During the course of our prospecting in the Langcliffe/Mossdale area, we found a small hole at the edge of the Bycliffe cirque. The hole (NGR SE 0065 6885) was just over the wall from the Bycliffe Road and was associated with a group of small dolines where a stream sank. Apart from that it had little to recommend it. Digging was undertaken by Bob, Julian, Phil, Nick, one crow bar, one hammer, two Claude-loops, three litres of red wine and a lost racing-pigeon which walked around the pot for several hours crapping on anything that moved. Because of the wine however, we weren't moving much, so the pigeon gave up and flew away. Shortly afterwards, we too gave up. A full grade one survey was carried out three months later from the comfort of the Helwith Bridge. The pot is still there, and the area still has huge potential. The pigeon has presumably been withdrawn from the racing scene, and eaten.

The cave is situated on the south side of Firth Gill, Wharfedalo, some 100m south of the point where the wall at the top of the wood crosses the gill. It was noticed early in April 1976 by Andrew Nichols and Nick Reckert, on a walk to look at various items in the area. Their attention was caught by a recent slump of earth which had exposed a rectangular crawl which carried a tiny stream.

The source of the water was found a mere 40m away and 7m higher, where the stream in the next shallow valley sank. The walking pair decided that they had better things to look at and went on their way.

By the following afternoon they realised that they had nothinq better to investigate and walked up from Starbotton, where Andy left the carbide. This was not discovered until they had donned their grots, but they stoically carried on hence the name of the cave.

A cautious exploration was made as far as the limit of daylight, in 5m of hands and knees crawl roofed with small rocks and needle-sharp straws. This proved to be the limit of progress too, since a blind but thorough probe showed the passage to reduce to a very low bedding plane crawl choked with cobbles. It may be possible to dig a way on: the ratio of glory to effort was far too low for Andy and Nick.

On a recent trip to the Bowland area to investigate the potential, it was discovered that the only potho1e of any real significance in the area had been very effectively sealed up with concrete and access was thus made impossible. The other caves of the area are hardly worth a visit for their own sake so the landowner has, by this act, effectively stopped caving in this region for all but those dedicated enough to go digging in the small pots.

While prospecting on Hawkswick Moor over the valley from Kettlewell in the latter part of 1975 Robert Shackleton and Andrew Nichols noted half a dozen sites worth further work. One was conclusively explored and is mentioned here for the sake of completeness.

TRIG POT SD 962711

The entrance is under a slab in a small shakehole 200m, 320 degrees from the trig point above Knipe Scar, at about 1415ft O.D. A rift climb descends to a cobble floored chamber with no way on. The depth of the pot is 7m.