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1968 Dig Merridge Mine Holwell Combe Resurgence Tudball's Tube Holwell Combe Quarry Cave
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Merridge , Quantock Hills.
NGR: | ST 21049 33997 |
WGS84: | 51.09982, -3.12893 |
Length: | 300 m |
Depth: | 14 m |
Altitude: | 200 m |
Tags: | Cave |
Registry: | mcr-s |
A prominent entrance with steps enters the main passage ending in the low Andrew Crosses chamber with a roof studded in soot covered and despoiled aragonite helictites. There is a West Series of phreatic tubes leading to a tiny lower series now accessible from the main passage as well as a famously tight squeeze - the Bunghole. The East Series can be entered from the main passage and is partially excavated leading to the tight East entrance beside the main entrance. Part way through a shaft leads to a tight squeeze into Cerberus Chamber which contains some undamaged aragonite formations in its recesses.
Alternate Names: None recorded.
Notes: Andrew Crosse's Chamber - named after Andrew Crosse who lived nearby at Broomfield and is famous for his electrical researches. The East Series was explored by the SMCC in the mid 1960's and shortly after further excavation by members of the Cerberus Speleological Society entered Cerberus Chamber, the only significant find since the caves discovery. The Tradesmen's entrance to the West Series was blocked by landfill in the 1990's. It is likely that permission to visit the cave will be refused but it is always worth attempting - do not mention the landfill.
In 1968, about 30 yards to the west of Holwell Cave, the registrar and friends excavated the entrance to another cave . This was only 3 metres long to an impassable squeeze but the registrar received a letter from Brymore School stating that a pupil had passed the squeeze to considerably more passage. Sadly the entrance to this cave is now buried under 6 metres of landfill. Contact for access is Robert Rowe on 01823 451850
Surveys:
Holwell Cavern, Long, C.F.D., 1923
Holwell Cave, Bryant, A. & T.C., Griffin, A.R., Scott, B.N., 1958
Holwell Cave, Bryant, A. & T.C., Griffin, A.R., Scott, B.N., 1958
Holwell Cave - East Series, Ellis, B.M. & Tolfree, W.N., 1964
Holwell Cave - Extension to the East Series, E(llis), B.M. & T(olfree), W.N., 1965
Simplified Sketch Plan of Holwell Cavern, [Ellis, B.M., 1967
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This entry was last updated: 2024-03-06 18:23:51
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