Whopper Cave, Batts Combe Quarry, Somerset, 1980

 On 15 May 1980 we went to Batts Combe Quarry near Cheddar in Somerset to look at a large hole that had appeared after blasting and had swallowed up many tons of rock. We were quite staggered when we saw the size of it. The quarry itself was absolutely immense, built on 5 levels and we drove up there in a dust storm. The hole was on the top level and proved to be a really massive entrance with a vast chamber below it. However it was about 70' below the quarry top, and a fair way down on the other 3 sides, being funnel shaped.

We put 100' of ladders down but decided it wasn't at all safe -

We kicked some stones down on the shortest side and started up a landslide. So we had to wait until the surrounding rocks could be removed. The amount of stone already fallen down the hole was incredible and we still couldn't see the bottom. The quarrymen had not seen anything like it either.

On 21 May 1980 we returned and found it somewhat changed. The rubble on the 3 sides had all been removed down to the floor level, about 20' lower than before. One person tied onto a rope and kicked rubble down the hole to clear a way for the ladder. The ladder was belayed to a machine using a long belay and we put down 75', but only 50' was necessary.

We went down, it was only free hanging for about 7'. It was estimated that 2000-3000 tons of rock had fallen down the cave, landing as a cone  on the bottom, some 25' high at the highest point. The main chamber was incredible, really massive, about 100' long, 90' high and 25' wide. It obviously continued down the bottom, south end, but the way on was blocked with rubble. 

We looked at the other end and one person went down and noticed a way on at the north end, on the left, which led into a chamber, with another chamber off it. There was quite a bit of mud there. We cleared out a drop of about 6' down to a small section of old streamway. Unfortunately there was no way on. 

We managed to survey the cave. There was a climb up to an upper passage, with a passage going off that for about 40'. The cave was assumed to continue under the quarry itself. Photo 21 May -

We went back to the cave on 29 May and had a good look around , knowing it was going to be filled in.

Whopper Cave on the Mendip Cave Registry -

Triple Hole, Sandford Hill, Mendip

 Triple Hole Cave is in Sandford Wood at Sandford Hill on Mendip. I visited on 23 Feb 1985. This is the description from the Mendip Cave Registry :

My diary :

Andy looking down the entrances -

Andy at the bottom -

My turn -

Coarse geodes and calcite crystals 

The quarry

Aggtelek National Park 40th Anniversary, Hungary

 The Aggtelek National Park was established on January 1, 1985, as the fourth national park in Hungary and the first to be created specifically for the conservation of geological and karst natural values, surface formations, and underground caves.

The national park celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and will have special events. Read more on Hungary Today, 20 Jan 2025.

I went to Aggletek in 1983 for the cave rescue conference. I wrote a blog in 2015 as part of my travels through Hungary, but am reposting photos here. Unfortunately I only took a couple of photos inside the cave, at the Baradla end.

Aggletek mountain lake

Hotel Cseppko

Baradla Cave

These photos show a cave rescue demonstation outside Baradla -