In 1987, Dr John D. Wilcock (an exponent of dowsing for caves) carried out a dowsing exercise with Willy Stanton when he wanted the recently discovered Midnight Chamber in Upper Flood Swallet followed by dowsing (see WPCST Newsletter 52, 22-23). His prediction of where the 1986 discovery lies is shown opposite (with predicted new passages in red). Click to enlarge.

This image, left, shows roughly the same area. Known cave passage (2008) is shown in yellow. Click to enlarge

While he was at the BCRA Technology Symposium on Mendip from 18-20 April 2008 he was able to repeat his 1987 exercise: "I found the 2008 traces consistent with the previous work, and I have added some other traces from my work on the Cheddar catchment (Clay Holes for Tuska Morrison, Wigmore Swallet, Tor Hole, Bowery Corner Swallet, Rocket Drop, etc.)... My dowsing map of the Blackmoor area with some captions is shown in the diagram, left. The Cheddar catchment really is extraordinarily large". Click to enlarge.

The image, left, is roughly the same are as the image above and shows known passage (2008) in yellow. Click to enlarge.

One conclusion to draw is that dowsing may appear to predict passages that are so large they cannot fail to coincide with cave passage somewhere? The image, left, shows the passages predicted by dowsing (red), and the known passage (yellow), overlaid. Click to enlarge

Page last updated 21 June 2008