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By Alan Grey

19 January 2006 - Yorkhouse Cave, Brockley Combe Cleft, Spingo Shaft, Goblin Combe Cleft - Alan Gray, Pete Flanagan.

 A while ago when out walking Pete noticed some likely looking sites so today we went out to investigate. The first stop was Brockley Combe; we parked at the entrance to Fountain Forestry and walked about 100m up the Combe and turned left onto a track that leads to the top of the cliffs.

Yorkhouse Cave  NGR - 47742.66631. Altitude 110m. Length 9m. Depth 0.

The cave is entered via what almost looks like a substantial doorway which opens into a square chamber (about 5m high); in the centre of the chamber in the roof is an opening to daylight which is about 25cm in diameter. This opening is at the top of a natural fault in the rock. At the end of the square chamber a 1m high extension 4m long is entered. The cave looks quite artificial as if a natural feature has been enlarged by man for living in. The Sidcot School Log Book No. 3 Pages 17 and 18 documented a visit by Willy Stanton on 9 June 1945 and he stated that according to Rutter a hermit used to inhabit the cave.

Brockley Combe Cleft - NGR - 47630.66606. Altitude 110m. Length 11.8m. Depth 9.8m

Following the line of the cliffs 100m west of Yorkhouse Cave a natural cleft running north into the hillside was found. This cleft is 0.4m wide and after wriggling down the 45º slope becomes too tight for further progress as it is partially blocked with stones and leaf debris. Back on the top of the cliffs, running northwards, directly in line with the cleft a series of five ½m deep depressions were noted, the most distant was 50m from the cleft.

Brockley Combe Cleft - Photograph - Pete Flanagan - Alan Gray in the Cleft

The next stopping place was Goblin Combe.

Spingo Shaft  - NGR 47008.65409. Altitude 100m. Length 9.4m. Depth 7.6m

From the Old School House, in Goblin Combe, follow the main track and just before Owl Rock turn left and follow the steep narrow path on the edge of the cliffs for about a 15 minute walk. The shaft is on the immediate right hand side of the path. A ladder is required to descend the 6.2m deep square shaft. The bottom is blocked with debris and there is a possibility that it could have been dug as a galvanised bucket was at the bottom. Cave spiders and a hibernating Pipistrelle bat were noted. As Pete's Mum found this shaft on a walk he named it Spingo Shaft after a Cornish Ale that was sold in a village where his Mum used to live.

Spingo Shaft, Photograph - Pete Flanagan, Alan Gray descending

Goblin Combe Cleft - NGR 47063 65418. Altitude 95m. Length 9.3m. Depth 4.4m.

Follow the path eastwards from Spingo Shaft, the cleft is 90m away and immediately on the right hand side of the path. The width of the cleft is 0.6m and at the end the cobbles from the floor come up to meet the roof. A natural cleft with water worn features that cuts into the cliff face heading northwards.

23 January 2006 - Portishead Sea Cave, Charlcombe Bay Sea Cave, Hangstone Hill Cave - Alan Gray, Richard Witcombe.

A drive over to the coast to sort out some queries on the Mendip Cave Register. We drove to the static home park adjacent to the Coastguard Station and walked about ½ mile along the cliffs heading towards Pigeon House Bay. In two places we descended the slippery slopes and climbed across the mud festooned rocks above the sea looking for the cave but could not find it. Richard will ask Tony Jarratt who has previously visited this cave where it is.

Charlcombe Bay Sea Cave (NGR - 43225.75071)

When parking at the static home park a resident told us of a cave in Charlcombe Bay where a package of drugs had been found several years ago. We walked along the footpath and reached the bay and found the cave, eroded by the sea, exhibiting pocketing and stratification. 6m long, 6m deep, 6m wide and 4m high.

Hangstone Hill Cave (NGR - 40383.71114)

A drive to Clevedon - and found the  short cave at the top of a slab of rock in the rear garden of No. 93 Church Road, Clevedon; 4m long, 1.5m deep and 3m high and gated. Was documented as a through trip to Jesmond Road but is now blocked by a roof fall and debris.

5 February 2006 - Daffodil Valley, Shipham

While trying to locate Stanton Mine, Doug removed a few rocks from a depression close to Boulder Shaft revealing the top of a shaft. When stones were dropped down it seemed to be at

least 7m deep. It lies 14m to the East of Boulder Shaft. The top of the shaft could be ginged and there is an iron bar crossing the shaft 1m from the surface. A new find - this does not correspond to anything listed in the Registry. We will try and descend it next weekend. (NGR 44093.58264).

12 February 2006 - NEW FIND Bedstead Rift,  + Boulder Shaft - Alan Gray, Doug Harris, Simon Fowler, Mark Ireland.

Some rocks and boulders were removed from the top of the shaft that were balanced upon an old bedstead, which was also removed to reveal a 0.8m diameter hole. This was descended for only 4m to infill that can be crawled over for another 3m before becoming too tight. The miners opened up a natural rift and two shot holes were identified. It has been named Bedstead Rift. Doug provided a grid that has now been placed over the hole and the boulders have been placed over it.

We also descended the shaft 14m away from this one that is covered with three large balanced boulders (Boulder Shaft). It is approximately 10m deep with two passages radiating from the bottom, about 3m back up the ladder another horizontal passage can be entered which extends for about 30m.

5 March 2006 - Walk behind the Cheshire Home, Axbridge- Alan Gray, Simon Fowler, Mark Ireland.

Went back to the site identified last weekend. It is a large collapsed infilled scallop just by the side of the track (NGR 43878.55096). About 10m away from this is the remains of a very substantially built stone wall. This would be well worth a trial dig.

We then walked back along and up the hill side heading northwards scouring the vicinity for signs of mining. We met a couple (the lady was called Barbara Waller) walking their dogs and started to chat and we told them what we were doing. They told us of a site they had found in the woods and took us there. A large mined hole (NGR 43567.54886) 8m long, 8m wide and 4m deep in the shape of a teardrop. About 2m away from the narrow end of the depression is a 1m diameter circular depression that is only 0.5m deep. We speculated that this was the original entrance to the mine and the miners broke into a chamber which has now collapsed

and formed the adjacent depression. At the bottom of the depression is a hole partially covered with corrugated iron and a stick can be pushed down this for about 3m. This is well worth a trial dig and Mark will visit Mr Scott to ask for permission.

12 March 2006 - Walk behind the Cheshire Home, Axbridge- Alan Gray, Doug Harris, Mark Ireland.

Went up to the large mined hole spotted on the 5^th of March 2006 and although Mr Scott has not yet given permission for a dig we investigated.  Doug pulled some rubbish aside at the bottom of the hole and then pushed the corrugated iron sheet aside. He was able to squeeze under it into a natural cave passage only two feet high and 6 feet long with a bat hibernating there; it headed back towards the 0.5m circular depression.

Unfortunately Mr Scott has denied permission for the ACG to dig into this depression. This has been named - Fry's Hill Pit.

4 May 2006 - Huntstrete - Alan Gray, Richard Witcombe

I received an e-mail from Andy Farrant - Are you aware of the two stream sinks near Hunstrete, not far from your neck of the woods? Two small streams flow off the Coal Measures (Radstock Member) and sink into the Jurassic Blue Lias limestone along the line of a fault.  The grid refs are [ST 6431 6264] and [ST 6457 6277], 1.0 and 1.3 km northeast of Chelwood Church. I've not had a look at them, nor do I know where the water resurges, but they are quite unusual although not unknown.

Tonight we went out to investigate -

Huntstrete Swallet 1 (64574.62749)

30m in diameter, 6m deep. The piped stream can be heard. The bottom of the swallet and the surrounding area are filled with farmer's rubbish.

Huntstrete Swallet 2 (64324.62658)

Now filled in to field level. The outline of the old swallet can be seen by a circle of vegetation.

20 May 2006 - Oatfield Wood Shaft Oatfield Wood Pit - Alan Gray, Simon Fowler

Drove up to Oatfield Farm to have a look in Oatfield Farm Woods and found Oatfield Wood Shaft (50829.66390)  - Follow the footpath that runs parallel with the woods for about ⅔ of the length of the wood and then turn right and follow the track down into the woods for about 30m. The mine is situated in a natural rock face; the entrance was blocked with household rubbish and covered with corrugated iron sheets. After this was pulled away the shaft below was semi blocked also with household rubbish. It would be worthwhile clearing the rubbish as the shaft can be seen continuing.

We then found another mined shaft (New to the Mendip Cave Registry) - Oatfield Wood Pit (50663.66411) - Over the gate at the start of the footpath; turn immediately right and head down hill through the woods for 30m. Shaft 2m in diameter and 3m deep, the walls surrounding the shaft are all ginged, the bottom is blocked with vegetation.