Moorland Caver (2003)

NGR:SE 708865
Altitude: 50m
Length: 45m
Depth: 20m
Access: Ravenswick Estate
Grade: II
Entertainment value: II

Warning Tread carefully, large numbers of small lizards have been found at the bottom of the entrance rift.

Hole is located a short way up the footpath leading off from the lane down to Yoadwath.
Oil drum entrance covered by a substantial slab (replace). The entrance drops directly into the top of a narrow rift the upper sections of which are somewhat loose (care).

The rift can be descended without tackle, however a handline (belay to nearby tree) is useful for the return. A landing is made at the intersection of rifts at right angles to each other. North was tight and blind but is now backfilled; heading South is impossibly tight and pinches up after 5m. East has a tight entrance into a widening rift that continues for 5m to a choke which hasn’t been pushed.
The way on is West, dropping through a very tight slot in the floor and descend into widening rift (circ 40cm) to extreme dodgyness. Crawl under boulder choke into area of hanging boulders and gravity defying rubble slope. A small excavated crawl in the choke underneath the rubble slope marks the present limit of exploration (16-1-97)

Tackle
Entrance: 8m handline (optional), belay to nearby tree.

History
Entrance opened during the construction of new track, explored by S.C.C. in 1996.

Moorland Caver (2003)

NGR: SE 496 894
Alt: 340m
Length: 6m
Depth: 8.6m
Access: Not Known

Entrance is located on a bend in a forestry track in Boltby Forest.
A body sized hole drops down a narrow rift ending in rubble blockage after 8.6m

History
Found in 2002 after a tractor wheel broke through the surface of the track.
The shock caused bad smells and stains in the trouser department.

Moorland Caver (2003)

NGR: SE 532819
Altitude: 200m
Length: 10m
Access: Forestry Commission
Grade: I
Entertainment value: I

Located on the left side of the track 100m down from the gate.
Small but strongly draughting body sized hole at track level heads into the hillside to a chamber formed in a cross rift. This is a badly broken down area and is the site of an active dig (beware).

History
In a letter to Roger Cooper, Raymond Hayes wrote “whilst walking with friends on the track out of Cockerdale, I passed a small, strongly draughting hole, on the right. Due to the company, I was unable to explore and continued walking with a mind to come back another day” Sadly, neither Roger nor Raymond ever did.
The hole has been named in honour of that pioneer windypit explorer: Raymond Hayes

Moorland Caver (2003)

NGR: SE 961923
Altitude: 150m
Length: 6m
Depth: 4.2m
Access: Duchy of Lancaster
Grade: I
Entertainment value: I

Small slip rift overlooking Lowdales valley.

A body sized hole drops into a 1m x 2.5m chamber. A steep slope continues down to the deepest point of the windypit, a whole 4.2 metres below surface. The rift narrows and ends in a blank wall.

Moorland Caver (2003)

NGR: TA 040847
Altitude: 50m
Length: Circa 30m (this is approximate)
Access: No known restrictions
Grade: I
Entertainment Value: II (If the local drug users are around)

Warning
Beware of drug paraphernalia and needles.

Drive along Eastfield high street and park up just beyond the shops.
To the left is a shallow valley with burnt out cars in the stream at the bottom.
Following the valley for 500m leads to a small quarry on the left with a limestone band and obvious cave entrances.

All entrances run parallel with the cliff face and exit or pinch up. A small passage continues into the hillside and emits a strong draught, (a dig here might surprise).

Moorland Caver (2003)
NGR: SE 553805
Altitude: 230m
Length: 20m
Depth: 17m
Grade: II
Entertainment Value: II

Amongst dense vegetation and woodland, half way up rocky stepped slope on East side of valley. A tight rift drops round awkward corners into a blind chamber.

Tackle
20m ladder, stake and sling for belay. 20m lifeline.

History
Explored by M.S.G. in 1981

Moorland Caver (2003)

NGR: SE 755892
Length: 4.5m
Altitude: 130m
Access: No known restrictions
Grade: I
Entertainment value: -I

Entrance lies in a small scar on the North side of the Cropton Bank Road. Small, uninspiring chamber full of rubbish.
Not one of the areas classic trips!.

History
The cave has always been known locally and used as a convenient rubbish tip.

Northern Caves Volume 5 (1974)

Moorland Caver (2003)

NGR: SE 709865
Altitude: 40m
Length: 200m
Depth: 20m
Access: Ravenswick Estate
Grade: IV
Entertainment value: V+

Warning: Bogg Hall is a very wet cave; wetsuits are essential, mask & neoprene hood useful. A small rise in water levels will sump The Drain. Descend in dry, settled weather only.  Despite its short length Bogg Hall is quite a serious undertaking.

Divers Entrance: Bogg Hall Rising is a large resurgence on the East bank of the River Dove consisting of two sumps which are not free diveable:
Sump I: A dive of 9 m in a roomy bedding 3 m wide and 1 m high surfacing in an air bell formed by a cross rift.
Sump II: A further dive of 9 m surfacing in the main Sump Chamber.
( The sumps may be dived as one by following the left wall although this is not lined)

“Oh my ears and whiskers” (Dry Entrance):
Probably the best and most sporting trip in Ryedale. Oil drum entrance with locked lid (key nailed to the tree nearest the lid, please replace after use) drops down into a small earthy chamber. At the South end a short blind, excavated crawl leads off. The way on is down a narrow, partially blasted rift in the floor. It should be stressed that the rift is very narrow and larger cavers may experience difficulties, particularly on the return. If an epic is to be avoided the rift should be rigged with a handline or, better a ladder belayed to a tree outside. The rift drops into the main Sump Chamber.

Care should be taken not to step back into the sump pool as the unwary may be washed down into the sumps!
Two passages which soon reunite lead from the Sump Chamber, the right hand passage takes the majority of the water and is best avoided except in times of low flow.
The more usual route is to follow the passage to the left. Follow this wet and gloomy passage past a junction on the right (which leads via the right hand passage back to the Sump Chamber) to arrive at a “dry” blockfall chamber. Straight ahead leads into a low, wet and confused area and is best avoided. The way on is to the right into an area with about 30 cm air space. The intrepid explorer is now confronted by one of the caves main obstacles: The Duck. The Duck consists of a submerged slab lying across the passage. Although there is air space above the slab, the best (and most entertaining) way to pass it is a short, 1m, free dive under it (mask useful). It is best tackled feet first and on ones back thus: Remove helmet and hold it under the slab with the right hand, insert legs under slab, place left arm under the slab and grab the far side of it, lie back, and raise legs, take a deep breath and pull yourself through with your left arm. It is possible that the first pull might not get you through, if this happens a shove with the right hand usually does the trick. Try not to surface too enthusiastically as you will crack your head on the low roof – not recommended. From this point things start to get sporting! Turn sharp left into a low airspace (10 cm – 15 cm) canal known as The Drain. This looks frighteningly narrow but it bells out below water. The Drain is best entered feet first on ones side, nose and mouth up in the roof. A helmet is something of an encumbrance here and is best held out in front. Use the lower arm to propel oneself along the passage, blowing water out of your mouth as you progress (the return journey is easier as you are borne along by the water). This is not a place to panic – stay cool, lie back and enjoy the experience. After 10 m of very aqueous progress a small chamber provides some respite, turn right here up another canal about 5 m long. At the end of this section turn left to emerge in the River Passage, to date unique for the area. The River Passage is 1 m – 2 m high and 3 m – 5 m wide; an impressive spot. Of interest are fossils partially washed out from the walls (CARE). Good going for about 60 m passes fallen blocks and an oxbow to arrive at the terminal sump: The Font. An unusual feature of The Font is its fauna – a colony of Lampreys. The Font Chamber is quite a large rift, 15 m long, 6 m wide and 4 m high. The aven in the roof has been scaled and was found to pinch out. Water wells up from the centre of the lake from a vertical rift. This has been dived, past a ledge at – 6 m to a depth of about – 17 m. As yet no definite conclusion has been reached.

Tackle:
The Rift: Either an 8 m ladder, spreader and sling or handline, belayed to tree at entrance (optional)

History
Sump 1 was passed by Shackleton and Griffiths of the C.D.G. in 1981.
On 31-10-1981 Richard Wilsdon and Neil Hanan, passed Sump 2 and explored the cave to the Font.
S.C.C. dug the dry entrance in early 1998, the first “dry cavers” reaching the Font on 12-2-98.

Memoirs of a Moldywarp (2008)

SCC Minutes 01/02/1998

Moorland Caver (2003)
NGR: SE 555868
Altitude: 185m
Access: No known restrictions
Grade: II
Entertainment Value: II

Two slip rifts on the South side of Caydale.

1. CAYDALE HOLE
(A.k.a Birk Bank Fissure, Dog Rescue Fissure)
Length: 27m
Depth: 10.5m

Two entrances at foot of the main scar. Climb down in rifts into wider rift chamber.
History
The fissure was discovered during 1952 when a dog fell down it. The dog was dug out by J.N. Grayson and local Quarrymen, the whole operation taking five days. Apart from the dog, the fissure also yielded archaeological / human remains. Williams, in “Ampleforth Country”, notes Caydale Hole in his list of eleven windypits known to Ampleforth Students; presumably this is one and the same hole. Despite the fact that the hole was mentioned in “Ampleforth Country” it effectively remained lost for a number of years until rediscovered by the M.S.G. in February 1981.

2. SHELOB’S LAIR
Length: 17m
Depth: 3.5m

Opposite Caydale Hole in South face of slumped block below the main scar.
Two entrances with narrow rift in between. In West entrance is a sloping passage leading to a small chamber.

History
Discovered by the M.S.G. at the same time as Caydale Hole (see above) was rediscovered.