

P5170070 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr
 
S

Speleofish

Active member
As always, this is fascinating! When (and where) are you going to publish the details about Vurley? In the meantime, please keep posting the pictures - they're wonderful!
 
mrodoc

mrodoc

Well-known member
We need to a) finish the survey and b) push the bottom. Waiting for the CO2 levels to drop sufficiently. The OR will then be able to put a ladder down the big pitch and take photos of the bottom.
 
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