Heron Pot

Location
Grid Reference: |Bottom%20entrance;54.207058;-2.440568;&amp;scale=16&amp;centre=54.206005;-2.447209 SD 7144 7876

Altitude: 365 m

Cross the stile opposite the Yordas gate, and make for the confluence of Kingsdale Beck and Gaze Gill. Follow Gaze Gill up for 200 m to where a dry valley enters from the right. This is followed up through a gap in a wall to the Heron stream bed. The entrance is some 40 m from the end of the stream bed in a shallow depression a few metres from the true left bank.

Description
A popular SRT pull through trip, and an even better return trip. Reasonably dry conditions are preferred to ensure that the pitches are not too damp, and that the bottom exit is negotiable.

Clamber down the entrance into a meandering passage. This joins the main stream passage which is followed easily until the stream cuts down as the head of the first pitch is reached. The second pitch follows immediately. Traversing over and up at the first pitch reaches a large single pitch which provides an alternative route to the base of the second pitch.

From the bottom of the second pitch, the continuing stream passage is followed to a sharp right bend. A short climb up here gains access to the well decorated Old Phreatic Inlet. A short distance further on the roof lowers to the start of the long crawl that eventually reaches daylight. A short duck emerges from the lower entrance.

For a short, pleasant extension to the day head over to Gaze Gill Cave.

Access
Permission is not required, provided that the main route is followed to the cave and the countryside code is adhered to.

History
The cave was dug into by Fylde Mountaineering Club in 1955, and they explored as far as the first pitch before calling for support from the NPC. The cave was then explored to the bottom exit, and surveyed by the NPC. LUSS carried out a high grade survey in 1972, and explored some of the more obscure passages to their conclusion.

References and Further Reading

 * 1) Gascoyne M., 1973, Heron Pot, LUSS 3, pp.17-21
 * 2) Green C., 1957, Heron Pot, Kingsdale, NPC Journal No 2 Vol. 5