28th January 2012

A fine winter’s day, bit of a chill in the air and clear skies. We are interested in determining some of the rock strata characteristics in the area that surrounds Hallowe’en Rift so decided to venture up and take a few readings of the rock exposure east of the cave. The lower section (pictured above) has a very general alignment east/west 065/245 [all figures are degrees] and the upper section (pictured below) also has a east/west 070/250 alignment. We also took some preliminary readings of discontinuities recording strike and dip: upper section – strike 140/320, dip 20 southwest (sw); mid section – strike 140/320, dip 16 sw; and lower section – 125/305, dip 16 sw. We discussed the possibility of a fault(?) between the mid and lower sections [further investigation required]. As a comparison we took some readings in a small stone quarry just above Hallowe’en Rift: strike 140/320, dip 7 sw and strike 120/300, dip 10 sw.

After this brief detour we returned to the main task in hand, digging Hallowe’en Rift. Bit of a clearing session in the ‘poo’ mine, it seems to have become even more wet and muddy, and, after a while it’s rather cold. I went to the base of Witches Cauldron to fill the skips and Alex did the hauling and dumping [at the base of the entrance]. All clear after about two hours, plenty of room for digging spoil next session. Refreshments at the Hunter’s.

Author: mendipgeoarch

Archaeologist, Geologist, Speleologist