Anyone got lots of big machines, money and spare time?

[Cap'n Chris]

Thursday mornin', 14th Decemblier, MMVI. Globally warm'n'luvverly Mendip.

Went for a little look-see at what could one day be a real gem on Mendip; it's been dug before, on and off and seems to have beaten many enthusiastic people into submission. I'm not enthusiastic and I tend to live in a state of submission most of the time anyway. My day care assistant, Ian, and I had the idea of going for a recce - we started off clean and ended up muddy. We started off keen and ended up muddy. We started off mean and ended up muddy. Nice abseil followed by mucky crawling around to one dig site before returning to look at another - "interesting" slot climb, easier done without a ladder BTW! (contrary to the advice in the Mendip Bible), and then rummage around trying to find old planks with rusty nails to stand on. Prussiked back up and didn't have to go back down again to collect the ladder which hadn't been fastened onto the rope properly, honest.  Thanks Ian!


Ian being manly


Endless galleries of stunning formations stretching as far as the eyeball can twitch


Ian practicing his cat-swinging technique - he should easily get a gold medal!


Professional quality shoring, as seen on QVCPikey

[Tree Monkey]

Any clues to where it be then Chris?

[Cap'n Chris]

... here's some clues:

It's next door to somewhere you keep enjoying yourself.
Apparently it's got a draught - the expression I used today was "Draught? - My arse!".
If someone has got a lot of big machines and money and spare time and they installed a crane winch and a digging grab-bucket-type-thingy and then dug away at the pile of old crap then there's every reason to suppose that they'd uncover a 450' deep pitch - `cos we already know it was there 110 years ago.... it would be a great single pitch abseil! - Mind you, by the time it's been dug out, Templeton's will be a 450' single pitch abseil so we've decided to wait for that one as a) we haven't got any big machines, b) we haven't got any spare time and c) we've decided to keep all of our pots of money to spend on other things.

[whitelackington]

Is it Timber hole?

[Cap'n Chris]

It's Singalong time!

.....On the First Day of Christmas Whitelackington sent to me....

A list of questions which unsurprisingly started "Is it Timber Hole?"....

[martinr]

Looks like Blackmoor shaft to me

[Tree Monkey]

I think you've hit the nail on the head Martin.

When and if we the Mcg diggers get a minute!    We know where abouts to dig Chris!    Watch this space.

[whitelackington]

Is it
the lost cave of Hutton?

[Cap'n Chris]

Stained Berries, Martin; Stained Berries.

[whitelackington]

Y did Mister Stained Berries dig such a deep hole?

[Cap'n Chris]

Y did Mister Stained Berries dig such a deep hole?

Plenty of info in UBSS Proc. Vol.17: No.1, "Cornish Miners at Charterhouse-on-Mendip", Stanton & Clarke, pp.29-55. Put simply Cornish Miners were paid by the fathom* and were contracted to the Mendip Hills Mining Company who used shareholders' money to pursue lead at depth (unfortunately non-economically viable); things were far from happy - in short, the company went bust, Stainsby was discovered as an embezzler and a lot of people were out of pocket. Lead was not found in abundance.


* Hence significant depth was gained since the miners got paid for digging, not for finding!

[graham]

Judging by the questions asked on here Mr Knowledgelackington needs a subscription to UBSS Proceedings for Xmas.

[Tree Monkey]

He needs a prescription for life!!   Not just for christmas Graham.

[Cap'n Chris]

Judging by the questions asked on here Mr Knowledgelackington needs a subscription to UBSS Proceedings for Xmas.

According to the UBSS Publications Department, the Proceedings are available at the following respective prices: -
Vol. 23:2, 23:1, 22:3, 22:2, 22:1  (£6.50 each)
Vol 19:1, 19:2, 19:3, 20:1, 20:2, 20:3, 21:1, 21:2, 21:3 (£6.00 each)
Vol 18:2, 18:3, 19:1 (£5.00 each)
Vol 17:3, 18:1    (£4.50 each)
Vol 17:2 (£3.50)
Vol 16:1, 16:2, 16:3, 17:1 (£3.00 each)
Vol 9:3, 10:1, 10:2, 10:3, 11:1, 11:3, 12:2, 12:3, 13:1, 13:2 13:3, 14:1, 14:2, 14:3, 15:1, 15:2, 15:3 (£2.00 each) OR, sound of drum roll, baited breath, gasps and wondrous awe from wide-eyed audience..... ta-da!!!..... the full set from 9:3 TO 23:1 for..... £100.00 (bought separately this would cost over £150).

[graham]

He needs a prescription for life!!   Not just for christmas Graham.

 

[whitelackington]

Did Mister Stained Berries "Hit Water" when he (or more probably his oiks)
dropped the shaft to minus 100 metres?

[Cap'n Chris]

Whitelackington, in answer to your enquiry may I refer you to this previous quote.

Judging by the questions asked on here Mr Knowledgelackington needs a subscription to UBSS Proceedings for Xmas.

[whitelackington]

 

Thankyou Captain,
I will graciously accept your generous Christmas gift of the virtually complete set of lovely UBSS books

I know I would enjoy reading them  and learn little known stuff,
like did Mister stained berries hit the water table in Blackmoor Shaft

When are the Cheddar starting up operations, in the New Year

[Cap'n Chris]

Will need your address for posting your parcel (invoice included, of course  )