The North York Moors
Across the southern end of the North York Moors, from Sutton Bank to Scarborough, and covering the few miles to the north of the Helmsley to Scarborough road (the A170) is a large stretch of Jurassic limestone. This limestone is much younger and thinner than the great scar carboniferous limestone of The Dales, yet still bears the potential to erode and form caves by the same chemical means.
Despite this limestone, caves are not in abundance in the area. Several ancient fossil phreatic caves have been found at Kirkdale, Boltby, Kirkbymoorside and Fadmoor and these suggest that caves may once have played a much greater role in draining the land than they do today. These are now choked up with glacial mud washed down during more recent ice ages.
Today the majority of significant caves are slip-rifts (windypits), where land slippage has opened up a series of deep and lengthy fissures often extending for hundreds of metres. However, in 1981 the understanding of caves in the area changed, when Scunthorpe Caving Club discovered Bogg Hall Cave, an active river cave near Kirkbymoorside.
The Moors Project
For over four years YCC has been looking at the potential for cave discovery in the North York Moors. We started the Moors Project in 2007 (before the club was officially founded). At the time, Scarborough Caving Club, who had been very active in the area and who had made many excellent discovered, were a dormant club, and we were keen to rekindle interest in the area. In particular we were keen to dig at Hutton Beck.
We soon developed a digging partnership with the newly reformed Scarborough Caving Club, and the project really took off, when in summer 2007, after only six weekends of digging, we discovered Excalibur Pot, an extensive and very hydrologically active cave system. Four years down the line we have discovered over a mile of cave passage at Excalibur and several other interesting smaller caves.
News
June 2011 – Excalibur Pot reopened
Following a weekend of work, the entrance to Excalibur Pot has been repaired, and further work has been performed to reinforce the outer and inner walling of the entrance shaft to protect it from further flooding. Jenga Pot has also had a new lid installed and the outer walling built up higher to protect it from flooding. Thank you to the CNCC for funding.
June 2011 – York and Scarborough Scaffolding Club?
Digging in the eastern rift of Jenga Pot is still ongoing, with great depth bringing greater hanging death. Extensive scaffolding is being erected down this new rift in hope that it will allow further progress. A good draft continues to rise from the floor of this rift.
May 2011 – MSG Hole surveying commenced
Surveying commenced by YCC members Matt Ewles and Gary Douthwaite in conjunction with digging and further exploration by members of the North York Moors Caving Club.
May 2011 – Bogg Hall resurveying completed
After four very cold and wet sessions over the last year, YCC members Matt Ewles, Gary Douthwaite and Nick Warburton have completed the re-surveying of Bogg Hall Rising, as well as the River Dove. The survey should be available soon and is expected to yield a couple of interesting surprised.
May 2011 – Damage to the Excalibur Entrance
The entrance to Excalibur Pot has been vandalised and requires repair work.
March 2011 – Discovery of MSG Hole
A new windypit has been discovered in Ryedale by members of the North York Moors Caving Club. It is estimated at 200m long and 25m deep with some fine formations and cavernous chambers. This is a major discovery for the area.
December 2010 – Digging at Dowson Pot
With even T’une Mouth now being too cold and sloppy to accommodate Tuesday night digging, digging is on a Dowson Pot instead. Dowson Pot is approximately 30m north of Parallel Passage chamber in Excalibur Pot, approximately 12-15m above the nearest cave passage in Excalibur. At least it keeps the pounds off over the Christmas period until the improved weather allows a return to Jenga and Excalibur.
October 2010 – Digging at T’une Mouth
After being washed out of Jenga Pot by the start of the winter flooding, we have started digging at T’une Mouth above the River Dove. This is a small, mud-choked fossil phreatic cave similar to Lingmoor Cave near Excalibur. Digging is easy going, although whether anything is likely to be found remains to be seen.
September 2010 – Further progress at Screek
After a little digging a further 30m of passage has been gained at the end of Screek, into a clean washed cobbled area which closes down again with great digging potential.
September 2010 – New directions at Jenga Pot
After over a year of pursuing digging at two parallel crossrifts at Jenga Pot, heading to the west, attention has now focussed on a newly discovered crossrift heading east beneath the entrance, towards the main overland sink. The going is difficult due to the instability and hard labour hauling buckets, but we have regained a draft and the path of flood water.
June 2010 – Excalibur Wilsdon Way and Ernie’s Inlet connected
The Excalibur Pot survey suggested a distance of only 3m between a narrow fissure in Ernie’s Inlet and Wilsdon Way, both of which are side passages of the main streamway. During a trip earlier in the month a vocal connection was made although the passage connecting the two seemed to offer no hope of fitting through.
During a trip with members of Shepton Mallet Caving Club on 26th June, one thin and bendy member, Michael Butcher took on the challenge, chiselling through with a rock to gain precious extra millimetres of space! After nearly half an hour of struggling through only three metres of passage from Wilsdon Way, he finally popped out into the top end of Ernie’s Inlet! The connection has therefore been made, and the squeeze named ‘Butchers Squeeze’. This could be one of the tightest squeezes we have ever seen in a cave!
June 2010 – Corner Sink
After two months digging, we are 4m down at Corner Sink, and despite the continued draft we have hit narrow rifts with no obvious voids to point us the way on. Digging here is on hold in favour of continued work at Jenga Pot and Excalibur.
April 2010 – Digging at Corner Sink
Following the observation of a small amount of water sinking only 200m upstream of Excalibur at a minor sink site, we have commenced a dig. Based on the survey, the water sinking here has only 30m to travel southwards to enter the top end of the Excalibur main stream passage. The dig has been preliminarily named Corner Sink and drafts strongly.
March 2010 – Mystery streamway heard down Screek Passage
During a digging session at the remote end of Screek Passage in Excalibur Pot, and during a much wetter period than the previous explorations, flowing water was heard through one of the holes in the floor at the very end of the passage (see Descent 213). Hopes are high for the discovery of significantly more passage here.
February 2010 – Excalibur Pot access agreement established
Excalibur Pot lies on a private estate, however, the landowner has kindly agreed to controlled access for cavers via a permit system. Information on how to apply for a permit can be found on the Council of Northern Caving Clubs website or by contacting us.
September 2009 – Entrance to Jenga Pot
After a weekend work with a cement mixer and lots of manpower, Jenga Pot now has a concrete entrance which will help it withstand the full force of the impending winter flood. Further work will be required at a later date to raise the outer wall and add an entrance trapdoor. Digging at Jenga is ongoing and remains at an approximate depth of 18m.
November 2009 - Excalibur Survey Available
The survey of Excalibur is now finished and can be purchased online by clicking here. Alternatively, contact us by clicking here to request an address to post a cheque.
June 2009 – Guinevere’s Slit discovered
Following minimal digging members of Scarborough Caving Club have opened up a sink in the River Dove and found a short, but spacious section of river passage near The Well.