Valley Entrance

Location
Grid Reference: |Braida%20Garth;54.193397;-2.455050|Swinsto%20Pot;54.192602;-2.470750&scale=16 SD 6990 7741

Altitude: 272 m

Enter the gate almost opposite the entrance to the road down to Braida Garth, and follow the northerly path for 50 m to the oil drum entrance.

Description
A very popular trip for novices.

Descending the oil drum drops into crawling / stooping / walking passage. After approx 100m a passage on the left, the Milky Way provides access to Toyland / Cascade Inlet, Derbyshire Extension and Carrot Passage. The main passage continues for hundreds of metres before arriving at a pitch head into the West Kingsdale Master Cave.

Descending the pitch (sometimes climbed to the side) arrives next to the downstream sump which emerges, after a lengthy dive, at Keld Head. Heading upstream is a fine (albeit short) streamway, this reaches Master Junction and the connection to Simpson's/Swinsto via East Entrance Passage or Philosophers Crawl. Continuing upstream passes River Junction before reaching a couple of short sumps from Rowten Pot.

Used as an exit for popular pull through trips from Swinsto Hole and Simpson Pot and very occasionally used, via a short free dive, from Rowten Pot.

Access
Prior permission not required.

History
The Kingsdale Master Cave was discovered in 1966 via Swinsto/Simpson's. The choke at the end of the Roof Tunnel was dug and the connection to the surface was made in July 1967.1 Water power was used to good effect during the digging of the Derbyshire Extension2

References and Further Reading

 * 1) "The Kingsdale Master Cave", ULSA Explorations Journal 1969, p 11-21
 * 2) "The Power To Dig", Descent 147, p 32-34