Friday 4th September 2026

 Ed Ford and Mike Kushy. We met for 15.45 and headed in with a heavy bag of stone dust each. Many mixes made (used 2 full drums of cement and relevant sand). There's now a bright green scoop in TPC to help gauge mixes better. The nut on the pulley hanger has now been tightened. Good amount built but didn't quite make it all the way round, it would be nice to get this finished Sunday to allow a safer clearance session mid week. There was hardly a draught to begin with, around 7pm it really picked up. Back to the cars for 2030. Half a bag of cement in the lockbox, which should restock the 2 drums brought out. Mike.

Oli Hill and Sam Hill

Met at half 5 and made quick progress down to the dig.
A bolt and hanger was installed high up on wall for hauling (bolt needs a spanner to tighten it up and a pulley adding).
20 buckets of loose stuff was hauled up and then numerous large boulders were broken up. Hole into bedding tube has been opened up again and a good draft was felt towards the end of the session.Left with lots more rocks to break down and lots of loose stuff but a cementing session is definitely needed before any more downwards progress. Larger voids opening up in the floor with lots of calcite and water worn boulders coming out.
Out by half 8. 3hrs. Sam.

Installing pulley. Photo SH.

Looking down. Photo SH.

Large calcite lump pulled out. Photo SH.

Monday 31st August 2026

Oli Hill, Sam Hill, Mike Kushy and Mysti Ommer. We all met at 1100 and carried 2 bags of dust in each, apart from one person who had the drill and a bag of sand. OH and MO went through to MHH and brought a length of rope back with them. This was used on a bucket for hauling (ideal time to get a pulley installed). SH meanwhile set to breaking up rock in Scaff' Dig with PF's. After we spectated SH for a while,we decided to have a go at the 'Top Dig' in TPC. Easy digging and OH/MO took turns at the front. A 3rd person wasn't really needed so MK went to assist SH. Towards the end we were mainly clearing clatch, with still loads more to clear. Before we left some hefty boulders were moved from the floor at the end. Interesting holes in the floor appearing now and boulders still getting larger. Another interesting thing was that all the boulders we broke up today weren't actually limestone, all rotten inert calcite type material which PF's didn't work great on (none of these boulders were smaller than a microwave!), almost as if this area was one big calcited plug. We had a chat today and agreed all building work should be done on a weekend as we keep losing bits of wall where enough time isn't being spent on construction. All out for 1530. Mike.

Top Dig was mostly mud and some soft rocks, with OH and MO taking turns to break it up and empty buckets into nearby spoil. After a couple of hours, a significant amount of the floor area had been removed and lowered, but still plenty of work to be done removing sediment, with an intriguing undercut down towards the back right. Mysti.

Wednesday 19th August 2026

Sam Hill, Mike Kushy and Michael Waterworth.

MK and MW met for 1800 and took 2 drums of cement in. At TPC we met SH who had been down for a while splitting up boulders from the scaffold dig. We all cleared the loose spoil to the main chamber. Some work was done adding extra bars and removing the higher diagonal brace that goes across the middle so we can now add a pulley system. SH had to leave at 2000, so the other pair set to building some walling. 2&1/2 drums of cement in cave and a fair amount of building sand, just need dust. Several huge boulders to break up at the bottom of the scaff dig next time. Really good draught coming out today. MK and MW got to the cars for 2100. Mike K.

Scaffold Dig. Photo SH.

Tuesday 4th August 2026

We met for 5pm at the dig, ready with a bag of cement. We were underground for half past. At Boulder Rift Chamber we grabbed all but one of the bags of sand/dust. With minimal spillage five bags and ourselves dropped down into Tea Party Chamber. Having had a good look around making a plan we set about it, 3 mixes were made up whilst I cleaned out the bottom ready for walling. The un-cemented side was walled up and a small step added. The second load went under one of the large boulders to support the wall ready for downwards progress next time. 3.5hrs 

We emptied all the bags in TPC, bringing all the bags out! 4 broken tackle bags were taken from site & washed, in the hope that they can be fixed. There is no cement, but 3 bags of dust and 2 bags of sand left in Tea Party Chamber.
Sam Hill.

Looking down. Photo SH.

Looking down. Photo SH.