Surface digging near Goatchurch Cavern

[chriscastle46]

I had a look today.
It's a bit of a mess, with the spoil tumbling down towards the stream. It looks totally futile, with no sign of any cave, nor, thankfully, a badger sett.
It's too far from Goatchurch to enter it, looks like someone was trying to find the Upper Dry Series of Flange Swallet!

 

[Peter Burgess]

I'm going to bed. Goodnight.

 

[darkplaces]

Anyone passing, kick soil back in.

 

[cap n chris]

It's at the top of a long slope, the rocks have rolled to the bottom. Anyone back-filling the dig is going to have a LOT of work to do. Therefore it's a safe bet that no-one will be back-filling it.

AHA! Picture uploading now works.....



Rubble down slope (quite a lot, you'll agree)



The hole...

 

[axbridgecaver]

Chris - this is a mess and might encourage more diggers to have a go. I suggest that you and I get a few cavers together and fill it in.

 

[cap n chris]

It will require rope (I've got) and some hauling buckets (not got). We can talk about it later.

Personally I would far prefer it, however, if those who dug it out in the first place were to go to the effort of filling it back in again

 

[darkplaces]

The 'diggers' might not be online so I think you will need to put a sign up and hope they return and do something or lure people to help clear it up with a trip around goatchurch or maybe a social BBQ so SWMBO's can see what diggers do underground in reverse.

SWMBO - She Who Must Be Obeyed - Those with partners have to earn SWMBO tokens which can be exchanged for caving or beer.

 

[cap n chris]

What we need is 3-4 people to create a short human chain so we can pass the stones uphill and plonk them back in the hole, preferably covering over the perpetrator in a shallow grave stylee.

 

[darkplaces]

1x me any evening but thursday, weekend in swales.

 

[Tree Monkey]

I'll give you a hand. Left or Right?

 

[axbridgecaver]

Well tonight I was driving happily to Shipham to dig on the surface (in a legal dig where we had the permission of the landowner). I arrived at the dig to find Cap & Chris and Tree Monkey and was eventually persuaded to go with them to the site of the illeagl dig near Goatchurch. Here we all spent a happy (????) hour refilling the hole. Unfortunately the hole was at the top of a steep slope so all the rocks had to be dragged and thrown uphill. So much for my digging evening.

In all the many years of digging I have always asked permission to dig and only on one occassion (this year) permission has been denied. Why not ask!!!!!

 

[cap n chris]

The latest on this topic is that the perpetrator(s) are/is wanted: I have been informed that the digging is contrary to Bye Laws and Regulations in respect of Burrington Commons - carrying a fine following civil proceedings - but more ominously contrary to SSSI legislation carrying considerably greater penalties; the Hills Warden is also livid and I am unable to print his comments but the digging was cited as being criminal damage and could lead to prosecution - and it appears there is a strong intent to pursue this if at all possible.

 

[graham]

Just caught up with this. Is there any more that needs doing? I am free this w/e.

Chris, can you tell Les that if this is pursued, if it can be, I am willing to help in any way possible.

 

[cap n chris]

Thanks Graham, we should perhaps have an offline chat about this. The hole has been mostly back-filled with the same rocks which came out of it although some smaller stones remain on the downward slope as a legacy of these events; the area has been liberally covered with leafy spoil.

How it now looks:

 

[Peter Burgess]

Good job! Where was the hole? I can't see anything. Glad to see you've worked out how to upload images. You must tell me how to do it sometime :wink:

I think this was an opportunistic dig - would someone who is involved in digging for caves make such a mess, and just abandon it? Unless someone out there saw them doing it and comes forward, I doubt we'll ever know who it was.

 

[cap n chris]

I doubt we'll ever know who it was.

Hmm. I think you are wrong on this one.

 

[Peter Burgess]

Hmm. I think you are wrong on this one.

That's an encouraging comment. Nothing like someone being caught to act as a deterrent.

 

[cap n chris]

I should like to put it on record that the back-filling work was kindly done by Axbridgecaver (Al) and Tree Monkey (Doug) who happily gave of their time freely to ensure this situation was remedied.

 

[Roger W]

Well done, lads!

 

[Peter Burgess]

Thanks guys. Let's hope that the prompt and selfless actions of responsible cavers is seen favourably by English Nature etc. It's not right that we have to rely on the work of 'givers' to remedy the thoughtlessness of 'takers', but thanks anyway.