I was away on a solo walk following Offa’s Dyke Path going south to north and I can confirm that the weather was atrocious at times.
The following report of continuing activities at Hallowe’en Rift was written by Jon:
“Paul and Jon met at the Hunter’s; no-one else had indicated that they would be available. The two man team discussed whether anything practical could be achieved. As the man in charge, Paul insisted that we should check at the farm before attending to other duties elsewhere. Unfortunately, we waited too long at the farm. Jake and Nick both arrived.
It had been the wettest March for 40 years. The walk to the dig was very wet underfoot, the dig was wet, but the rain held off…initially.
Paul dug, supported by Nick. Jon and Jake carried spoil to the pot and hauled much of it up to the ledge. About mid-morning the water dripping into the pot increased. The rain had started again. 60 bags of spoil were removed. One large boulder was moved back to the rock heap. There is now a larger boulder that needs attention. The suggestion from the dig face was that plug and feathers may be required. The skip on the haul from the ledge to the entrance was replaced. The pulley over the pot was lightly oiled; it remained silent. The pulley on the surface worked well in the wet conditions. The spoil heap was likened to The Somme. Emptying bags was not a joyful experience. However, the Team dutifully completed the task and then sought solace at a local hostelry.”
