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Bradshaw's Cave

Asham Wood Quarry, Downhead.

A low arched entrance at the base of the cliff behind a pile of large rocks. A drop of 1m to the entrance that is 1 metre wide and 0.5metres high and a 7.5m crawl (the tunnel is sometimes frequented by badgers, see text for the other entrances options) which rises up and meets a cross bedding. A low bedding passage leads back out towards the cliff face near the entrance and is choked. Forward is a small low chamber with a fallen slab and a water worn boulder. This area has a strong draft. Straight on is Sid's Squeeze requiring a push and twist to the left. A clamber over a small boulder leads to an easy crawling passage for 12m to a right turn, Chest of Drawers Corner, the start of a 30m passage, The Long Straight, a fault aligned passage. The end straight ahead closes down in size in some boulders, but on the left under an immature curtain on the edge of a roof slab is a muddy downward slope 1.5m wide and this drops about 2m over a 5m length. At the top of the slope there is an animal skull (please do not disturb these) and the second entrance (Bradshaw's 2) out to the quarry face (can be used if the badgers are in residence in the !st entrance. Down slope there is a low puddle, which may sump at times of flood, leading to a small aven, 3m high, 1m wide x 2.5m long. Ahead and slightly right at a height of 1m from the floor the passage continues for 5m to some large boulders blocking the way on. A careful manoeuvre low on the left and by sitting up and twisting without disturbing the rather unstable Corkscrew Connection. The passage continues to left hand rift that rises up (Note: there are some lovely black crystal nodules on a right hand shelf (care please)into a larger cross passage, Hoveringham's Chamber (after the quarry company 1960's), right 3-4m is an area of boulder breakdown and the third entrance (ST 7070 4531), a short squeeze leads out to the quarry face. Left there is a rising slope which reduces in size. This 8m long crawling passage, Fat Lip Rift, leads past some flowstone to a 3m climb (passing a short 2m small deviation) up into Bat Roost Breakdown Chamber, over 8m long, 2.5m wide and 2m high with some good formations and flowstone hidden away. At the eastern end an enlarged calcited shelf leads to a 1.8m climb down that opens up into a small chamber which is an extension of BRBC (fragile calcite floor take care when bridging it. The way on is straight across this chamber and by worming under some large calcited boulders you arrive in April Passage, an open passage for 12m passing some vulnerable cave pearl collections on the muddy floor. The roof lowers to a flat out muddy wriggle and after another 3m opens up into Thank Aven which is 2m wide at the base, 5m long and has a high point of 10m. The mud bank at its base bears left around Trickle Bend at crawling height and after 7.5m this passes some exceptional black sedimentary and petrified infill formations on the floor called Blackstone Stationary Engine (care required when passing). After another 5.5m a second aven is reached, Incline Aven 1m wide, 4m long with a high point of 3m. At the far end an easy climb up of 2.5 m on the left (please avoid some large water worn crystals on the right) leads to a short Upper Passage which is going due South and slopes down to a too tight section at present. Probably close to the cliff face and in the general direction of Pineroot Spring along Whatley Brook. Dug open fully during 2015/16.

Alternate Names: MCRA-AQ-1, Seven Springs Cave (mis-named)

Notes: First noted by Bristol University professor Dr. Reg Bradshaw c.1970 who informed Willie Stanton c.1970 about several 'open tunnels' in the lowest part of the quarry closest to Seven Springs. The initial short section of this cave was explored by WCC in 1982 who named it Seven Springs Cave in the mistaken belief that it was the blocked resurgence. It was re-entered by ATLAS in 2015, who subsequently named it Bradshaw's Cave and pushed it to its present limit.