Castleton caves

[CoolHandSax 10]

Me too. To the end of it in fact. It's an old Blue John mine, I believe, not a natural cave.

 

It is, in fact, a natural cavern. It is easily accesible & ends in a boulder choke, which could be a very promising dig, if you could manage to shore the ceiling up.

[soft ayperth 11]

I must be thinking of a different one then. The one I had in mind has a large opening to the left of which is a narrow cat run. Both lead into a chamber, so I guess that part of it might be natural. Chamber is on a downslope and leads to a small pool. Cross the pool and you're into a narrow catrun that finishes in a dead end. The cat run is lined with blue john, which is why I took it to be an old mine. But, I'm only going from memory - 50 years ago.

[hillsbro 30]

Hi rogG - I wonder if you are referring to the Old Tor Mine. This is an old Blue John mine (partially a natural cave) and is further up the Winnats, after the right-hand bend in the road, high on the hill on the right. The chamber is certainly on a downslope and there is a small pool. This web page of the Mines Historical Society includes a description (scroll down to the 25 November 2007 entry):

 

Old Tor Mine - Easy/moderate dry trip, apart from a shallow pool to cross. Mainly walking and stooping passages, with short crawl and a 10ft pitch. This is a rare opportunity to explore a unique Blue John Mine. The mine is located high in the Winnats Pass and access is via a narrow, rather exposed, steep path.

 

Nowadays the entrance is gated, and access by key is only available by advance application to the National Trust, but until the early 1970s there were two ways of accessing the chamber. After climbing the steep, narrow path mentioned on the web page you could either go along the (now gated) horizontal mineshaft into the chamber, or descend (with a safety rope) through one of three holes in the chamber's roof. These holes were above and to the right of the mineshaft entrance. The holes were blocked up when the mineshaft was gated.

 

The location of the Old Tor Mine is shown on this map as Entrance to tunnel (indicated with the black arrow). The blue arrow shows the approximate location of Suicide Hole, which can also be seen on this page (lower right centre of the photo as indicated).

 

I still have a fairly large (> 1 kilo) chunk of Blue John that I found in the Old Tor Mine chamber in 1969 - here's a photo. I imagine it had been dropped by whoever was doing the mining at that time.

[soft ayperth 11]

You're right, Hillsboro. I had the two mixed up. Believe it or not, I made notes in those days of the caves I went in, even drew maps, and I'm looking at them now. Suicide cave has an entrance with a pile of boulders leading up to a shaft. Bypass the boulders through a narrow tunnel at the base of the boulders, brings you to the bottom of the shaft. From there a passageway with a dead end side tunnel leads to another shaft, That's as far as I got.

 

I also went to the end of Old Tor Mine as I said above. Did it used to be called Jack's Hole at one time and the pool of water inside the chamber as the Fishpond?

[hillsbro 30]

Hi rogG - I'm not familiar with the name Jack's Hole but it could well have been called this at some time. Giant's Hole isn't far away; I remember exploring this some years ago.

 

I only ever once went to the "end" of the Old Tor Mine - that is, as far as you could get before the tunnel became too narrow. This was in 1966; after the shallow pool the tunnel led for about 50-60 yards on the level, and then there was a fairly steep downhill slope. It levelled off again and went maybe 100 yards further. But when I went back in 1970, the downhill slope had become an almost sheer drop (I think they had done some blasting) and I couldn't get further, not having the right equipment.

 

I'm almost tempted to apply to the National Trust to go down again!.

[soft ayperth 11]

Giant's Hole was my favorite cave, Hillsboro. Bailing out those dams to get through to some incredible chambers, overhead passages and cave formations. I once went down alone, which I know I shouldn't have done, and the acetylene lamp I was wearing fell in a pool of water just before the dams. I manged to grope my way out in pitch blackness. Frightened the life out of me. But still went bk there, also to Gautrie's Hole near Sparrowpit.

[skippy 11]

Suicide Cavern has two entrances. A small one, about 3ft high, is to the left of the main entrance. /QUOTE]

 

I remember going to probably that cavern in the 50's, just inside the small entrance was like a corridor on the right that ran into the main entrance of what took you into like a big dome with holes in the roof, I seem to think we called it the cathedral or something similar, it looked amazing when the sun shone through.

We also went straight after entering the small entrance and it seemed to go for miles, crawling and climbing through holes and over boulders etc, what an experience, we used to have pit helmets with push bike lamps fixed to them, great memories.

[JACK HEWITT 10]

Can anyone remember the Peak cavern i believe it was called i remember my dad taking me down just after the Neil Moss tragedy and talking to a guy who was making Hemp ropes in the huge entrance my dad was a steeplejack by trade and ordered some rope from the man in question.

[hillsbro 30]

...just inside the small entrance was like a corridor on the right that ran into the main entrance of what took you into like a big dome with holes in the roof, I seem to think we called it the cathedral or something similar, it looked amazing when the sun shone through...

Hi skippy - this sounds more like the Old Tor Mine (see my post #15 above). At least, it's the only one I know in the area that had a chamber with holes in the roof. It certainly looked impressive with the light streaming in through the three holes (somewhere I have a photo of this but of course I can't find it!) As I wrote, in the early 1970s the holes were filled in and a locked gate put on the entrance to the horizontal shaft. You could certainly go a long way into the mine (which was partly natural) until the tunnel became too narrow.

[pigiron 10]

Whilst we have the experts assembled what is the name of the mine only accessible by boat and leads to a drop off called the bottomless pit except I was told a marker dye was dropped into it and the coloured water surfaced not too far away. I also had a chunk of Blue John picked up off the ground way back in the 50's.

[mickw 10]

whilst we have the experts assembled what is the name of the mine only accessible by boat and leads to a drop off called the bottomless pit except i was told a marker dye was dropped into it and the coloured water surfaced not too far away. I also had a chunk of blue john picked up off the ground way back in the 50's.

 

speedwell cavern!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[robertl 10]

my late father was treasurer of the Derbyshire Cave Rescue and was one of the main people at the rescue attempt. I also did a lot of caving with my dad and the police came to school to get me as a last resort to try and get a rope around Neil Moss. i was 10 years old at the time. in the end they would not give permission to allow me to try. as far as i know they just covered up the top with maybe concrete, not sure but i know he never came out.