Tying up some loose ends- P8, Eldon Hill & quarry, Slitherstones and beyond

Mark

Mark

Well-known member
11071729_10205982208024569_9067101438599843904_n.jpg


I remember in 1972 South Yorkshire Caving Club were exploring a shaft they called Eldon Pearl Mine (yellow x) or somewhere very close.

Apparently went into natural, with nice formations ?.  I never went down, but sat at the top waiting for them to come out.

I think it was Pete Lord, Tony Buckley, Wren (Dave Shaw) & John Parker ,i f any one has contact details (I know Tony is no longer with us) they might be able to shed some light on it.
 
AR

AR

Well-known member
Is that the first series 25" map Mark? The second series shows a shaft a little to the west just outside the belland yard wall which would be the one shown on the DCA survey on the upper bench to the east of Sidetrack. I think Pwhole has had some communication with Peter Lord in recent years, do you have contact details for him Phil?
 
Mark

Mark

Well-known member
1888 - 1933 is all it says.

The shaft was to the left of the track at a sharp kink going uphill, on top of a 3m high masonry wall, covered with a steel plate, with
1 inch diam holes drilled in.

I think it was probably still around when Dave Elliot did his excellent guides, he might have some info on it.
 
AR

AR

Well-known member
Looking on Old Maps, it is the first series (1879). Comparing the kink in the track as shown on the 1922 OS and Google earth, I think the shaft  you're referring to disappeared when the track was realigned to take it away from the quarry face.
 
Madness

Madness

New member
Looking at Google Maps, the track has been realigned but the dry stone wall is as on the old map. Should be able to get a rough location from that.
 
AR

AR

Well-known member
That's what I was going by, and taking the line of the vein along the wall (shown on the 1922 and 1972 maps as  a small opencut), it crossed the track at the point where the kink Mark describes was. As it's now been straightened, if the shaft was in that kink and directly on the vein then it'll have been removed when the track was realigned. Thinking back to some of the previous threads, wasn't there mention of someone being told by one of the quarry workers about a shaft being filled in?
 
braveduck

braveduck

Active member
The shaft by the track was in the top of built up shaft with steps I think going up to it.when I saw it
there was no cover on top and it went down to water. I never went down it in fact I had not even started caving
when I saw it in that condition !
 
bograt

bograt

Active member
I suspect that the main barrier to vertical access is the bed related to the 'Narrows' in Nettle ( based upon expriences in Mountbatton and Thistle), anything below this will yeild things like bedding developement like 'the flats'- bedding development, and 'Beza'-- rift development,- get past this barrier and the caves are there for you----!
Unfortunately geological cross - sections are not available to see where this bed intercepts the surface ---.
 
Mark Wright

Mark Wright

Active member
Bograt,

When we were digging at the bottom of Thistle Pot in the 80's I remember John Beck suggesting we were only a few metres away from that 'Barrier'. Maybe Doug has a geological cross section? A large block fell down the second section of the shaft and jammed itself and I think people lost interest after that.

I remember timing the shots with the start of the moto-cross races so they couldn't be heard. The extended trailer in the TSG hut was made so that 2 people could easily carry the generator across the field to the entrance. You wouldn't need any of that these days.

There were still plenty of easier pickings to be had in Peak Cavern at that time. The entrance has one of those steel baskets full of rocks on the top of it. With modern digging equipment and a few able hands I'm sure this site could easily be extended. Thats assuming, of course, we could get access to it.

Mark

 
 
bograt

bograt

Active member
Mark Wright said:
Bograt,

When we were digging at the bottom of Thistle Pot in the 80's I remember John Beck suggesting we were only a few metres away from that 'Barrier'. Maybe Doug has a geological cross section? A large block fell down the second section of the shaft and jammed itself and I think people lost interest after that.

I remember timing the shots with the start of the moto-cross races so they couldn't be heard. The extended trailer in the TSG hut was made so that 2 people could easily carry the generator across the field to the entrance. You wouldn't need any of that these days.

There were still plenty of easier pickings to be had in Peak Cavern at that time. The entrance has one of those steel baskets full of rocks on the top of it. With modern digging equipment and a few able hands I'm sure this site could easily be extended. Thats assuming, of course, we could get access to it.

Mark
Click to expand...

This has been one of my favourites for decades;

'A large block fell down the second section of the shaft and jammed itself and I think people lost interest after that.' - I suspect modern technology could soon sort that out.

'The extended trailer in the TSG hut was made so that 2 people could easily carry the generator across the field to the entrance. '
I remember this with affection, developed by Ray and P.B. I recall it being towed up the Winnats by Ray's Reliant Robin!

'There were still plenty of easier pickings to be had in Peak Cavern at that time.', Yup, this was the 'age of discovery' in Peak, so much happening! -- maybe now things have quietend down down there, its time to return to the 'top of the hill'?.


 
Mark

Mark

Well-known member
alastairgott said:
Aha! Mark i know what you've done now, you've taken an old map and overlayed it on a satalite image.

Is the map of the shaft marked in the north of this old map? (The quality is really bad i'm afraid :( )

http://www.tsgcaving.co.uk/gallery/category/6-old-maps
Click to expand...

No I don't think so, this one was right by the track.

The overlay map thing is from this site

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=14&lat=53.2678&lon=-1.6456&layers=1

You just alter the transparency of the overlay (dead easy)
 
AR

AR

Well-known member
Ah, I think that NLS map is the second series 6" of 1899, though unfortunately the overlay is a bit out to the background in places.  I generally use the second series 25"  for doing my own overlays in Photoshop as I've got a copy of the complete set for Derbyshire.

 
Madness

Madness

New member
Mark said:
11071729_10205982208024569_9067101438599843904_n.jpg


I remember in 1972 South Yorkshire Caving Club were exploring a shaft they called Eldon Pearl Mine (yellow x) or somewhere very close.

Apparently went into natural, with nice formations ?.  I never went down, but sat at the top waiting for them to come out.

I think it was Pete Lord, Tony Buckley, Wren (Dave Shaw) & John Parker ,i f any one has contact details (I know Tony is no longer with us) they might be able to shed some light on it.
Click to expand...

From my reckoning, this shaft would now be under the realigned track.
 
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