Vince, Tav, Jake, Mike, Nick, and Jon
An earlier start by me, as the weather is good, to clear brambles and other vegetation to clear a space for the next ‘terrace’ wall to retain spoil. Used the available rocks to start on wall-base.
When the team assembled, and the dry bags packed, all underground. I headed to the NE to dig, Jake went to the SW to dig in Can of Worms, Nick went along to An Unexpected Development (AUD) to carry out some restoration work. Tav joined me at the NE dig site (AUD area) and set about bailing the quite considerable puddle aided by Mike at the top of the slope. Tav then cleared the filled bags and rocks that I dug from the ‘hole in the false-floor’. Jon was busy moving bags from both digs (later joined by Nick) by stages on the journey towards the surface.
At the NE, the task was to further develop the ‘hole in the false-floor’ revealed by Jake last session. Some largish rocks were wrestled out, along with quite a lot of fine sediment, and the only definite conclusion was – there is a lot more stuff to dig out yet before a clear idea of what is going on can be seen! It does look very interesting. The base of the false floor can be seen and the possible remnants of a lower ‘floor’. There are some coarse calcite crystals visible too. The ‘passage’ may continue in an easterly direction but too early to be certain.
All too soon it was time to cease digging activities and clear the cave of spoil. About 70 bags (15 from Can of Worms) were filled, hauled, and emptied on to the spoil heap and 6 skip loads of rock for the wall.
Refreshments were enjoyed at the Hunters’.