Cheddar Caves Press Release.





The "Tuesday Diggers" have found their way into the BIGGEST UNDERGROUND

CHAMBER yet discovered underneath the Mendip Hills. Called "The Frozen

Deep" by the discoverers, this chamber contains some of the most stunning

calcite formations ever found in Underground Mendip, including two 5m tall

pure white columns of calcite surrounded by pure white flowstone covering

the walls and floor.



The six triumphant "diggers", who are well known in the world of Mendip

Caving, include Martin Grass, Alison Moody, a retired teacher, two retired

GPs, Dr. Pete Granvill and Dr. Tony Boycott, Nigel Cox and Nick Chipchase,

who celebrates his 65th birthday tomorrow.



The six of them have had exclusive access for the last 4 years from Longleat

Estate to dig the "gated" Reservoir Hole, which Dr. Willy Stanton, as Lord

Bath's Consultant Geologist, had previously looked after for Longleat Estate

for many years. It lies 150m east of The Pinnacles in Cheddar Gorge and has

a large main rift, which was discovered and named "Golgotha" by Dr. Stanton

in 1969. Further major "finds" were made in 1970 and 1973, but progress

thereafter was more limited.



Dr. Stanton, before his death, had suggested that the "diggers" concentrate

on exploring a side passage, and eventually they broke through into a 20m

long parallel rift, which they named "Great Expectations". Removing a large

slab enabled them to crawl a further 15m into another chamber, 25m high and

20m long, which they named "Resurrection ". Yesterday this led them

to a loose boulder slope, which ended in a 12m vertical pitch.



Returning today, Tuesday 04 September, with rope and tackle, they descended

the pitch into the largest chamber yet discovered under the Mendip Hills,

being 50m to 60m in diameter and up to 30m in height and containing the most

stunning calcite formations to be found in recent times in any Mendip cave.