© Chelsea Spelaeological Society - Updated July 2022
CHELSEA
SPELÆOLOGICAL
SOCIETY
Caving in Wales,
the South of England,
and beyond
CSS Newsletters 2021 - Volume 63
Click on the cover image to view or download the full issue (requires members login).
Nos. 1-3, January-March 2021
Welsh Cave Name Anagrams - A fiendish collection of 15 Welsh cave anagrams for you to pit
your wits against.
Caption Competition - An Italian bat cartoon in need of a more amusing caption.
Cave Hunting in Western Mendip - A journey around the lesser-visited cave sites around Crook
Peak and Cross in West Mendip.
Chilmark Stone Mines Update - An updated survey and brief history of the Chilmark Stone Mines
in Wiltshire.
The Toilet Habits of Bats - Descriptive account of how several species of bat perform their toilet
duties and other interesting guano based facts.
Cave Wildlife - Amblyjoppa fuscipennis - The habitats and life-cycle of a type of wasp found
over-wintering in a Berkshire chalk pit.
Caving Quiz - 20 questions about a wide selection of spelaeological sites and subjects to test your
caving knowledge.
Extreme Social Distancing - Maintaining social distance by trekking and wild camping in the
Cumbrian mountains.
Mid-Wales Mines Spectacular - Part 1 - Visits to the interesting Mid-Wales Mines of Ystrad
Einion, Allt y Crib, Aberllefenni and Cwmystwyth, complete with location and rigging information
and trip highlights of each mine.
That Was The Year That Was - A round-up of Nick Chipchase’s caving activities during 2020.
Including caving and digging around Fairy Cave Quarry and pressure-washing formations in
Swildon's Hole and Pridhamsleigh Cavern.
The Sidmouth Tunnel - An amusing tale of the history of the Sidmouth Tunnel and a visit to the site.
The Caves and Mine of Beer Head - Seafaring exploration by kayak of some of the small sea caves of Beer Head and the Hooken Adit stone mine.
Bob Fish: An Appreciation of “A Lovely Man” - A tribute to the life of Bob Fish, a long-standing CSS member who sadly passed away in December.
Our Good Friend Bob - Reminisces of Bob Fish told by Gill and other friends that knew him well.
Joe’s Corner - Another collection of caving based snippets and insights from Joe Duxbury.
Article Review - Review of an article about cave exploration in Sistema Cheve, Mexico, featured in “The New Yorker” magazine.
Nos. 4-6, April-June 2021
A Day Caving in the Clydach Gorge - A jolly day of caving in some of the short but interesting
caves of the Clydach Gorge, including Shakespeare's Cave, Ogof Clogwyn and Ogof Nant Rhin.
PYC Adventures - Gary Jones’s adventures of diving into Daren Cilau from Pwll y Cwm during the
last year.
Caption Competition Results - The dubious results from the Caption Competition set by Joe in
the last issue.
Son Doong - The Largest Cave in the World - A caving and photographic tour of Hang Son
Doong in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam.
SUPer Day Out - Seeing the Llangattock escarpment from a totally different perspective travelling
by SUP along the Brecon and Monmouthshire canal.
Have You Seen This Alien? - There’s an alien lurking somewhere in Agen Allwedd, but where is
it?
Purgatory in Sidcot Swallet - A foray into a rather niche and unpopular part of Sidcot Swallet,
Mendip.
Goodbye Asham Wood - we had some fun anyway! - Andy shares his memories of digging at
Asham Wood Quarry, Mendip, and the caves likely to be lost by proposed expansion of the site.
Hovvy’s Rift Cave - Description and history of this cave likely to be lost in Asham Wood Quarry.
Yogi Pot - Description and digging exploits of Yogi Pot, another cave likely to be lost in Asham
Wood Quarry.
A Short Appreciation of Geo Fletcher - A tribute to Geo Fletcher, one of the CSS ‘Golden Oldies’
who sadly died earlier this year.
Mid-Wales Mines Spectacular - Part 2 - More visits to the interesting mines of Mid-Wales. Part 2
includes descriptions and rigging info for Bwlch Glas, Wemyss, Nantymyyn Level Cadno, Frongoch and Temple Mines.
Upper Southern Stream, Digging Update - An update on the progress at the BNS 62 dig in Upper Southern Stream, Agen Allwedd.
Any Hole’s a Goal - Tales of caving withdrawal during lockdown.
Nos. 7-9, July-September 2021
Yorkshire Weekend - A hardy trio from CSS head to Yorkshire for 3 days of caving and camping,
with trips to Lost John’s, County Pot - Lancaster Hole, and Aquamole Pot.
An Evening Trip to W/L Cave - A trip to W/L Cave in Fairy Cave Quarry to look at potential dig
sites and lovely formations.
Eglwys Faen: My attempts to go beyond - A chronicle of Paul Hartwrights’ digging endeavours
in Eglwys Faen, starting from the Hereford Dig in the 70s to his current project in Capel Faen.
Includes a full colour survey of the cave.
Dorset Weekend - Trip report from the CSS Dorset Weekend in September 2021, with an Ariel-
Sandy Hole through-trip and kayak and SUP fun.
Little Neath River Cave - A summary of the CSS trip to Little Neath River Cave on the August
Bank Holiday Weekend.
Colin the Cockerel Released from Captivity - The heart-warming tale of a notable foul rescued
from the depths of Daren Cilau.
Supping from the Devil’s Cauldron - An exploration of the sea caves of the Devil’s Cauldron on
Castlemartin Range East, Pembrokeshire, in search of a fresh water spring.
Camera Clicking Capers in Charterhouse Cave - Report from a photographic foray into
Charterhouse Cave, Mendip.
Smoking Bat - The scandalous discovery of Bertie’s bad habits.
A Trip to Ogof Ffynnon Ddu II - An SRT pull-through trip in OFD undertaken on the CSS Summer
BBQ Weekend.
A Trip to a Treacle Mine - A technical and fact-filled insight into the world of Treacle Mining, with
history, geology and chemical analysis.
New Cave in Pembrokeshire - The discovery of a new cave inhabited by tasty spider crabs.
A-Z of Caves - Part 1 of Andy Watson’s A-Z of Caves, this instalment takes us from Afton Red Rift to Lancaster Hole (A-L).
Nos. 10-12, October-December 2021
Caver Art - A look at the caving themed artwork of Taraneh Khaleghi.
Pots and Pans - The discovery of Prestige Pot (Pwll Bri), in Mynydd Llangynidr and the digging
activities that followed in this interesting site.
Agen Allwedd - 5th Choke - Results of hydrology tests conducted in the vicinity of 5th Choke in
Aggy Main Streamway, and the possible prospects of digging in this area. Plus a hydrological
survey of Llangattock caves.
Maze Cave Adventures - Trip reports from Devis Hole Mine Cave and Knock Fell Caverns, two
very different maze caves in North Yorkshire and Cumbria.
Persil Rift - The connection of Persil Rift to Ariel Cave, creating a new sporting through trip in
Portland, Dorset. Contains grade 4 survey of Persil Rift.
Ogof Capel Faen - Dig Update - Update on the progress achieved at Ogof Capel Faen and the
termination of digging efforts here.
Ogof Pont Gam to Ogof Nant Rhin - Write up of a recent CSS SRT through-trip from Ogof Pont
Gam to Ogof Nant Rhin in the Clydach Gorge.
Xmas Food - An observational snippet involving bat sausages.
Aggy Memories - Mac Ayton recounts a memorable trip he experienced in Agen Allwedd back in
1958 when the leader of his trip suffered a strange medical mishap.
Au Pays Du Grand Silence Noir - Evocative and meaningful quotes taken from this classic book
written by Andre Glory (available from the CSS library).
Carrion Slocker - Update on Andy’s progress at Carrion Slocker in Mendip. Second place winner
of the J’Rat digging awards 2021.
Trident Passage, Aggy - Logbook entry from a trip to the notorious Trident Passage in Agen Allwedd.
Daren Cilau Clean-Up News - An update on the progress made on the mission to clean up the Hard Rock and Western Flyover camps.
A-Z of Caves Part 2 - Part 2 of Andy Watson's A-Z of Caves, this instalment takes us from Milliar's Quarry Cave to Rana Hole (M-R).
Index to Volume 63 - Subject index for the four issues comprising Vol. 63 of the CSS Newsletter.