They've found the pot-Holy Grail! Cavers blast through rock to connect 70-mile-long tunnel system and end 50 years of searching


Long considered the Holy Grail of British potholing, the legendary Three Counties System of caves has finally been linked.

After 50 years, the long exploration of these tunnels came to an end on Sunday, 300ft below the surface, making it possible to enter into Cumbria, travel below Lancashire and emerge in Yorkshire.

Due to the brave work of individuals such as Geoff Yeadon, Tim Allen and Mick Nunwick - and with the separate cave systems of Lost Johns and Notts Pot now joined - a continuous 70 mile route has been opened up under the Yorkshire Dales.

Breakthrough: British cave explorer Hugh St Lawrence bursts through a tunnel of rocks and mud to discover a new passage of caves linking English counties

For some of the cavers this puts to an end almost 26 years of planning after modern techniques were used to link the three counties.

Harnessing the power of natural underground water sources to blast away the mud and rock that concealed a linking passage between Lost Johns and Notts Pot, the team have joined a network of 30 entrances underneath the three counties.

In the difficult conditions 300ft below, the team experienced ten bars of atmospheric pressure as they channeled water through with a simple hose at great force, blasting their way through.

After they achieved their momentous cave connection, they traveled to a local pub on Sunday to celebrate.

Adventurer: Sam Allshorn climbing out of a maelstrom whirlpool underground. His team discovered the Holy Grail of British potholing, the Three Counties cave system Long way down: Jane Allen climbs up the entrance pitch rope out of Cow Pot, a classic cave in the Yorkshire Dales

Drilling deeper: Diagram showing connections excavated between numerous, known cave systems forming a continuous 70 mile route

'Water formed these caves and now we are using water to try to re-excavate these passages,' said heating engineer and veteran caver Geoff Yeadon, 60.

Geoff is part of the 10 man team who self-funded the exploration of the Three Counties System.



Also in the team is British caving stalwart Tim Allen and pioneer Mick Nunwick, who single handedly uncovered 1000 metres of the cave in the mid-eighties which eventually led to this moment.

'It's a caver's dream,' said Geoff.

Speaking over year ago, Geoff explained the dream driving the team.

'In our mind we know it could take four years to finish this, or it could happen next weekend.

'Everything can change very quickly when you make a breakthrough and all of a sudden you are dealing with uncharted territory.

'We might uncover the entrance to a new network and you are looking at something never seen by any human before,' said Geoff.



'A pint of beer never tasted better than when you return to surface after a spell down there digging. You are doing something real.'



Thousands of years ago - possibly millions in some areas - the cave was formed through water erosion and at some point later the roof fell in, filling the sumps and fissures with mud and rock.

Since the theory was first proposed in the 1920s that the three counties were in fact linked, the notion has caught on and teams exploring different parts of the system have been trying to make the breakthrough.

Exploration of the Three Counties System began in 1928 and continues today.

'We're all just mates with a common goal,' said Geoff.

'At times in the past we have received sponsorship and funding from institutions, but in this part of the project we are doing it all off our own backs - 'but we do it because we love it.'





'Tite fit: Potholers Jane Allen and Simon Wilson examine straw stalactite formations in the Three Counties cave system they discovered in Yorkshire, England

Rope trick: Caver Tim Allen climbs the rope on a section named Centipede Pitch in the Lost John's cave, part of the newly discovered Three Counties cave system

Captain caveman: A potholer climbs a rope inside Ireby Cavern, part of a 70-mile-long cave system linking three English counties that has been worked on for 50 years



