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Caving Phil Hendy
Schoolboy cavers’ discoveries –and songs
MANY of today’s cavers were introduced to the sport as a youth activity, either with an organisation such as the Scouts, or through a school “enrichment” scheme. Often, they were led and guided by an instructor from an outdoor pursuits company. Not everyone, of course, will be enthused and most probably regard it as a one-off experience, not to be repeated. Others will be bitten by the bug, and seek to explore other caves. They usually gravitate towards one of the clubs, where help and advice and caving companions will be found.
Concerns about child protection nowadays mean that a minor wishing to join a caving club has to be joined by a parent or guardian, who may be reluctant to take up caving themselves. It was not always so; many cavers had children of their own, so any youngster wishing to go caving would be welcomed and taken under the wing of an experienced caver.
Several of today’s now-aging cavers started in this way and no concerns were ever raised about child protection. The late Fred Davies, who had a large family of his own, was Training Officer for the Council of Southern Caving Clubs in the 70s and 80s.
His training technique was to take a small group to a suitable cave and tell them to explore for a certain time, then return, while Fred sat on the surface. This encouraged responsibility and without a guide the youths had to make their own decisions regarding route-finding and avoiding hazards. You see and appreciate much more if you find it for yourself, rather than have it shown to you by a leader.
As far back as the turn of the 20th century, schoolboys formed their own clubs and went caving without being accompanied by a teacher or other adult. In 1908 Reginald Essery, Lionel Palmer, Albert Perdue and Reginald Read explored lead mines at Dundry, later going up to Bristol University and to continue their interest, formed the Bristol Spelaeological Research Society (later the University of Bristol Speleological Society).
Palmer later became interested in georesistivity and tested this at Lamb Leer, claiming to have located a large chamber near Main Chamber, which became known as Palmer’s Chamber. Read gave his name to Read’s Cavern at Burrington, which UBSS found in 1919, and Read’s Grotto at Charterhouse, found in 1923. This was later extended by WCC to enter the large, decorated Charterhouse Cave.
An early schoolboy club was Sidcot School Speleological Society, amongst whose members were the Stride brothers, Ralph and Arthur. They caved at Burrington, then shifted their attention in 1944 to Longwood Swallet, where members of the University of Bristol Speleological Society had dug fruitlessly some yards below the stream sink. The Strides dug at the sink itself and were rewarded by entering a complex cave system. They realised they
were not experienced enough to fully explore the cave, but the UBSS, rather peeved that these upstart kids had stolen their thunder, took over the exploration. Later, the Strides went to Bristol University, joined the UBSS, and were instrumental in discovering August Hole, a long passage at the lower end of Longwood Swallet. With PHILIP HENDY Perhaps the most well-known of the SSSS cavers was Willie Stanton, who trained as a geologist with an interest in hydrology. In the early days he was mentored by Herbert Balch and went on to survey all of Mendip’s shakeholes and depressions, as well as digging and discovering caves and archaeological material. He dug in Gough’s Cave and Brimble Pit Swallet, but his main achievement was the discovery of Reservoir Hole, which ultimately led to the discovery of The Frozen Deep, Britain’s largest cave chamber. Willie was also a meticulous surveyor; his surveys of the caves of Cheddar Gorge still stand, although naturally, Gough’s Cave and Reservoir Hole have been resurveyed in light of subsequent discoveries. Wells Cathedral School also had its cavers, most notably Richard and Howard Kenney. They naturally fell under the influence of Balch and dug with him at Badger Hole above the Wookey Hole ravine. They also dug a connecting passage in the Upper Series of Swildon’s Hole. When pupils at the City of Bath Boy’s School formed their own caving club, the headmaster would not permit them to use the school’s name, so they called themselves the Beechen Cliff Speleological Society, after the school’s location. Between 1954 and 1955 they found the Beechen Series and Mud Escalator in Eastwater Cavern. They affiliated with the Wessex Cave Club and supplied that organisation with prolific cavers and explorers including Graham (Joe) Candy, Roger Rebbeck, Brian Prewer, Professor Derek Ford and Ian Jepson. Some of these schoolboys attended cathedral schools and so were trained singers. When they went on to join mainstream caving clubs, notably the Bristol Exploration Club, they took their voices with them to the Hunters’ Lodge Inn, where evenings would often end with a sing-song. It was not long before new songs were being written and performed, about caving, cavers and various clubs. Some were quite derogatory, though in a humorous way. Accompaniment was provided by Roger Biddle on piano, Alfie Collins on banjo, and Oliver Lloyd on guitar. As this generation moved on, the singing gradually became more desultory and it faded out by the late 1970s. Although most of the songs had been written down, Roger Biddle thought that a record should be made of the actual singing and so a group of around 30 of us convened at Priddy Village Hall in early August and most of the old favourites were recorded for posterity. Roger accompanied us on electric piano and organised a collection in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
