I am writing an editorial on conservation for the Belfry Bulletin and decided to look at my caving primer from 1966 called Cavecraft by David Cons. No reference is made to conservation techniques in caves apart from gating them! So who started running tapes round caves as opposed to laying paths or using markers?  A serious question and onefor which  it would be interesting to receive any answers.

For the benefit of others I seem to remember the helectites in Shatter Cave ringed of with wire of some sort c 1969. It still did not stop somebody treading on them. I also remember the mad dash down Manor Farm when nobody had any concern about conservation in 1973. I suppose the same could be said for Shatter Cave in 1969. Compare that to Reservoir Hole where a certain young lady usually seemed to have some tape up her oversuit the minute anything new was found.

Bob Leakey was involved in many of the explorations in the Lancaster Hole - Ease Gill Caverns system, and was perturbed by the damage done to the floors and formations. As a consequence, in 1952 he established the Cave Preservation Society - a national organisation dedicated to looking after our caves. It was only active for four years, but in that time was involved with taping routes through caves, clearing rubbish from caves, advising on digs, producing a cave preservation code, writing articles in caving magazines, and lobbying planning departments.

The British Caving Library has the CPS archive, and will, no doubt, be able to get you a copy of the cave preservation code.

Right, I'll have a look for the Cave Preservation Code when I'm in the Library next and will post it on here.

I can remember taping being done at a fairly early stage in ODF - maybe someone from SWCC will know the history.