County Pot, Pierce's Passage inwards, Manchester Bypass outwards

County Pot Entrance Series

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

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

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.

• [The first passage soon closes down.]
• The second passage leads to Battle Of Britain Chamber, leading to Manchester Bypass and Trident Series.

Ahead leads towards Poetic Justice.

Battle of Britain Junction to Poetic Justice

The stream passage soon reaches The Spout, a short waterfall into Spout Hall; the waterfall can be passed by climbing down on the left onto a ledge. Spout Hall is about 10m by 8m, and slopes down, ahead and to the right. [The bypass to The Spout enters on the left at the start of the chamber.] At the bottom of the chamber is the choice of two routes. The normal route is a short crawl following the water. [Alternatively, a longer, dry, well-decorated route is to the left.]

The two routes join. Immediately, at the first point where it is possible to stand up, is a narrow, 3m-high calcited chimney tucked under the right-hand wall, by a stal boss. This is Poetic Justice, leading to Eureka Junction. The streamway ahead leads to Platypus Junction, passing Ignorance is Bliss.

Poetic Justice to Pierce's Passage

The climb up Poetic Justice is awkward, the site of many a struggle. It can be climbed by jamming a foot into the left-hand crack, and pushing up from the obvious nobble. A sling or handline rigged from the top can help.

At the top is a bedding plane with stal bosses. Crawling forward leads to a short drop into a stream rift passage. [Upstream is a route to Battle of Britain Chamber.] Downstream leads immediately to a 6m pitch.

• 15m rope; backup to drilled thread; Y-hang off two P-bolts.

The pitch drops into Pierce's Passage. Two minutes of easy walking leads to the junction with Trident Passage, where a sizeable streamway enters.

• Following the water downstream leads towards Eureka Junction.

• Following the water upstream leads into Trident Series.

Pierce's Passage, from Trident Junction to Eureka Junction

The route descends through boulders, and follows the stream along a tall sculpted passage. Soon, just after a left-then-right meander, two prominent calcite bands mark the climb up to Ignorance is Bliss. Continuing downstream, after a few minutes, the water disappears; a step up enters a roof oxbow. Very soon, the Wretched Rabbit passage is passed on the right. Ahead, the passage soon meets the main streamway at Eureka Junction.

Eureka Junction

Eureka Junction is in the Easegill streamway, where the route from County Pot and the Wretched Rabbit traditional route hit the streamway. Note: this area floods to the roof in wet weather.

• Downstream, a stooping passage leads after a couple of minutes to a choke.

• Upstream leads to Stop Pot.

• To the left of the streamway is an obvious muddy passage. Very soon, this reaches a junction: to the left is Wretched Rabbit; to the right leads to Poetic Justice in County Pot.

Eureka Junction to Stop Pot

From Eureka Junction, two minutes of easy walking upstream in a large stream passage leads to the Stop Pot Boulder Choke.

In reasonably dry conditions, the easiest route through the choke is to follow the streamway, near the left-hand wall. The route is in the stream for most of the way through the choke, climbing up to a traverse just above the stream part way through. After a couple of minutes, the route emerges at Stop Pot.

[Alternatively, ascending the slope-come-side-passage to the right for about 6m leads to a dry route into the choke, by a small knobbly stal boss. The crawl starts low, with an orange floor in places. After a couple of minutes, the route opens out in a more bouldery area. Shortly ahead, the route rejoins the wet route.]

Stop Pot

Stop Pot is a major junction in the Easegill streamway. It is in a very bouldery area, with a boulder choke downstream.

Several routes lead from Stop Pot. The following are described from a position in the streamway, surrounded by boulders, at the base of the boulder slope leading up to the fixed ladder, where the streamway splits. In a clockwise direction:

• Upstream, following the left-hand wall, leads to Holbeck Junction.

• A few metres upstream, on the right-hand wall, a climb onto a ledge leads to Depot Passages.

• Following the stream downstream to the left, and clambering ahead over boulders leads to a dry route through the choke, towards Eureka Junction.

• Between the two branches of the stream is a large ascending boulder slope; part way up the boulder slope, on the left, is the route to Four Ways, a flood-escape route into Wretched Rabbit.

• At the top of the boulder slope is the Stop Pot ladder, up to Mainline Terminus at the start of the high-level route leading towards Lancaster Hole and Cow Pot, with a connection to Link Pot, Pippikin Pot, Bye George, Peterson Pot, and Mistral.

• Following the stream downstream to the right leads to the wet route through the choke, towards Eureka Junction.

Stop Pot to Mainline Terminus

From the streamway at Stop Pot, the boulder slope can be ascended for 40m (with 20m of ascent). At the top is a fixed 6m iron ladder, leading up into the high-level series.

At the top of the ladder, a passage leads through a chamber to a junction; [to the left soon closes down]. Two minutes of walking passage, 1-2m wide with boulder obstacles, leads to a climb up between boulders. This enters a chamber with straws on the roof and stal to the right. The best route is to follow the left-hand wall, a slightly precarious route over large boulders. Ahead, stooping passage passes a passage to the right [which leads to a long dig]. The passage opens out at Mainline Terminus.

Main Line Terminus

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.

Main Line Terminus

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.

Manchester Bypass, from Mainline Terminus to Showerbath Passage

From Mainline Terminus, the passage to the east leads, after 20m, to a junction. [To the left, a very low crawl leads to Carrot Chamber.] To the right, over a mud bank, is another junction; [to the right is Main Line Passage.] Ahead, three minutes of walking passage, with occasional boulder obstacles, and straws and stal bosses, reaches a crawl, where the floor rises. The crawl soon reaches a junction. [Ahead leads to Carrot Chamber.] Up to the right leads up into Old English Chamber.

Old English Chamber slopes up steeply. The way on is a hole by the left wall, leading downwards into Spangle Passage. The start is best tackled feet-first. Ahead is a mix of walking and crawling. Part way along, the rift can be passed at either roof or floor level. After five minutes, the rift narrows and leads down to the top of a 3m climb, which drops into Brown and Smelly Chamber; a knotted handline is in-situ (February 2016).

Brown and Smelly Passage is 5m diameter, and contains stal bosses. A hole to the left drops into a rift leading to the right. An ascent over boulders leads to the top of a 4m fixed iron ladder. [The ladder can be bypassed by a tight crawl, Coño Crawl, starting from the top.]

The ladder drops into a 10m by 2m chamber. At the far end, an ascent leads to a crawl, from where a 3m climb drops into a rift. A crawl under a perched boulder leads to a junction. To the right, a crawl leads down into Battle of Britain Chamber.

From Battle of Britain Chamber, the way to County Pot is slightly to the right. A 0.5m ascent [with another crawl below] leads into a crawl. This soon raises to walking passage, leading to Showerbath Passage in County Pot.

• To the left (upstream) leads to Broadway;
• To the right (downstream) leads to Poetic Justice.

Battle of Britain Junction to The Broadway

From Battle of Britain Junction, the streamway soon splits at Confusion Corner. [To the left is The Snake.] [The Spout bypass enters on a ledge on the right.] After a few minutes, the Showerbath is reached. Round the corner to the right leads to a slope down into The Broadway.

The Broadway

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

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.