APPENDIX II

NOTES ON THE SURVEY

The survey of the Near Series (hitherto known as Oxford Pot), which, prior to the winter of 1950/51, comprised the whole of the known system accessible from Ease Gill itself, was carried out during the summer of 1947. A line and compass were used without any form of levelling instrument. Though carried out in some haste, details of passage widths, heights and other features were taken. Much of this detailed information has, of necessity, been omitted from the plan accompanying these notes.

The survey of Promised Land commenced immediately after the discovery of the connecting link from Spout Passage to Pierce's Passage in October 1950. Work has continued since, as and when circumstances permitted, up to the time of writing.

For various reasons it was decided at the very beginning to concentrate solely on the essentials required for the building up of a skeleton plan which could be used later, if so desired, as a basis for more detailed work. Consequently, particulars of widths, heights. etc., were noted briefly and approximately or in some parts not at all. This decision has not been regretted, for circumstances were anything but favourable towards serious and protracted survey work. There were the obvious difficulties arising from the remoteness of the area, the somewhat restricted entrance passage, the long distances to be traversed underground, and so on. But there were other sides to the picture. Surveying is hardly a popular pastime when there are new passages to be explored. Nor should it be forgotten that the work in Ease Gill has, from the date of the original discovery, been bedevilled by cave politics. It came as no surprise when Oxford Pot was found blocked, fortunately not before our work had progressed far enough to give us the key to the second (and easier and safer) entrance.

During the course of the work, a number of checks were obtained by the completion of circuits or by the resurvey of parts of the system. The closing errors, details of which are given below, are mostly of the order to be expected on a theoretical basis and in the light of the writer's experience (C.R.G. Newsletter No. 16, July 1948).

CLOSING ERRORS

1
Circuit of Spout, Razor, Mushroom, and Showerbath Passages.
Closing error, 24ft.
2
Circuit of Poetic Justice, Pierce's Passage (upper end) and tortuous alternative route between Spout and Pierce's Passages, completing circuit in Spout Passage.
Closing error, 25ft.
3
Circuit of Oxford Pot, Showerbath Passage, Broadway, Rosy Sink, Easegill stream bed (including resurvey of main section of Broadway).
Closing error, 11ft.
4
Resurvey of Main Drain from Eureka Junction to Stop Pot.
Difference 10ft.
5
Resurvey of Master Cave from Stop Pot to Holbeck Junction. Difference 135ft. This was not unexpected, since the original survey was done very roughly.

SURVEY GRADING

The surface survey was carried out carefully using a metallic line, prismatic compass and Abney level. Distances were reduced to the horizontal and levels calculated. The standard of accuracy is C.R.G. grade 5.

The survey of the Gypsum Cavern section beyond Holbeck Junction is of doubtful accuracy and must be classified as C.R.G. grade 3.

The rest of the main underground survey, in view of the checks described above, justifies a classification of grade 4.

The survey is far from complete; a number of passages, generally of secondary importance, have not been surveyed and there is little doubt that more will yet be discovered. The following figures may be of interest :-

Total length surveyed :- 12,950 ft. ( about 2½ miles ) Estimated length explored but not surveyed :- 5000 ft.

The above figures refer to the Upper Series only and are exclusive of Boundary Pot and the other separate caves in Ease Gill.

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