County Pot, Manchester Bypass, Mancunian Way, Molluscan Hall

From Ease Gill

County Pot Entrance Series[edit | edit source]

An easy 4m climb down leads into a pleasant winding passage. [An inlet on the left leads to a pitch down.] Five minutes pleasant caving in a well-sculpted passage with short climbs leads to the first pitch.

  • Ladder descent: 8m ladder rigged to two P-bolts; 20m lifeline.
  • SRT descent: 12m rope; back-up to P-bolt; Y-hang off two P-bolts.

There are two ways on from the bottom of the pitch.

  • The normal route is a 3m climb down, just round the corner from the pitch. This lands in The Broadway.
  • Ascending a boulder slope to the right reaches a crawl to The Snake.

The Broadway[edit | edit source]

The Broadway is a large passage in the County Pot entrance series. There are four routes from the Broadway.

  • Upstream, the stream can be followed for a few minutes until the roof lowers; eventually an aven is reached.
  • Downstream to the left, following the stream, is Razor Passage, leading to Molluscan Hall.
  • Downstream to the right, over a rock slope, is Showerbath Passage, leading to Trident Series, the Manchester Bypass, and Eureka Junction.
  • Part way along the largest part, on the left (looking upstream), is a 3m climb up into the County Pot Exit Series.

Showerbath Passage, from Broadway to Battle of Britain Junction[edit | edit source]

Showerbath Passage is easy walking passage. The Showerbath itself is on the first bend, bringing in a sizeable streamway.

Downstream, an inlet on the right leads to a climb, [and then becomes small.] After a few minutes, Confusion Corner is reached. [To the right is The Snake, the original route from Oxford Pot]. [On a ledge on the left is the start of a crawl, which rejoins the main route in Spout Hall; this provides a useful bypass to The Spout in bad weather.]

Shortly after, are two side passages on a ledge on the right.

Ahead leads towards Poetic Justice.

Manchester Bypass, from County Pot to Main Line Terminus[edit | edit source]

The Manchester Bypass is usually reached from Showerbath Passage in County Pot, starting on a ledge on the right, 1m above the stream, a few metres upstream of The Spout. A walking-size passage leads, after about 10m, to a junction. To the left, a crawl leads into Battle Of Britain Chamber, a low flat-roofed chamber. A stream flows through the chamber in very wet weather.

The way into Manchester Bypass is slightly to the right, a crawl up over boulders. About 5m from the centre of Battle of Britain Chamber, where the passage becomes taller, is a crawl off to the left. This leads over boulders and below perched boulders, into a taller passage. A few steps ahead, a 3m climb up the rift leads to a crawl, which opens up at the top of a descent into a 10m by 2m chamber. At the far end of the chamber is a 4m fixed iron ladder.

At the top of the ladder, a rift leads off to the left. [The ladder can by bypassed by a tight crawl, Coño Crawl, entering on the right at the top of the ladder.] The passage soon closes down. The way on is through a window to the left at head height, which enters Brown and Smelly Chamber, a 5m diameter chamber with stal bosses.

To the right in Brown and Smelly Chamber is a 3m climb up, with an in-situ knotted handline (February 2016). This enters Spangle Passage, which starts as a narrow ascending rift, but soon widens. A mix of walking and crawling leads after five minutes to Old English Chamber, sloping up to the left.

The way on is a hole down on the right at the bottom of the chamber, which soon reaches a junction of crawls. [To the right, a very low crawl leads to Carrot Chamber.] To the left, the floor soon lowers to reach comfortable walking passage with straws and stal bosses. Ahead, three minutes of walking, with occasional boulder obstacles, reaches a junction. [To the left is Main Line Passage.] Ahead, a step up and over a mud bank reaches another junction. [To the right leads to Carrot Chamber.] 20m ahead is Main Line Terminus.

Main Line Terminus[edit | edit source]

Main Line Terminus is at the eastern end of the high-level series leading from Lancaster Hole to Easegill. Several routes lead from Main Line Terminus; in a clockwise direction:

  • To the west is the very large Monster Cavern, leading towards Lancaster Hole.
  • To the left (as seen from Monster Cavern) is an alcove, leading to a split of routes: [to the left leads to a long dug passage]; to the right leads towards Stop Pot.
  • Ahead, and slightly right (as seen from Monster Cavern), leads after 20m to a junction: to the left leads to Carrot Chamber; to the right over a mud bank is Manchester Bypass, an important flood escape route leading to County Pot.

Monster Cavern to Snail Cavern[edit | edit source]

From Main Line Terminus, Monster Cavern is the very large (10m wide), boulder-strewn passage, leading westwards. The passage gradually widens to 20m wide, and passes a blind alcove on the right.

After about four minutes, a junction is met with three passages on the left.

  • About 4m up the left-hand wall is a window, which is the end of Main Line Passage; reaching the passage requires pre-rigging: it is normally entered from the other end, near Main Line Terminus.
  • A few metres to the right of Main Line Passage, about 6m up, is another window, with a rope leading up to it (February 2016); this is Sideline Passage.
  • Below and to the right of Sideline Passage is a steep descent, which leads into Lower Snail Cavern.

Continuing up the boulder slope ahead leads into Snail Cavern.

Snail Cavern to Cornes' Cavern[edit | edit source]

Snail Cavern is another very large, boulder-strewn passage. After about two minutes, some taped-off formations on the right are reached. Ahead, the passage narrows to about 3m wide. It soon widens again into Cornes' Cavern. Hidden behind a very large boulder on the left at the start of Cornes' Cavern is the start of the Mancunian Way.

Mancunian Way, from Cornes' Cavern to Ease Gill Aven[edit | edit source]

The start of Mancunian Way is located in Cornes' Cavern, about 10m from the exit towards Main Line Terminus, behind a huge detached flake on the right hand wall (left, if coming from Main Line Terminus). The flake and the chamber wall form a narrow rift. This soon reaches a crawl down between boulders into a small chamber with stal bosses. A continuing crawl, with boulder obstacles, becomes easier. It passes a low section, and then rises to stooping passage.

Soon an area is reached where spoil is reached. [Straight ahead, the rift closes down. To the right is a dig.] The way on is down to the left, into a low crawl. The crawl emerges into a chamber. The way on is up a mud slope to the right, to reach a small choke. An obvious window at the top of the chamber leads between boulders. Staying high, a crawl over boulders leads to a route between boulders into continuing walking passage.

The passage soon reaches a hole in the floor. Traversing to the right leads to a window up into continuing passage. A clamber over boulders reaches a small chamber. [Straight ahead, a larger passage, past straws and stal bosses, leads to a choke.] The way on is over a rib of rock, to the right. A short low crawl leads to the top of Ease Gill Aven.

Ease Gill Aven to Molluscan Hall[edit | edit source]

Ease Gill Aven is a 10m pitch down a chimney. The Aven should not be descended if there is more than a trickle of water.

  • 10m rope or 20m rope for pull-through; P-bolt and thread Y-hang. (Rope in situ, December 2016.)

There are various routes through Molluscan Hall. This route is based on John Gardner's description at http://www.braemoor.co.uk/caving/route22.shtml.

At the foot of the Aven, the way on is an obvious outlet in clean rock. A step across a hole leads into continuing sandy/bouldery passage. Descending the next hole leads into a lower rift passage.

Ahead soon enters a chamber, running to left and right, 6m long and 2m wide, with large boulders in the floor. [The sound of the streamway comes from the left.] Turning right, and clambering over boulders leads to an ascent in a rift. [This meets a bedding plane, running back to the top of the previous chamber.]

Ahead, a route through a breakdown passage soon leads to a step down to a muddy ledge with stal bosses, and a further pit [with continuing passage ahead]. Descending the pit leads into a small chamber. At the lowest point of the chamber, a route between boulders reaches a small, low chamber. A crawl outlet immediately reaches a junction. Going left is a flat-out crawl, initially over bedrock and then over gravel. The crawl becomes wider and higher, and reaches the streamway.

Upstream soon reaches a choke. Ascending the obvious open route through the choke, then going left, soon regains the stream in Molluscan Hall. [Doubling back, and climbing up, leads to Dismal Bypass.] Ahead leads to Dismal Junction.

Molluscan Hall to Dismal Junction[edit | edit source]

Following the stream upstream soon hits a choke. The way on is an unlikely-looking hole at the base of the choke, marked by a green painted arrow. This leads into a low, wet canal crawl. A few minutes ahead reaches Dismal Junction.

Dismal Junction to Platypus Junction[edit | edit source]

From Dismal Junction, the way starts as a low cobbled crawl. Ahead, the roof soon rises, and the passage becomes more pleasant. A mix of crawling and stooping, mainly following the streamway but with some oxbows, leads after about 5 minutes to Platypus Junction.

Platypus Junction[edit | edit source]

Platypus Junction is the confluence of the Razor Passage and Showerbath Passage streamways in County Pot. It is marked by a rock that some believe looks like a platypus.

Three passages lead from the junction (described in clockwise order):

  • Downstream leads to Dismal Junction, with connections to Sylvester Pot, The Nice Way and Molluscan Hall;
  • Upstream to the left is Showerbath Passage, leading past Poetic Justice to The Broadway, with connections to Eureka Junction, Manchester Bypass, and Trident Series;
  • Upstream to the right is Razor Passage. After two minutes, a passage leads off from a shelf on the right, leading to Dismal Bypass with a connection to Sylvester Pot. Continuing up Razor Passage leads to The Broadway.

Razor Passage, from Platypus Junction to The Broadway[edit | edit source]

From Platypus Junction, Razor Passage is a sporting streamway with various obstacles. After two minutes, a passage leads off from a shelf on the right; [this leads to Dismal Bypass with a connection to Sylvester Pot.]

Upstream, the stream splits, and then soon reunites in a bouldery chamber; the way to the left is easier and drier. A climb up through boulders leads into another chamber, where the streamway is regained. A short crawl in the stream leads to a climb up between boulders to the left.

Ahead, the stream splits; ascending the rock slope between the two branches leads to a route between boulders into a larger chamber where the two branches reunite.

Ahead reaches Toadstool Junction; [a large inlet, Butterfield's Passage, enters on the right.] Walking stream passage with a few wet climbs continues. A small inlet on the right is Green Passage. After a few minutes, The Broadway is reached.

The Broadway[edit | edit source]

The Broadway is a large passage in the County Pot entrance series. There are four routes from the Broadway.

  • Upstream, the stream can be followed for a few minutes until the roof lowers; eventually an aven is reached.
  • Downstream to the left, following the stream, is Razor Passage, leading to Molluscan Hall.
  • Downstream to the right, over a rock slope, is Showerbath Passage, leading to Trident Series, the Manchester Bypass, and Eureka Junction.
  • Part way along the largest part, on the left (looking upstream), is a 3m climb up into the County Pot Exit Series.

Broadway to County Pot Exit[edit | edit source]

From the Broadway, the route towards County Pot entrance is a 3m climb on the left-hand side of the passage (when looking upstream), part way along the largest part of the passage. Some cavers find the climb difficult: there is a foothold for the left foot near the top which makes it easier.

At the top of the climb [to the left, a boulder slope ascends to The Snake.] Round the corner to the right, is the first pitch (which needs pre-rigging; see County Pot Entrance Series).

Above the pitch is a pleasant well-sculpted passage, with a few short narrow climbs. [An inlet on the right leads to a pitch down.] After about 10 minutes caving, the entrance is reached: a 4m climb, starting on a ledge on the left.