Brewery Shaft, Nenthead, 26/10/19

[Scaife]

Cavers/Mine visitors: Chris Scaife, Alex Ritchie, John Procto, Don Miller

It was extremely wet in Yorkshire today and we’ve more or less exhausted wet weather options over the last few years, so a trip to Rampgill at Nenthead seemed sensible.

We left the rope and SRT kits at the top of Brewery Shaft first of all, then walked along the very easy passage to Scaleburn Vein to see the horse gin. This short detour was definitely worthwhile.

I rigged Brewery Shaft from the rusty bolts back from the pitch head, with a deviation from a fence/barrier right by the edge and then a re-belay bolt just over the edge of the 78m pitch. It’s a picturesque pitch, with metal pipes and wires all around, as well as some surprisingly well-formed calcite. Xaaaaaaaandah and John soon followed me down, but Don chose instead to stay up top.

After popping into the Compressor Room we went to see the Water Wheel, which we hadn’t known about last time I was down there with Carol and Xaaaaaaaandah, but is actually probably less than 50m from the bottom of the pitch. We then turned around and followed the passage as far as we could, through some chest-deep water. An excellent trip, with the best pitch, best artefacts and most enjoyable passage I’ve ever encountered in a mine. A great choice for days when Yorkshire caves are just too darn wet.

[Xandar]

There was no beer or gin in sight, I was most disappointed. But thankfully there were plenty of pubs outside in Nenthead.

[Don]

It’s a shame there wasn’t any music playing while I was waiting for everyone. I would have really enjoyed listening to some John Coltrane. It would have made the time go by quicker.

[Xandar]

I would have really enjoyed listening to some John Coltrane. It would have made the time go by quicker.

I would have thought Lead-zeppelin would have been more appropriate.

[Scaife]

I’m sure there’s a hilarious play on words here, but I just can’t work out the link between Led Zeppelin and Brewery Shaft.

[Xandar]

Its a lead mine! I assume Coltrane was based on coal train, but its not a coal mine.

[Don]

You two are such losers! With a capital L.

Why did it take you two weeks to respond to my wittiness, Alex?

[Xandar]

Because I have a two week lead time.

[Don]

You need to be quicker and boulder with your responses. When you don’t respond, I sometimes wonder if you’re giving me the coal shoulder.

[Author]

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