Windy Knoll Cave

[SamT]

According to the SSSI map, the old "sink" at Winnats Head Farm may not actually be within the boundaries, as the farm itself is excluded.

No - looking closely, only the farm yards and buildings are excluded - the shakehole is quite clearly in the field shaded purple.

Permission might be hard to gain for a proper dig, because its so overlooked by very touristy areas. You;d have the national trust, peak park, farmer, and english nature to deal with.

Still - when the weather gets a whole lot wetter, I'll have a word with the farmer and see if I can have a quick recce.

 

[martinm]

Aah, thanks for reminding me Sam. I was going to add the one from COPD to it but forgot!  :-[

Am doing it now and will let you know when the updated doc is on the web site.

 

[braveduck]

In referance to all the bones that were excavated in victorian times,I think they came from Windy Knoll Rift which was situated just out side the cave entrance.This was then filled in for whatever reason.All documented in the older caving referance books.
A lot of digging was done in the 50s and early 60s to a shaft and continuation but then abandoned.Allways struck me as one of the best two digs to do at Castleton!!!
Apart from Radon gas the radioactive story may be from the fact that radioactive materials from Manchester hospitals were stored in the Blue John Mine during the War.
It was reported to have removed the colour from ajacent Blue John rock.I hope someone does start digging there because with the modern approach and determination it has got to be a winner,may be even time to win the rope prize!!!

 

[martinm]

OK, Survey now added to Dr Jacksons & Perryfoot Caves monitoring form. (And uploaded to the web site.) Is there a more up to date one? Maybe one showing the connection between the two caves?

 

[DARBY]

Have started to look at something in windy knoll in a different site to the previous one just need to get permissions from the relevant bodies to continue and also clean up past digging debris as it has become a bit of sh####le

 

[danthecavingman]

Anyone digging in Windy Knoll, please get in touch with Eddie Mason of the TSG. He has been digging on and off in there for years. Just courtesy really as I'm not sure what status his dig is in at the mo.

Dan.

 

[DARBY]

Cheers Dan,
              Thought you might know who had been digging there will try and get in touch with Eddie if anything comes of it. But need to get it cleaned up initially not so much digging gear as tourist rubbish (beer cans and litter etc). Popped up Monday to have a nosy around the adjacent fields in the same field by the wall on the bend opposite the top of the winnats is a really deep shake with loose boulders on the side which shows signs of taking a lot of water does anybody know if this has been looked at the base of it was filled with 100ft maneating nettles and was in shorts so didnt bother having a look in the bottom but looks promising and on the right line. Hows Pindale going Dan.

 

[Cave_Troll]

which one? this one?
http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=53.344489&lon=-1.808102&z=17&r=0&src=ggl

 

[SamT]

Nope I think he's referring to this one

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=53.341577&lon=-1.810319&z=17&r=0&src=ggl

 

[Pitlamp]

I understand that a certain digger in WKC encountered an almost complete red deer skeleton a few decades ago - so it wasn't just the fissure that produced interesting fauna, the main cave did too.

 

[DARBY]

Yep thats the one sam even the grass shows that it has taken a considerable amount of the wet stuff at some point

 

[Mrs Trellis]

Fascinating feature at 53 20 33.7 N, 1 48 29.1 W  8)

 

[SamT]

Spoke to Eddie Mason last night. He says that anyone wanting to dig has his blessing and he's more than happy to pass on any info he has.

His titbit for the evening was "Theres only one way to dig that place - over the top. "

 

[Mark]

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=53.342673&lon=-1.80815&z=17.4&r=0&src=ggl

I think this aerial shot rather sumps it up nicely.

Tell me there isnt a cave in that hole in the field west of Winnats Head Farm.

(the source of the stream in Winnats Head cave per chance?)

Went for a look at this the other week, (our next door neighbour's dad is the tennant at Winnats Head Farm) there is nothing there

looking towards the farm

looking towards Windy Knoll

It looks to me like the valley actually went further, past the farm, and into the top of Winnats Pass proper?

 

[SamT]

so which one of the Bradleys lives next door to you then ?? I was at school with both of them.

 

[Mark]

so which one of the Bradleys lives next door to you then ?? I was at school with both of them.

Steve!

 

[Moose]

Did you ask the horse if it'd seen anything of interest?

 

[Moose]

..or was it too busy looking at it's reflection?

 

[SamT]

Ah - steve was in my year.  Tell him sam says hello. Seen him up on the farm a few times when we've parked there for Winnats head.

Was there anything of notein that sink hole. Did it look like it took any water. (I guess really wet weather is the time to look).

 

[Mark]

Did you ask the horse if it'd seen anything of interest?

'neigh'