Sylvester
Pot
Bonfire weekend, 2016. What shall we do for a Sunday trip? How about Sylvester Pot? Sounds good, says Gwen; what tackle do we
need? Grab the book, then off to the
tackle shed, stuff rope into a bag and get changed. Hang on, says someone at
the Farm, I heard it's choked up since you last did it. That's not such a surprise - I remember
joining Andy Walsh for a session of clearing and walling when I first
visited. Oh well, let's grab a bucket
and a bar, and take those with us as well. At the cave, the rumour's
confirmed: entrance full of cobbles. And
a wall further in - someone's tried to halt the infill. Carefully dismantle this and stack it
aside. Beyond, in the small flat
chamber, there's a hint of light.
Another way in? Shout up, and
start digging out. Two hours later, we can see in, and see out. Not quite big enough to get through, but it
will be when we shift the big 'enry from the hole. Not
today though - it will need more assistance.
Reinstate the wall and retreat.
Back a month later, with winch. Big 'Enry resists,
but is coaxed to a new position holding the stream back. The twenty-ton anchor boulder doesn't quite
live up to expectations, but when it moves it just scares us a bit, and does no
harm. Widen the hole, and wall round it, until we can slide in and shuffle back
out again. Let's call that Phase One
complete, and go back and celebrate.
A few months pass before we're back
again. It's summer now, and midges are
out. Digging underground now, and drag
trays convey the spoil back to the surface.
But it's not like most digging - we know where we're going, so it's just
work without exploration to keep us interested.
The only mystery is how much is choked.
It might be one metre, or it might be ten. Or more.
There's only one way to find out. Down we go, inches at a time, and
trying to stop all the loose soil and gravel falling in and refilling it faster
than we dig. Then we reach the roof of
the crawl - how much of that is full of dirt and cobbles? Keep going to the floor before we can turn
horizontal. Okay, it's someone else's go now.
On the surface, all we hear is shuffling, with some grunts and
expletives, and the occasional shout that the tub is full and we can haul it
out. Then the change - he can get his
head in and see along the crawl! Just a
few cobbles and we'll be through. Can it
really be true, so soon after starting?
It's tight, but doable - through the
five or ten metres of flat-out crawl, pushing cobbles to the side, and through
into open passage. Lots of that is looking recent and unstable. But it's not full, and we can pass it with
care. Back into the crawl, we garden it
a bit more on the way out. I think we
can call that a success! End of the month, and a first trip with the
ropes. Through the crawl without much
trouble and test the pitch. Wander round;
eventually find Newton's Wonder. And
wonder at it. Then out again, feeling smug.
Bonfire weekend, 2017. What shall we do for a Sunday trip? How about Sylvester Pot? Sounds good, says Gwen.
Credits: Thanks to Gwenllian Tawy, Jack Overhill, Jessica Morin-Buote, Chris
Sharman, Chris Scaife, Carol Smith, Carl (student), Kristian (student) and anyone I've forgotten to mention.
Toby Speight