Wardlow Sough Reopening - DCA Project
- Thread starter DCA
- Start date
Pete K
Well-known member
Yep, but at least we now know we were not digging a big hole heading for nothing. The open sough appeared about 1 metre below where our mine guru told us to dig last night. Those PDMHS lot know what they are doing! Massive plastic pipe to wrestle in that hole tomorrow and then we have to fill it all in again.
Pete K
Well-known member
Wardlow Sough day 3 - 9/9/2019
Myself, Beth, Chris, Adam, Mark, Nick, Ian, Ann, Katie, Andy, Botch, Mike and Shaun from NE had a rather soggy and muddy day but achieved a load. The pipe moved all the way down the valley like a giant rolling pin and we have stuck it in the hole. The homemade gate is bolted on and some back-filling was also completed today.
Tomorrow we are in with a shout of completing the job, but only if we can get as many people as possible. We will be mainly bucketing spoil into the hole and building a nice little wall with some mortar around the gate. If we can have a big team tomorrow, we can finish it all.
I think I am expecting the following people tomorrow:
Chris (+ dog), Nick, Gordon, Botch, Andy, Nige A & Ann
If you are listed there but can?t come let me know. If you are not listed there and want to come and try the most dangerous slide in Derbyshire, please please please come and help. Let me know if you are coming via email or messaging the FB page.
Tomorrow you will need gloves and lunch. Bring lid and caving suit if you want to have a look in the sough but be warned, it is really hard to get out until we put a ladder in!
10am at the sough or around 8:30/45am in The Yonderman Cafe for a bap and brew
Myself, Beth, Chris, Adam, Mark, Nick, Ian, Ann, Katie, Andy, Botch, Mike and Shaun from NE had a rather soggy and muddy day but achieved a load. The pipe moved all the way down the valley like a giant rolling pin and we have stuck it in the hole. The homemade gate is bolted on and some back-filling was also completed today.
Tomorrow we are in with a shout of completing the job, but only if we can get as many people as possible. We will be mainly bucketing spoil into the hole and building a nice little wall with some mortar around the gate. If we can have a big team tomorrow, we can finish it all.
I think I am expecting the following people tomorrow:
Chris (+ dog), Nick, Gordon, Botch, Andy, Nige A & Ann
If you are listed there but can?t come let me know. If you are not listed there and want to come and try the most dangerous slide in Derbyshire, please please please come and help. Let me know if you are coming via email or messaging the FB page.
Tomorrow you will need gloves and lunch. Bring lid and caving suit if you want to have a look in the sough but be warned, it is really hard to get out until we put a ladder in!
10am at the sough or around 8:30/45am in The Yonderman Cafe for a bap and brew
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Pete K
Well-known member
Wardlow Sough day 4 - 10/9/2019
The job is complete! Well nearly. I need to source and install a ladder inside the pipe as it is really rather too hard to get out of it, being at such a steep angle and very greased with mud. I?ll ping some emails about in a day or so to see who can come and help with that.
I?ll finalise the access agreement over the next few days and issue a proper DCA update. Until then, just hang fire on mass trips to the whopping 40m of passage. I?d be keen to hear from someone who can survey it for us if anyone out there can help. Also, we need to take a few pictures of some inscriptions while they are most visible, so a combined trip for both jobs would be a good plan.
Deepest thanks to everyone who has been involved at any stage of the job, this could not have been done without you incredible people.
Full write up will no doubt follow via DCA channels and Descent.
Thanks again.
Pete Knight, DCA Projects Officer
The job is complete! Well nearly. I need to source and install a ladder inside the pipe as it is really rather too hard to get out of it, being at such a steep angle and very greased with mud. I?ll ping some emails about in a day or so to see who can come and help with that.
I?ll finalise the access agreement over the next few days and issue a proper DCA update. Until then, just hang fire on mass trips to the whopping 40m of passage. I?d be keen to hear from someone who can survey it for us if anyone out there can help. Also, we need to take a few pictures of some inscriptions while they are most visible, so a combined trip for both jobs would be a good plan.
Deepest thanks to everyone who has been involved at any stage of the job, this could not have been done without you incredible people.
Full write up will no doubt follow via DCA channels and Descent.
Thanks again.
Pete Knight, DCA Projects Officer
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Pete K
Well-known member
Pete K
Well-known member
And we're done! The 2 ladder sections (care of Mike Higgins 
) went in today. Each 2m section is bolted in using 8 x M8 coach screws so they are solid.
Access is as per Neptune Mine, i.e. same Natural England agreement that can be seen here: https://thedca.org.uk/conservation-access/access-agreements/natural-england-access-agreement.
You'll need a Derbyshire Key and remember - righty tighty, lefty loosie.
Digging inside will require permission as this site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, but the local Natural England team are really sound. Contact the DCA Access Officer for details.
A survey and updated description will appear on the DCA Cave Registry soon.
Once again, massive thanks to everyone involved. We have a whole new mine system to play in thanks to you guys!
) went in today. Each 2m section is bolted in using 8 x M8 coach screws so they are solid. Access is as per Neptune Mine, i.e. same Natural England agreement that can be seen here: https://thedca.org.uk/conservation-access/access-agreements/natural-england-access-agreement.
You'll need a Derbyshire Key and remember - righty tighty, lefty loosie.
Digging inside will require permission as this site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, but the local Natural England team are really sound. Contact the DCA Access Officer for details.
A survey and updated description will appear on the DCA Cave Registry soon.
Once again, massive thanks to everyone involved. We have a whole new mine system to play in thanks to you guys!
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Mrs Trellis
Well-known member
Pitlamp said:
Hear hear
