Mainline Terminus to County Pot via Manchester Bypass

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.