Digging Up the Past

This page provides a selection of pictures of "Historical Interest", from various sources. More contributions will be welcomed!

The first was a building in Nether Wood next to the lead flues, and was probably built originally by the lead-mining company. The owner wanted to put it to another use and didn't renew the MCG's lease, but his plans came to nothing and the cottage fell into disrepair and was finally demolished.

At the end of the '50s, the MCG was without a cottage for a while. In due course a replacement was found, a wooden ex-army hut which was erected at the rear of Jim Fry's yard at Nordrach. It still exists today (2001), in use by the Frys as a storage shed.

The need for a more permanent base led the MCG in the early 1970s to purchase a small plot of land from Jim Fry and start building a new cottage. This was almost ready for occupation when just before midnight on 31st December 1979 it was destroyed by a gas explosion. After the initial shock, the club regrouped and built an identical replacement, the present cottage, which was opened in 1982.


Cottage 1 was in Nether Wood near the lead flues. It looks homely enough despite the winter snow.	Nether Wood Cottage was in a derelict state by the 1980s. Now (2001) it is demolished.	Working on the roof of cottage 2, which still exists (2001) as a storage shed in Frys' yard.


The third cottage was built by MCG members during the 1970s, on a plot of land at Nordrach purchased from Jim Fry.	Cottage 3 was destroyed just before opening in a gas explosion at midnight on 31st December 1979..	.

In the early days of caving on Mendip, music played a prominent part in the evening entertainment. One product of this was the 'Velvet Bottom Band' led by Simon and Val Knight.


Simon Knight makes music with the Velvet Bottom Band, an admirable institution almost as old as the MCG itself!	John Miriam samples the delights of the Scottish bagpipes.	Only in the USA could you find this! The keyboard activates hammers on different length stalactites to produce sound.


In 1983, the MCG celebrated its 30th anniversary and as part of the celebrations visited Swildon's Hole in a hybrid of 50's gear.	.	Tony's memorable 1986 birthday party, underground, candle-lit and well supplied with food and refreshment.