Boltby Quarry Caves (Stone Lever Pot)

Moorland Caver (2003)
NGR: SE 507863
Altitude: 300m
Access: No known restrictions.
Grade: II
Entertainment Value: II

Four small slip rifts in a disused quarry on the edge of the Hambleton escarpment.
These rifts lie in an abandoned quarry, and are best approached from the public footpath at the head of the escarpment.

BOLTBY I
Length: 50m
Depth: 8m
Obvious tube entrance just above quarry floor.
A short crawl to junction with high rift, right for 10m leads to boulder chokes, left for 2m and up 4m leads to visual connection with Boltby 2. Straight on leads to a series of parallel rifts all ending in chokes or becoming to tight.

BOLTBY II
Length: 11m
A few metres north of 1, and 3m up, a very tight passage turns right into a roomer crawl ending in a choke with a visual connection with 1.

BOLTBY III
Length: 21m
Depth: 8.5m
Further north along the face, just beyond a step in the quarry floor.
A very tight squeeze down pitch (handline useful for return) into a rift ending in boulder ruckles.
Ruckle at Southern end has a number of inviting black spaces and a dig here would be rewarding.

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STONE LEVER POT (BOLTBY IV)
Length: 10m
Depth: 10m

On the same tier as 3 but 10m West.
Entrance covered with wood (replace). Squeeze under slab and over pit, continuing rift ends in boulder choke after 10m but chinks of blackness can be seen beyond, a dig here might gain a continuation. Down the pit and heading South (back under entrance), a small phreatic tube can be entered with vocal link to the surface.

History
Discovered by S.C.C. in 1997. Explored by S.C.C./M.S.G. later in the same year.
Stone Lever Pot gains it’s name from finding a 2m long crow bar lodged in a crack at the bottom.
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Yorkshire Geological Society Volume 41 (1976)

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boltby-2
boltby-3

 

BCRA Transactions – Vol.3 No.2 – The North Yorkshire Windypits (1976)
BCRAT3-boltby1 BCRAT3-boltby2 BCRAT3-boltby3

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