Sunday 5th July 2026

Mike Kushy and Lee Venning arrived on site at 11am. The weather was overcast but the sun soon put in an appearance. After adapting the extractor fan to use the new 2 inch air pipe MK headed down equipped with the breaker and got to work removing loose rock and mud from the floor and walls. After LV had winched twenty-four loads to the surface we decided to stop for lunch; this was about 1pm.

Once lunch was done MK and LV went down again and got to work drilling holes. Trevor Hughes and John Cooper arrived about 1:40pm but JC didn’t hang around as there wasn’t much for him to do.

We drilled 5 x 500mm holes and 1 x 250mm hole, all 12mm diameter (The 1m drill bit entered a void after about 250mm and this void continued the remaining 750mm of the drill bit). MK then supervised LV who did the set-up, with TH providing surface support. Once the set-up was complete, we retreated to the surface and the holes were destroyed.

Depth measured at 15m.

We all left site at 3:15pm. 4¼ hours. Lee.

Today's haul. Photo LV.

Looking South. Photo MK.

Sunday 28th June 2026

John Cooper, Trevor Hughes, Mike Kushy and Lee Venning. MK and LV to begin with, we arrived at 11.00. First job was to take out all the fixed ladders and redid the set up so everything is flush and all fastened with slings and maillons rather than polycord. We finished and had lunch around 1300, TH arrived around 13.30. MK went down the hole to clear just as JC arrived. Lots of buckets cleared, then the breaker came out. The floor is made up of calcite and is very holllow so lots cleared. TH took over from MK after 41 loads hauled out and continued to end of the session. Still more breaker work to do. We also removed the large frail 4 inch pipe used for ventilation and replaced it with some new 2 inch pipe. 60 buckets cleared. Done for 17.00. Mike.

Rehanging ladders. Photo LV.

Start of clearance session. Photo MK.

End of session. Photo MK.

Load count for session. Photo LV.

Sunday 21st June 2026

Mike Kushy and Lee Venning arrived on site at 11am, the weather was already rather warm. LV headed down cave equipped with the breaker and got to work removing loose rock and mud from the floor and walls (the mud is so hard that it also required the use of the breaker). After MK had winched twenty loads to the surface, we decided to stop for lunch, this was about 1pm and by this point the heat was bloody ridiculous.
Once lunch was done MK went down cave and got to work with the breaker, in the meantime Trevor Hughes arrived, this was about 1:40pm.
A further eight buckets were winched to the surface by TH with LV emptying the buckets. MK returned to the surface and TH and LV went down cave to drill holes and set up.
We drilled 5 x 500mm holes and then TH supervised LV who did the set up. Meanwhile on the surface MK had a visit from John Cooper. Once this task was completed, we retreated to the surface and the holes were destroyed.
We all left site at 4:15pm, 5 ¼ hours. Lee.

Today's total. Photo LV.

Tuesday 16th June 2026

Sam Hill and Mike Kushy. MK arrived at 1645, emptied the dumper, ran the extractor down Templetwin for 15 minutes, tied the white pipe onto the ladder and lowered the telescopic ladder down. MK went down and found a good footing for the ladder (which is a perfect height) and filled 1 bucket up. MK came to surface and winched the bucket up. SH arrived at 1730 and went straight down the hole and with MK winching 36 loads were cleared. The breaker was brought out and SH had first go for 20 minutes or so. MK then went down the hole with SH winching. 55 buckets in total. Lots of mud to clear and more breaker work to be done. Finished at 1945. Mike.

All photo's MK.

Looking North, before clearing.

South before clearing.

Facing South and looking at the floor, before clearing.

South after clearing.

Sunday 14th June 2026

John Cooper, Mike Kushy and Lee Venning. We all met at 10.00 and MK went down the hole first with breaker, 50 loads cleared. We broke for lunch around 12.30. LV went down next and a total of 63 buckets cleared, making 189 since the last charge. Supervised set up for LV by MK, 4 holes @ 600x10mm and 1 hole @ 900x10mm. Super sticky mud in the floor and the largest gap being 18 inch wide. Looks like we could be in darker limestone with a bedding layer perhaps. JC did all the winching. Finished around 15.00. Depth measured at 14.3m. Mike.

Lee drilling. Photo MK.

Today's total haul. Photo LV.

Sunday 7th June 2026

Morning Session. Mike Kushy and Hollie London. 25 loads cleared with HL at the bottom and 25 with MK at the bottom. Sam Hill and Callum Symmonds arrived for Templeton whilst we were having lunch and HL left for The Hunters'. 2 hours. Mike.

Before clearing. Photo HL.

Before clearing. Video HL.

Afternoon Session. John Cooper, Trevor Hughes, Mike Kousiounis and Lee Venning. John arrived about 13.30 to find the morning team having a lunch break having hauled 50 loads out. Sam Hill and Callum Symmonds departed for Templeton South Pot. Mike went to the bottom of Templetwin to load with John hauling and emptying. When Lee and Trevor arrived Mike came out and was replaced by Trevor with Lee emptying. Mike went off to Templeton South Pot to fire the charge for them. We heard this at 15.48 and soon after Trevor came out having reached 100 loads for the day. Lee took his place and hauling continued. Mike rejoined the emptying team and we called it a day at 126 loads. 4 hours for the afternoon session. John.

After clearing, looking North. Photo MK.

After clearing looking South. Photo MK.

42 times 3. Photo LV.

After clearing. Video MK.

Sunday 31st May 2026

John Cooper, Trevor Hughes, Mike Kousiounis and Lee Venning. Spoil clearing session, started around 2pm. Trevor started by sorting out some pipe for use with his extractor fan. Meanwhile Kushy was at the bottom loading, John hauling and Lee emptying. After 30 loads Lee went down with his breaker and Trevor took over emptying the buckets. At 56 loads hauled out Mike and Lee took a break. They reported loads more to come out. John then left. John.

Bottom, looking South. Photo MK.

Today's haul. Photo LV.

After a break we measured the depth at 13.7m (we haven't cleared the floor in weeks). A small ladder was lowered and 5 holes drilled to trim the wall in various places. All 10mm holes, 3 x 1m and 2 x 500mm. The objective was to give better ladder placement and fewer places for the bucket to snag when raising and lowering. Task completed and finally the extractor fan was tested with a successful result. Supervised setup for LV, cold and draughty for MK supervising. Finished just after 6pm. Mike.

Lee drilling. Photo MK.

Fumes being extracted. Video MK.