There was a dead sheep in the Quaking Pot shakehole when I was walking past last Sunday. Not that Quaking should probably be on anyone's lockdown hitlist anyway... apparently it had been there for at least a few weeks. I have a photo but it's a dead sheep in a shakehole so probably not particularly illuminating

Also, is there normally a foot-high dam above the shakehole diverting the incoming streamway elsewhere? I've not been to Quaking before.

Are you sure it was actually quaking? If you have not been there before? I don't recall any damns myself.

Alex said:

Are you sure it was actually quaking? If you have not been there before? I don't recall any damns myself.

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Pretty sure, as it looks like the entrance photo on the CNCC page, but here's the photo. Dam was in the same direction as the camera is facing (i.e. towards Ingleborough); the other person on the walk also said they hadn't seen it before.

Yep that looks like Quaking then. Thankfully there is another entrance half way down which would avoid that sheep, but I would not like to grovel in the water beyond the crux with that thing in the stream.

I think a team have been doing track repairs around Ingleborough recently. I will have a run up there and check if water diversions are impacting the SSSI features ( caves). It is clearly not in cavers interests to divert water here.
It would be useful to know how long this diversion has been in place.

I miss understood the water diversion situation. The water is actually diverted from above the entrance taking it away to the huge shakehole to the West with the big dig in the bottom. This has considerably reduced the surface water intake to Quaking Pot.
It is clearly nothing to do with YDNP path repairs.
The work has been done by an excavator.
I see no need for cavers to divert water to a long abandoned dig site. Diggers in Quaking are unlikely to go to such lengths. So who are the parties that may have motive to do this. I am not permitted to speculate for professional reasons.  :ang:
I am hols at the moment so I cant consult the NCC journal with the dye tracing info.
If the water levels are managed like this it could come down a grade to 4.  Very distressing for anyone who has had an epic on a previous trip.
The dead sheep is still in decent condition and would pull out on a rope if anyone fancied having a go. Another week and a body bag would be advisable.