Church Pot

Regions \ Yorkshire Dales \ Wharfedale and the North East\ Church pot

Location


Grid Reference:SE 099760

Park by the picnic tables further up the valley beyond Limley Farm. Through the gate into the field towards the river as for Goyden pot. Instead of going left to Goyden main entrance follow the river bed (normally dry)right down the valley past a small stream to where wire baskets hold up the river bank. There in the river bed is the metal lid of Church pot. Altitude:

Access
Mr Church of Limley farm at present gives permission. No need to call. Cavers must though not climb over the fences and close gates.

Description
Overall

Church pot was dug by the Black Sheep Diggers and provides an interesting alternative entrance to the Goyden system and more importantly a flood escape route.

Detail

Enter Church pot and climb down the rift with care especially sliding through the slot onto a jammed scaffold pole and then onto the ledge. Descend the fixed ladder, climb down the rift and then descend the second fixed ladder to the walking size passage below. The passage soon lowers to a sideways slither through to a junction. Note: Right leads into a low craw, Gargett Way, through to a very small chamber and then low bedding beyond to choke and dig. Carry straight on at the junction along Black Sheep Passage until the next junction. Note: Left leads up a muddy bank to the base of an impressive aven 17m high. In the roof is a scaffold platform and dig. From the junction continue on past a crawl on the left easy to miss and onto the T-junction. Note left leads to climb down into the main stream passage of Goyden while right leads to the Turf and Goyden II bypassing sump 1.

Route Description

Church pot, Pinnacle climb and the Turf to Goyden 2 and return

After enetering Church pot rather than turning left to the main stream turn right along a stooping/crawling passage until a way through can be see to the right. Turn right into this passage and to the base of the climb. This is Pinnacle climb 6m high and best climbed on the left with P hanger in place for aid/lifelining. At the top of the climb crawl through to the small waterfall. Climb up this and then do not follow the passage ahead but instead climb up and back on yourself with care until it is possible to a small passage. This leads almost immeditaely to a 2m climb down,handline useful into Chapel chamber. A stream falls from a passage in the roof. This has been followed to a choke directly under a arge pool in the river bed above. The way on is left along a narrow passage until a pitch is reached. This pitch is 25m deep and at present more water is coming through from Chapel chamber so quite wet! At the base the small stream can be followed upstream to a too,ow muddy sump. Downstream soon opens out into the large stream passage. Left leads to a low wet crawl which easily sumps through to the sump 1 20m long. Right leads to an impressive large stream passage and sump 2 which although only 7m long and with airbells must not be free dived as often full of tree branches and other rubbish washed in. Return via the same climbs and passages. Left goes for short distance to the sump. Right leads under a low arch for short section then on into a splendid large walking size stream passage. Follow this to the point where there is a hanging chain on the left. Climb up and left into Gaskills passage. Straight on leads to the Pinnacle climb and Turf pitch which provides a bypass to sump 1 to enter Goyden 2. Both passages on the right provide access to Black Sheep passage and Church pot. The second passage is the easiest and soon passes a high aven on the right then just before it narrows passes a small crawl on the left. Gargett Way. After the narrow section a walking size passage leads to the first of the in-situ ladders. Climb this and then the rift that follows to the second ladder. Climb this ladder and the narrow awkward rift above to exit the cave via Church pot.

History
The Black Sheep Diggers dug open this pot in 1999 following floods that first opened the pot and then filled in the entrance. Goyden entrance had become so blocked such that flood water flowed on past without it filling the cave to the roof. The water therefore found the first available place to enter and fill the system. The flood washed out a clay filled tunnel through to an aven that previously could only be visited by going up a tight clay crawl from Gaskills passage. The fill washed out of this inlet was deposited in Gaskill's passage turning a walking size passage to crawling size although this is being steadily washed out by subsequent floods.

Church pot was immediately seen as an ideal flood escape route for Goyden and so the Black Sheep Diggers installed fixed ladders and metal bin entrance to aid quick exit.

Following the opening of Church pot a small tube Gargett Way was pushed heading towards the Turf by Mick Gargett. It was abandoned at a small chamber and too low bedding although a stream could be heard beyond. The avens were climbed by Chris Fox and no significant passage was found. The aven at the botom that was previously climbed years ago by access from Gaskill's passage was re-climbed by Chris Fox and a small blocked passage found. This was opened to the base of a blocked shaft leading to the surface.