Resurgences

Swine Hole

This is located to the left of the entrance when facing. The river Styx flows out of this resurgence, in normal conditions, its the resurgence for the water that drains from Peak Cavern. During the time of floods, the water from Speedwell often overflows into Peak Cavern thus joining this route. It is possible to dive through from this resurgence through to the Swine Hole.

Description

Resurgence Pool at head of gorge. Two lines lead off into a underwater pleasant, the left line leads to the school room after 12m, a circular airbell with a 20 m high aven, choked at the top. The line to the right descends in a wide bedding, after 80 m; the passage ascends over silt covered boulders, passing an inlet on left from Halfway House Sump, too small to enter. This brings the main flow into the sump. Continuing along, after 20 m, the swine hole sump pool is reached.

Access

Access for divers is controlled by the peak cavern keyholders through the usual access guidelines. Diving access to the system is negotiated through the cave diving group.

Russet Well

This is located in a private garden, downstream of Peak Cavern House. This drains the water from Speedwell side of the system and picks up the Blue John Cavern water at some point between the downstream sump in Speedwell and Russet Well This is hydro logically connected to Slop Moll, digging out of Slop Moll during the eighties, resulted in Russet Well stopping flowing. This had to be reinstated because it upset the residents of Castleton.

Description

A 3 m long oval sump pool descends for -5 m to the first squeeze, a L-shaped slot. The pot carries on down in a pot to a chamber at -12 m. The floor slopes away to a second squeeze at -14m, beyond this the slope continues down to an area where you can turn around. A further descending passage leads to the final pot down to -25m. A low bedding leads off on a bearing of 200 degrees but is too tight to enter.

Access

This is a sporting dive, for access to this site, contact the Derbyshire section of the cave diving group for advice on access.

Slop Moll

This is located in the Peak cavern Gorge, just in front of Peak Cavern House. This drains the water from Speedwell side of the system and picks up the Blue John Cavern water at some point between the downstream sump in Speedwell and here. This is hydrologically connected to Russet Well, digging out of Slop Moll during the eighties, resulted in Russet Well stopping flowing. This had to be reinstated because it upset the residents of Castleton.

Description

The stream rises from an area that is inderminate, including from inside an excavated 10 m long dry passage. Digging would have to be on the large scale including underwater shoring.

Access

There is no access to this site.

Bibliography

Carter, R.L. and Cordingley, J.N.
Cave Diving Group
Peak District Sump Index 1994
Page 44 - 58 & 63 - 74

Carter, R.L. and Cordingley, J.N.
Cave Diving Group
Peak District Sump Index Update 1997
Page 22 - 24 & 26 - 29