County Pot to Lancaster Hole, via Eureka Junction and the Main Streamway

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.

Monster Cavern to Snail Cavern

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

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.

Cornes' Cavern to the Minarets

Cornes' Cavern is an extremely large chamber. A gulley can be followed through the middle of the passage.

At the end of the cavern, slightly to the right, clambering over boulders leads to a crawl to the right, which steps down into the Minarets, a series of parallel minaret-shaped passages. The first passage leads for 10m to a low crawl to the left. A stooping passage leads for 10m to another low crawl to the left. This leads into another minaret-shaped passage which runs back to the right for 30m. The passage leads up a slope to the right, and then steps up into Oakes Cavern.

The Minarets to Oxbow Corner

Oakes Cavern is another very large passage. The route through the cavern passes a pile of large boulders chocked against the roof, with stal bosses. At the end of the cavern, by some formations taped-off to the right, the way narrows.

Ahead, the route soon widens again. The way on is a climb down to the left, by a stal boss on a rock. [Ahead leads to a steep descent.] A crawl leads round a couple of corners. The roof briefly rises in a chamber, but then lowers again to continuing crawl, which emerges on a ledge overlooking Oxbow Corner.

At the end of the crawl, the passage slopes down to the right to Oxbow Corner. [Descending the slope reaches the streamway; downstream, the stream can be followed through a choke towards Stake Pot.] Ahead, the right-hand wall becomes undercut. At the point where the undercut stops, and where the left-hand wall is streaked with calcite, is an easily missed junction.

• 3m to the right of the trodden path is a 50cm by 70cm hole down between boulders. One metre into the hole is the start of a thin rope that acts as a guideline. Following the guideline soon leads to an awkward 3m handline climb down. A further 5m clamber down reaches the streamway. Downstream leads towards Stake Pot. [Upstream leads through a choke to Oxbow Corner.]

• Continuing ahead is the high-level route to Stake Pot.

Main Streamway from Oxbow Corner to Stake Pot

Note: the streamway becomes impassible in very wet conditions.

Downstream from Oxbow Corner, the fine streamway has good formations. It is mostly knee-deep, but with some deeper sections.

After about 10 minutes, the route ascends boulders below Stake Pot.

• The route to Stake Pot ascends the boulder slope, over and between boulders, following the right-hand wall. This leads to a 2m hand-line climb using staples in the wall. Above, a short mud slope leads to Stake Pot.

• The streamway route to Fall Pot is to descend through the boulders, staying close to the stream.

Main Streamway from Stake Pot to Fall Pot

From Stake Pot, the route to Fall Pot descends through boulders, and continues through the boulder choke. It is necessary to descend quite frequently, staying near the streamway, which cuts down through the choke.

After a couple of minutes, the end of the choke is reached. Downstream, three deep pools are passed. Ahead, is a fine streamway, with occasional water chutes and boulder obstacles.

After about five minutes, the boulders at Fall Pot are reached.

• Climbing up through the boulders leads to Fall Pot.

• Continuing downstream soon leads to the downstream sump.

From the Main Streamway to Fall Pot

Ascending boulders, under the drippy inlet, reaches a platform, looking down on the streamway 4m below. Above are two very large boulders, 2-3m high, one on top of the other. An easy climb on the right reaches the top of the higher boulder. To the right, an easy route up through boulders leads to a climb up into a larger space, at the bottom of the Fall Pot chamber.

Fall Pot

Fall Pot is a major junction in Lancaster Hole.

In extremely wet weather, the streamway backs up from the sump, and floods the whole of this area.

The following are described from near a memorial plaque on the wall, in a clockwise direction.

• Up-slope and to the right, just to the left of the plaque, is the start of the route towards Bill Taylor's Passage, leading to Lancaster Hole exit.

• Down-slope, just to the right of the plaque, a route below huge jammed boulders joins the previous route.

• Down-slope, at the bottom of the chamber, is a route down to the Main Streamway.

• Up-slope and to the left, opposite the plaque, is a climb into Montagu Passage East.

Fall Pot to Bill Taylor's Passage

From Fall Pot, ascending to the top right of the chamber, to the left of the memorial plaque, leads to a route through into a smaller chamber. [The same chamber can be reached by a route below huge jammed boulders to the right of the plaque.]

At the top of this chamber is a large stal boss with a stal flow above it. By these is a step up into a rift between a very large boulder and the left-hand wall. This soon opens out into another small chamber, at the base of an 8m hand-line climb.

Ascending the climb leads to a balcony overlooking Fall Pot. To the left, it is possible to skirt a hole in the floor to the left; care: the hole drops into the streamway.

Beyond, a mud slope leads up to the left, from where a slot to the right leads to a mud slope down to the end of Bill Taylor's Passage, leading towards Bridge Hall and the Lancaster Hole exit. [Alternatively, continuing ahead leads to a careful step across a hole. Ascending the mud slope ahead leads to Montagu West, while turning left also leads to the end of Bill Taylor's Passage].

Bill Taylor's Passage to Bridge Hall

A awkward climb through a V-shaped slot between a large boulder and the left-hand wall, or a stoop underneath to the left, leads into Bill Taylor's Passage. Following the main passage passes a chamber with an inlet entering from the roof. Ahead, the passage lowers to stooping/crawling passage. Eventually it leads to a crawl up through boulders, Kath's Way, which pops out in Bridge Hall.

• The route to Lancaster Hole Exit ascends the boulder slope to the left.

• To the right leads towards the Colonnades and The Graveyard Series.

Bridge Hall to Lancaster Hole Exit

From Bridge Hall, a long boulder slope leads up to a ridge. From here, a short section of rift leads to a climb down into a 5m diameter chamber, at the base of the Lancaster Hole entrance pitch (P30), which needs pre-rigging.