Jackdaw Quarry Cave trips 20/10/2019, 28/10/2019 and 07/11/2019
Unless otherwise stated, camera, setups, lighting, edits and gallery effects by Tarquin. Modelling and lighting at various points will be Dickon Morris, Pete Bolt, Gareth Davies and Tarquin's extremities.
Originally found by B Price in 1950, a few clubs have dug here over the years. The main ones are Morgannwg Caving Club and Cwmbran Caving Club, both of whom have been active here for over 25 years, digging amicably, separately from each other. These were a series of trips with Morgannwg Caving Club to see their dig.
The cave sits at the top of a quarry with only tiny ledges to get you there. One of the many diggers has installed this useful cable traverse line, but some of the fixings are a little old, so we replaced them during our visit.
Modelling by Dickon, lighting by Tarquin, Dickon and Sol
The entrance passage feels like parts of Draenen, that sit in the upper oolitic beds.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
The entrance passage passes over a traverse into this chamber. The way on promptly chokes, so the way on is to drop back down into the rift below, and scramble around past the boulders.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Veins in the chamber.
Closeup of the veins.
A scramble back up regains the large passage, which immediately shrinks down to a low crawl. A lot of digging has gone on here, pulling rocks out from the following passage, and neatly stacking them in the chamber.
The way on ahead pinches out, but a side passage immediately reaches the head of a tall climb, which is best treated as a pitch. One wall is the choked remains of the rift from the entrance, but the pitch continues further, shored up with a lot of scaffolding. The choked ceiling of the pitch draughts strongly, but it appears to be a surface draft, and is not helpful.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
At the base, the water sinks, and the way on almost certainly lies below the floor, where the stream is thought to join the Ogof Draenen water, downstream of the chokes. But a narrow rift appears on the far side, and despite looking completely hopeless, it was still worth checking out.
Modelling by Dickon and Pete, lighting by Tarquin, Dickon and Pete
The rift appears to be an old inlet, and if you catch it just right, you can convince yourself there is a draught, and pretend that it's not coming from the top of the pitch. The rift rapidly became too tight, with a badly obstructed view.
Most of the work was done with a chisel drill, creating stitch holes with a regular drill bit, then hammering with the chisel bit to cut off lumps of the wall.
Modelling by Pete and Gareth, lighting by Tarquin, Pete and Gareth
Progress. It's now possible to look further down the rift.
The end showed a visible eyehole leading off to one side.
Work continued.
Modelling by Colin the Crowbar
The tools work.
Modelling by Booty McBootface and Colin
A failed stitch hole.
Modelling by Mr. Glover
As we left it.
We had got far enough to see that the end almost certainly is just an alcove, with no way on.
The cave sits at the top of a quarry with only tiny ledges to get you there. One of the many diggers has installed this useful cable traverse line, but some of the fixings are a little old, so we replaced them during our visit.
Modelling by Dickon, lighting by Tarquin, Dickon and Sol
The entrance passage feels like parts of Draenen, that sit in the upper oolitic beds.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
The entrance passage passes over a traverse into this chamber. The way on promptly chokes, so the way on is to drop back down into the rift below, and scramble around past the boulders.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Veins in the chamber.
Closeup of the veins.
A scramble back up regains the large passage, which immediately shrinks down to a low crawl. A lot of digging has gone on here, pulling rocks out from the following passage, and neatly stacking them in the chamber.
The way on ahead pinches out, but a side passage immediately reaches the head of a tall climb, which is best treated as a pitch. One wall is the choked remains of the rift from the entrance, but the pitch continues further, shored up with a lot of scaffolding. The choked ceiling of the pitch draughts strongly, but it appears to be a surface draft, and is not helpful.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
At the base, the water sinks, and the way on almost certainly lies below the floor, where the stream is thought to join the Ogof Draenen water, downstream of the chokes. But a narrow rift appears on the far side, and despite looking completely hopeless, it was still worth checking out.
Modelling by Dickon and Pete, lighting by Tarquin, Dickon and Pete
The rift appears to be an old inlet, and if you catch it just right, you can convince yourself there is a draught, and pretend that it's not coming from the top of the pitch. The rift rapidly became too tight, with a badly obstructed view.
Most of the work was done with a chisel drill, creating stitch holes with a regular drill bit, then hammering with the chisel bit to cut off lumps of the wall.
Modelling by Pete and Gareth, lighting by Tarquin, Pete and Gareth
Progress. It's now possible to look further down the rift.
The end showed a visible eyehole leading off to one side.
Work continued.
Modelling by Colin the Crowbar
The tools work.
Modelling by Booty McBootface and Colin
A failed stitch hole.
Modelling by Mr. Glover
As we left it.
We had got far enough to see that the end almost certainly is just an alcove, with no way on.