Hudgill Burn Mine Caverns - three quick questions

[Pitlamp]

John Dale gave a superb presentation mainly about HBMC on Sunday at the Northern Explorers Forum. I've tried to contact him to check a few facts but so far not managed. Please could anyone familiar answer any of these three questions?

1. Is "Hudgill Burn Mine Caverns" the correct name?

2. What's the current length of all the natural passages?

3. How does this rank on Dales and / or national lists of longest caves?

Could do with knowing fairly urgently, so thanks for any help anyone can offer.

[scurve]

As far as I am aware:

1. Yes
2. 13,244m
3. 13th longest in the British Isles, 7th longest in England, 4th longest in the Northern caves area.

http://www.ukcaves.co.uk/all-longest

[Pitlamp]

Thanks ever so much - and for your email!

[scurve]

You're welcome, and I wholeheartedly agree that John Dale's presentation on Sunday was superb.

[andys]

This has got me looking into some of my books on the subject, principally because I was sure that I had read of Hudgillburn (all one word) Mine and I've found a mix of references some with one word, and some with two!

The reopening of the main level by CATMHS was written up (by Sheila Barker) in "The Mine Explorer" (CATMHS's journal) Volume 5 dated 2002. In that volume, Sheila extensively uses the one word version of the name - Hudgillburn - including not just the mine itself, but also the name of the level that accessed it, and that of the company that worked it). However, she also refers to R.A. Fairbairn's monograph "The Mines of Alston Moor" (published as British Mining No 47, in 1993). I don't have this, but in the 2nd edition of the same (published in 2008, and seemingly outside of the British Mining series) it is referred to as two words - Hudgill Burn Mine.

So possibly either form is correct?

[Pitlamp]

Aha - I've got that 1993 edition . . . . let me see . . .

Yep, survey on page 94 has "Hudgill Burn Mines" (and page 95 lists the various "Hudgill Burn" veins).

You may be right that both forms can be used (unless one of them was just due to inadequate proof reading). I think we'll run with two words, as the main cavers survey from modern times does just that, as do many of the earlier references.

Thanks.

[blackshiver]

I see all the questions have been answered - thanks Chris.

P.S There is a write up in Caves and Karst of the Yorkshire Dales Vol 2 - Chapter 32 and the main scientific write up is in Caves and Karst Science Vol 42 No 1 April 2015.