Brasgyll Caves

Location
SJ 006 713

Directions
From the bridge at lower Cefn (Bont Newydd), head away from Cefn and towards Henllan. Immediately after crossing the bridge at Bont Newydd, take the first right and follow the road for around 1-2 miles. Go over a stream (on a sharp bend) and follow the field boundary around until you pass a track on the left and the a sharp left turn with a house sat down on the right. There is a double parking space on the left just here.

Park here and you can walk towards the house and climb down into the stream (gorge way) and walk up stream here (the caves are listed in order from that direction).

Alternatively, walk further up the road from the parking space and you will see a public footpath on the right – take this and follow the stream down for a very short way and you will see Jocks Pot on your right and Cathedral Cave on your left (across the stream). The others are as per the order below.

Access
All ungated, permission is required form Cefn Estates (Sir Watkin Williams-Wyn)

Suggested Equipment
2 electrons for Cathedral cave, other equipment required for Jocks Pot (potentially a rope to assist entry and electron or SRT for an exploratory investigation deep within the pot.)

Length
Probably substantial but unknown

Flood risk
None known but water is running in Jock’s Pot

Cave Attributes
Phreatic in nature. Squeezy in the main. Few features or decorations.

Description
All caves are described as if walking upstream

Cave #1
Located about 10 feet up the right hand bank, this cave has two entrances (one large and one small) and becomes a large chamber that quickly becomes blocked.

Cave #2
Located around 100 metres up stream, through a “gorge” and also on the right, this cave is more like a tube which is a flat out crawl and goes around a bend to re-emerge back in the streamway (about 6 feet from the stream floor)

Cave #3
A more substantial cave entrance on the left around 15 feet away from the stream. This cave is noted as having been host to some ancient and significant bone finds.

The entrance is large (walk in) but is becomes less roomy and a “hands & kneels” crawl is required to get into a chamber at the back. Once there, there is a tight squeeze leading to the back and right and downwards which is just a fraction too squeezy for a normal sized adult (and is unexplored). To the left there is an obvious continuation that is clearly silted/blocked and would benefit from a good dig.

Cave #4
On the opposite side to cave #3 and a little further up stream and hidden from immediate view if stood in the streamway.

This cave has a big entrance with a small cavern (grotto) to the left and a rift style passage to the right leading in for not more than 25 feet.

Cave #5 “Jock’s Pot”
Three entrances run alongside the rock face on the left. The easiest entrance is the first one which is a belly crawl in at just above stream level which takes you in for about 6 feet and then drops into a small hole, onto a shelf and then down into a passage way (this is where a rope to assist in exiting is helpful). The second entrance is a hole just inside the rock face a little further on and this takes you into a tall but tight passage which flicks round a corner and then meets the passage from the 1st entrance.

The 3rd entrance is also a flat out crawl near the stream edge (a little further up) but drops into a large boulder chamber with running water. Here there is a passage running upwards into the water which chokes but also a tight belly crawl (I mean tight) at head height across the chamber which meets up with the rest of Jock’s Pot.

Once inside Jocks pot, there is a series of passages which are all generally squeezy.

Water is running in some parts and at one point there is a stupidly squeezy “S” bend that neither I nor my companion could negotiate but which boasts a fixed hanger (see photo) where someone has obviously not only managed to get but also managed to drill. This clearly leads on (and it is here the “other equipment” is needed). I have no idea what lies beyond this.

Additionally, there is a tight passage with a hole in it that quickly drops away – this also remains unexplored.

Cave #6
On the opposite side to Jock’s Pot there is an obvious entrance which is quickly blocked by a fall or similar of “dirt”. A very obvious candidate for a dig.

Cave #7 “Cathedral Cave”
A very obvious cave entrance on the opposite side to Jock’s Pot and facing the 3rd entrance to Jock’s Pot.

This cave extends inwards and to the right for around 30-40 feet. However, just inside is a bolted hole which is just too deep for a single electron (about 10 feet short).

At the bottom of this pot is a small trickle of water running from left to right but both passages here are too tight to enter.

As you descend the electron (or SRT if you prefer) there are two tall calcite curtains to the side which don’t meet but which are too tight to get through. You can see another passageway running off here and to get to this passage you must go to the bottom of the pot, pull the electron through the curtain and then climb up again. The passage is a crawl (hands & knees) and remains unexplored.

Cave #8
Further upstream, on the same side as Cathedral Cave but away from the water and past where the public footpath crosses and at ground level is a cave/rift. This can be entered but is tight and the nettles here are utterly brutal. The extent of this is unknown but it doesn’t look great.

Cave #9
Around 100/200 yards further upstream again and this time very high above the stream (perhaps 100 feet up) is a cave within the rockface. It is difficult to get to because of the fauna etc.

Once there, an obvious “hands & knees” passage runs in but is stinks really badly of some kind of animal s.h.i.t. and no attempt was made to enter it.

Unexplored Passages
Many passages are unexplored (see above)

Digs
There are a good number of potential digs but there is no evidence of any on-going work.

Links
http://ukcaving.com/wiki/index.php/Brasgyll_Caves

http://ukcaving.com/wiki/index.php/North_East_Wales

http://www.cpat.org.uk/projects/longer/histland/elwy/elwy.htm

These pictures have been taken from an historical reference and re-produced with the permission of the copyright owner



Looking up the hole in Cathedral cave




This is the passageway behind the calcite curtains (the camera has been pushed through). Despite the apparent small size, the hole is easily passable.




Looking down Cathedral Pot




Inside Jock's Pot (not far from the S bend with the hanger)

Inside Jock's Pot near the S bend




The "S" bend and the hanger is visible




Inside the "S" bend (note the iron bar which is marked on the map above)




Another part of Jock's Pot




Another part of Jock's Pot