Updated 14th October 2011; 1st July 2018; 28th January 2019

"A rift system in the base of a rubbish tip. The rift is some 60cm wide with a possible sink / dig in the floor. This needs a look at in warmer weather when it may draught."

The cave was opened up in the summer 2011 by removing boulders and rubbish. Entry was gained to a descending route between boulders and bags of rubbish with a 4m roped climb to boulder slopes and a streamway. Left (upstream) was dry during the first explorations and downstream was investigated for about 100m.

The unstable boulder slopes were stabilised on the second trip in. Downstream was surveyed becoming hard going because the muddy squalor increases. Inlets were also surveyed. About 190m from cave entrance downstream surveying stopped at a junction with a draughting inlet / dry passage and a low slot on the mud floor. (The inlet will require a crowbar to release sandstone rocks blocking the way on and maybe a capping kit to widen the snug parts.)
The dry passage has been pushed for about 60m passing another drafting ascending inlet with a small stream issuing from a narrow side alcove. At the end of the passage (hands and knees crawl on sandy floor) the way on is plugged with mud and a low continuation on the r/h wall is again plugged with mud - there is no draught.
The low slot on the floor is a wet flat-out bedding with a shingle floor. Water can be heard gathering pace in the distance suggesting the passage gets taller? A good draught is felt from this area.
Near the end of the summer expedition, downstream was pushed into high and low levels.

The upstream passage from the base of the entrance boulder slopes needs a description and, after the survey is complete, a better description for the whole cave.

A report from Simon Cornhill (with Diane Arthurs), December 2019, confirmed the difficulty of extending the cave:
The two through bolts on the ladder pitch were unusable but a nearby large natural was an adequate belay. The lead at the furthest downstream limit is too tight. I'm not sure if digging the floor would do it, capping is probably needed to make any progress here, as for 'water could be heard gathering pace in the distance suggesting the passage gets taller?' maybe it was drier today but we didn't get that impression. There was very little air movement in this area today and with the heavily mud coated walls to around 2m above stream level and lack of footprints it seems that the water backs up to a reasonably high level. We also checked the high level passages at the downstream end. There are no leads apart from long term looking digs and no draught to speak of either.
The inlet on the left that goes into a modest chamber appears to have also been well explored, leaving very little hope for this cave to grow in size. However, we didn't really find out where the draught went that was felt on the way in, possibly up the aven part way along the streamway by a tiny inlet.
What on earth inspired us both to go back down this sweaty shithole I'll never know!

Reference: anon., 2005b (Easter & summer); anon., 2011d (summer logbook); anon., anon., 2018e (Christmas logbook)
Entrance pictures: yes
Underground picture(s): yes
Video: Compilation of some of the 2011 photos : 6m pitch down to streamway (?)
Detailed Survey : in preparation
Line survey:
On area survey:
Survex file: yes (Amended magnetic declination December 2013 to align with Eur79 grid and coordinates altered to fit ETRS89 datum, April 2014.)
Passage direction rose diagram: 1/7/2018