Wensleydale, Swaledale and Wharfedale

[Badlad]

I'm looking for ideas on a caving story suitable for BBC TV.  It should be a positive story and reflect caving in a good light and be suitable to fit in a varied half hour programme on each of the three National Park dales which are featured.  They are already chosen - Wensleydale, Swaledale and Wharfedale.

Post or PM

Many thanks

[nobrotson]

would the programme be a collection of stories or follow only one story?

[PeteHall]

I have seen somewhere, a digital recreation of Sir Francis Level (mine, not cave) in Gunnerside Gill, Swaledale.*

It is a fascinating place and I'm sure the project to digitise it would make an interesting tale.

As an aside, I was actually in the engine chamber at midnight as I turned 21, so I have always claimed that I grew up underground. Needless to say, the champaign was well chilled from the route in!

*badlad, something in the back of my mind says you were involved with this... Am I right there, or have I made that up?

[alastairgott]

I have seen somewhere, a digital recreation of Sir Francis Level (mine, not cave) in Gunnerside Gill, Swaledale.*

I'm pretty sure this was the 3d cave scanning team, Roo Walters and others, I'm almost certain I saw it (a few times) on the big TV screen they had set up in the Trade hall at HE2017.

Sorry for "and others" I don't know who else is on the team, but it's the lot that have been doing the big chambers of the world.

[Badlad]

See here https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=19691.0 The video is still there if you scroll down the posts a little.

Good idea though and I am in a good position to blag about it. 

Anymore ideas for these dales?  I understand there is a half hour programme on each of the valleys and the Beeb have expressed an interest in a caving story for one (maybe more) of the episodes.

[Simon Beck]

Regarding Wharfedale, there is always the Lead Mining Industry, the story of the Lost Caverns of Grassington Moor and attempts to access them since.

[Pitlamp]

I agree with Simon - that's a fascinating story and could be weaved into something well worth including. There is a lot of information easily available in Northern Mines Research Group publications (especially the blue "British Mining" book which deals with this area, including a survey of the natural stuff).

[langcliffe]

Another possibility is David Hodgson's work in Scoska Cave.

[blackshiver]

Exploration and discovery history might be worth thinking about. Moldywarps discovery of Devis hole mine cave in Swaledale. Thackethwhaite beck in Wenslydale and perhaps finish with the diving pushes in White Keld in Wharfedale. All well documented in Caves and Karst of the Yorkshire Dales.

[marysboy]

Regarding Wharfedale, there is always the Lead Mining Industry...

... and the associated unsolved mystery of "Buckden Bill"

http://www.vetch.co.uk/buckden2/ThemysteryofBuckdenBill.pdf

[Badlad]

Just to update this thread.  I took all your ideas to the producer and he liked the Sir Francis level story best.  Rob Franklin was commissioned to do the filming work which they completed last week (thanks for your ideas on this thread https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=23622.0).  Roo Walters was interviewed about the laser scanning work at the entrance.  The series features the presenter Paul Rose (http://www.paulrose.org/) and is similar to a previous series on the Lake District.  Thanks to this, there is further interest in doing features on the underground.  If I find out when it is on I'll let you know - autumn I expect.

Thanks all.

[Badlad]

Received this from the BBC today.

"Hi Tim, hope all’s well. The Inside Out film about the Sir Francis Level mine goes out on Monday (11th) on the Inside Out series, 7.30pm BBC1. It’s being run on the Yorks & Lincs version, but I think my colleagues in the NE are running it too. A shorter version of the film will be in 'the Dales' series on BBC2 in the spring."

It could be interesting.  I know they got background footage but on the day they tried to go in with the presenter the air quality was not up to their requirements.  However, I understand they have used this in the feature to show that you can not always proceed with plans as you hope.  Hopefully iplayer links will be available for those outside the transmission area (like me).   Cheers

[Pitlamp]

I think Badlad's right; it will be interesting.

A few years ago the Inside Out team did the story of the 1947 Clapham Bottoms body, in what is now known as "Body Pot". I thought they made a pretty good job of that.

[mikem]

It will be on iPlayer & if it's on NE, then also Cumbria:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0c2px12

For those who don't know about Body pot: http://oldfieldslimestone.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-trow-gill-skeleton-unsolved-mystery.html?m=1

[mikem]

Also: http://commendium.com/sir-francis-level-mine-works/

[mikem]

From about 1O mins in:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0004513/the-yorkshire-dales-series-1-2-swaledale

[mikem]

Was shown nationwide on Saturday, so should be available again on iPlayer.

[Jenny P]

An excellent little section in the programme - loved the wading in chest deep water up the level! 

It didn't lose anything by them explaining why they had to cut short the tip to the Engine House due to bad air - their monitors gave a warning.  So it's a useful hint to the public that some mine levels may not be altogether safe to access unless you have the right equipment.

Great to see Dave Carlisle enthusing over the level as it was when he first saw it - and the photos shown of the gear then accessible were good.