Walden Beck Cave

On a very wet February day JTG dived this small resurgence cave on the north side of the beck. The first sump is only 3m long. About 6m of crawling passage leads to a second sump which becomes too low after 3m. There may be a way on to the right at the start of this sump, but entry into the small tubular passage was prevented by the force of water. It is not clear how this bit of passage relates to that recently found to the left before the first sump.

Burton Pasture

Driving up Waldendale, a prominent stream sink was noticed on Burton Pasture. Close by was a small shaft. This was about 8m deep. Downfell at the bottom, the rift choked. Upfell one could peer through into quite a large cross rift. Half an hour's hammering enabled us to get through. To the right the rift descended a boulder slope and choked in a pile of very large and loose boulders. To the left a short dig provided a continuation. A small stream could be heard at the base of the rift but the rift appeared to narrow excessively and as it was felt that we were heading upstream, no attempt was made to push it. Total length approx 20m.

We also had a dig at the stream sink. A 2m drop led to a small streamway. A boulder blocking the way was split but an attempt to remove it was thwarted when the roof which it was supporting began to move rather disconcertingly.

Talking to the farmer revealed that someone had descended the rift cave two or three years previously, but no mention is made of it in 'Northern Caves'. The cross rift did not appear to have been entered before.

Dibb Valley

A miserable afternoon was spent proving that the sump in Dibb Well (SE 052 615) was impossible to get into and the sump in Dibb Valley cave no 2 was not a sump at all, but a silt floored pool with no way on underwater.