Photos of Upper Flood SwalletClick here to see Upper Flood Swallet photos "pinned" to the survey Neverland by Mark ShinwellNeverland is an extremely well decorated passage, possibly one of the best in the UK. Since a new link from West Passage was completed on the 2nd February 2013, the 'Pork Pie Passage' section of Neverland has been opened for visits. A new bypass to the area beyond Curtain Climb is being dug (2013). The original 2006 entrance remains closed to all due to the extreme fragility of the pristine formations. The following photos of Neverland and the passages leading to it, begining at the Departure Lounge (where the 2006 breakthrough was made) are by Mark Shinwell of CUCC To enlarge, click any photo. Upper Flood Swallet by Rob EavisRob Eavis visited Upper Flood Swallet in 2008. Here is a selection of his photos (click to enlarge) To enlarge, click any photo. Upper Flood Swallet photos by Julie Hesketh with Peat BennettThese photos were taken in October 2006 shortly after the breakthrough
To enlarge, click any photo. Neverland photos by Tim FrancisPhotos of the breakthrough trips
To enlarge, click any photo. Upper Flood Swallet photos by Bill ChadwickThese photos were taken shortly after the breakthrough
To enlarge, click any photo. Geology Photos of Upper Flood SwalletMark Tringham of the Grampian visited Upper Flood Swallet in December 2007 to study the geology. Here is a selection of his photos (click to enlarge) To enlarge, click any photo. Wall Street shortly after its discovery in June 2007, photos by Tim Francis
To enlarge, click any photo. Trench Passage shortly after its discovery in December 2007, photos by Ben Cooper
To enlarge, click any photo. Upper Flood Swallet 23/06/07 photos by BurtSCC trip report: "This is a fantastic cave but if you think it's easy, don't be fooled by the lack of SRT etc. - It's a serious undertaking which took us 6 1/2 hours, with some tortuous squeezes (if you're over 42" chest forget it) and some prolonged crawling over sharp rock. It destroyed my wetsuit and even with extra thick kneepads I have very sore knees! there's also some very loose stuff in places."
To enlarge, click any photo. Upper Flood audiovisual
Golden Chamber, Upper Flood SwalletDiscovered in the year of MCG's Golden Anniversary in 2004, Golden Chamber has some fine formations. Photos by Ben Cooper (click to enlarge)
To enlarge, click any photo. Streamway Regained, photos by Tim FrancisExploration of Upper Flood Swallet was stalled at the Red Room until the streamway was regained in 2006. Soon after these photos were taken the breakthrough to The Departure Lounge was made. (click to enlarge)
To enlarge, click any photo. 1986 Upper Flood extensions, photos by Pete Glanvill (BEC)The images presented here were made in 1986 just after Midnight Chamber was first entered. Writing in 1986, Pete said: "lying at the head of the Velvet Bottom catchment area near the limestone/shale boundary with a potential 700 feet of vertical range, it became clear that siege tactics were required. The once roomy ancient stream passage was choked with fill, stal obstructions and lead tailings. It has taken nearly 17 years (to 1986) of digging, blasting, wall construction and back filling to gain access to the present cave. It has paid off for the MCG who now have in their grasp potentially one of the deepest caves on Mendip, if not the country, and despite the length of the known cave the depth potential still remains. ... A low excavated crawl leads to the current terminus - a tube filled with stal false flooring and mud. It is possible to gaze into the promised land beyond and feel the hint of a draught. At the end of the cave one is less than 30 metres below the entrance with most of the depth potential of the system unrealised. God knows what will happen to the pretty bits if the system gets really massive". (click images or go to his website)
To enlarge, click any photo. 1985 Upper Flood Breakthrough, scans of photos by Alan Mellon (Hairy Mell).
To enlarge, click any photo. 2006 Upper Flood extensions, photos by Julie Hesketh and Phillipa GlanvillDespite an heroic effort, Pete Glanvill couldn't fit through the easySqueeze in 2007 so Julie Hesketh and Pete's daughter Phillipa had to make the photographic record for him. (click images or go to his website and scroll down to the 2007 photos)
To enlarge, click any photo. Upper Flood , photos by RichardA Caving trip in Upper Flood Swallett around May 10, 2008. "Thanks to Mike Richardson of MCG for taking us to see one of the most recently discovered and spectacular pieces of cave in the UK". (click images or go to his Picasa web album )
To enlarge, click any photo. (Not) Easy SqueezeBeyond the Red Room is a boulder choke containing the 13 squeezes (the tightest of which is 23cm wide for a distance of 30cm). These photos by Peat Bennett and Julie Hesketh taken on 07/07/07 show, in image 3, the width of the squeeze compared to a glove - about the same size.
To enlarge, click any photo. Upper Flood Swallet, Bill ChadwickBill's photostream on Flickr
To enlarge, click any photo. Far Neverland by Tomas Leung April 2013These photos were taken in April 2013 on a prospecting trip for the second Neverland Link shortly after the first West Passage - Neverland Link was opened. These include the first photos of Neverland beyond the Duck.
To enlarge, click any photo. Neverland and Pork Pie Passage by Henry Davies-Ball August 2014These photos were taken in August 2014 during the making of Andy and Antonia's Film of a trip to Neverland.
To enlarge, click any photo. Upper Flood dig, 1980'sphotos by Ian McKechnie
To enlarge, click any photo. Stainsby's ShaftAlso known as Blackmoor Shaft, this mine is not part of the Upper Flood system, but it lies close by and may one day be linked. Installing the fixed ladder, Nov 2007 - photos by Biff
To enlarge, click any photo. Photos of the dig by Russ Porter taken on 06/04/08
To enlarge, click any photo. Photos of Stainsby's Shaft, taken 10-11/05/08 by Bill Chadwick (left and middle) and Biff (right):To enlarge, click any photo. Roman RakeInitially an archaeological dig not far from Stainsby's Shaft, the archaeologists established this was a small lead mine with some natural cave. At the request of the farmer, MCG have made safe the entrance by adding a grid over the shaft. We are now attempting to follow the natural passage. Photos by Mark Ward, 21/06/08
To enlarge, click any photo. Roman RakePhotos by Mark Ward, 29/06/08:
To enlarge, click any photo. Roman RakeMore photos by Mark Ward After Biff had bullied part of the rock to exit the cave on Saturday 05/07/08, Doug and Mark poked around in the shattered rock until some of the wall in the West Rift fell down, narrowly missing Mark! On 07/07/08 Mark returned and, removing a small rock, he could see 20ft vertically down the rift, into a Peat-sized hole with a small draught. He managed to squeeze down head first into a rift about 18" wide opening up to 2 feet. The rift has opened up nicely and looks good and promising.
To enlarge, click any photo.
Mendip Caving Group. UK Charity Number 270088. The object of the Group is, for the benefit of the public, the furtherance of all aspects of the exploration, scientific study and conservation of caves and related features. Membership shall be open to anyone over the age of 16 years with an interest in the objects of the Group. |
