575 replies to this topic

[daisyduke]

Hi all, im new to this forum and very intrested in this topic.
I used to pedal up to crank and play around there when i was younger.
Never went into the caves much as no torch or lights.
Now after reading this whole thread im quite interested in exploring into them.
I took my girlfriend there recently because she had never been.
Only walked into the main caves, wasnt really dressed for exploring.

Is there any visits coming up i could join????

Edited by daisyduke, 13 April 2010 - 02:38 PM.

[jace]

Hi every one Im new to this site just stumbled accross it when searching for info to show my grandson crank caves, as back in 1974-5 approx my older cousins & a few friends of thers from Parr Central used to go camping there on most weekends (Friday night till sunday afternoon )I joined them most weekends they always asked permission from the house or cottage near by and we always knocked and told him when we were leaving he used to let us light a fire and made sure we cleaned up after us before we left, on a night his Daughter used to walk her dog in a white top just above the caves so from the bottom you could only see her white top ence the rumours of the white lady who walked the caves at night, we enterd almost every cave and crevis but didnt venture to deep mousey as it was nicknamed was a crawl through it felt like almost an hour we had been in there just glad to of got out full of mud ? we never ventured to far in them , we often spoke to local potholers who ventured deep inside of most of the caves and they were gone for hours on end we spoke to one group who said that they had been down there for over four hours, they said they couldnt venture further because of under ground water, and they didnt have the right equiptment ie wet suits and tanks they also told us that mousy was one of the smallest runs, we were also told of a larger cave with a large slab in the middle deep inside one of the caves later we had heard of people getting lost down there but believed it to be a rumour, untill one weekend there were a few groups of potholers and they were causing on purpose what you would call a cave in we asked questions but got no answers to why they did this ? perhaps some local potholers group might have some reccords, as they must of been asked to carry this out by the local concil? or living relatives from the house or cottage near by as the daughter whom walked the dog whom we asked permission from her parents to camp there should be able to shine some light

[zerohero]

Hi,this is my first post on this site.Have been to the Caverns today 4/7/10 for the first time,despite living in St.Helens all my 47 years !!
Went with my wife & seven year old daughter,who loved the place & all the tales of ghosts,goblins,cathedrals,men with beards etc.to be honest didnt findthe palce to be the least bit 'eerie' or 'ghostly' but then again it was a lovely sunny july afternoon.Had a poke around in the entrance caverns & climbed down to the 'gated' entrance all in all looks a great place to explore.

[Archie]

There is a lot of Bollox talked about Crank Caverns, which were little more than a 'pillar and stall' quarry. That said, I haven't been in there since the mid 70s., when I found a circular route which was capable of navigation in about 10 minutes.

Daystate's pictures 'upthread' indicate a bit more to be seen, but he gives no clues as to how to get in. Also, anybody going into Crank Caverns needs to remember that they are man made and therefore fundamentally unsafe. In a natural cave, the weakest bits are usually worn away by water. This is not the case with man made holes. A glance at the roofs of some of the big obvious entrances will reveal huge lumps of rock which are just waiting for extreme weather such as frost, extreme heat or extreme drought to encourage them to fall. If you are under one when it does, you will not survive. I am not being melodramatic here, I am just calling for common sense.

Crank Caverns were dug in order to extract a fine sandstone which was capable of being 'cleaved', to make roofing tiles. A number of local buildings still have them.

What is needed is a 'definitive' expedition, by experienced cavers, especially ones with the surveying skills to make a once and for all survey of what is really down there.

I am an experienced caver,(but not a surveyor) and I haven't been active since the 80's. I have a dodgy ticker, knackered knees and am into my 60s, but I would happily join any serious expedition.

Arch

[Spiraldive]

I ventured down the caves this afternoon & I have now finished reading this entire topic. I think I've spent 6 hrs reading it. It's probably one of the most interesting topics I've read on the internet. I went prepared. Helmet, torch, gloves & expected a few tight squeezes & was prepared to be covered in mud.

I went past the main caves that you come to first, round to the left, down the slope & into the "elephant cave", found the "mousehole" entrance to the left. A few tight squeezes, before it opened out into a horizontal corridor. It was fascinating. There was a few more tight squeezes down, then another horizontal tunnel. Then another, then another. I found the "church" - there was slabs of stones built into the cave wall to the right. A central pillar & stones laid ontop of one another forming the "altar" (could this just be a seat for the quarrymen to rest). Past this there was another tight squeeze down & a corridor that lead back to the "church" cavern. I guess the "mirror caverns" are tunnels that look almost identical, with each having side caverns & a tight squeeze down at the end. (Nothing to do with water on the walls, reflective walls? come on, lol) I dind't find any underground lake, no shelf with a bottomless pit. They must be down there somewhere - there must be other tunnels & passageways leading off the main tunnel that I missed. There were several caverns on the main tunnel en route down, but I clouldn't find any other square caverns filled with wooden boxes. They must be down there somewhere.

Is there anything else deeper down past the "church cavern"? I found a second small hole leading back up, which turned out to be a shortcut to the surface. Are there any other tunnels past the "church cavern" that may lead to the lake, or to anywhere else? Is the lake an actual body of water, or part of the cave system that floods after wet weather & then dries up/runs off after the rain.

James Seddon & Cavemaster - you certainly know your stuff. I would love to see some maps sometime, & any updates of anything else you've found more recently. It would be great to get an interested group together & venture down the caves, & explore them properly sometime. How's your guiding skills, haha, Keep up the good work guys...

Also, have you found anything near Clinkham Wood / Mossbank. I live within walking distance from there.

I'm off to look at the photo gallery.

Edited by Spiraldive, 18 July 2010 - 11:28 PM.

[daystate]

Archie, on 16 July 2010 - 11:45 PM, said:

Daystate's pictures 'upthread' indicate a bit more to be seen, but he gives no clues as to how to get in.

Arch I completly agree, they are unsafe thats why I gave no clues to get in, youngsters have access to this thread.

There have been several collapses since weve been going down there, and have no desire to go back again. Tiz a pillar and stall, tiz man made and tiz DANGEROUS.

[winchman]

Archie, on 16 July 2010 - 11:45 PM, said:

What is needed is a 'definitive' expedition, by experienced cavers, especially ones with the surveying skills to make a once and for all survey of what is really down there.

.

Arch

A survey was commissioned by Merseyside police in September 1987 by a Specialist explorer / photographer here
http://www.paul-deak...reeserve.co.uk/
I wrote to him and he told me about being asked to have a look at them for Merseyside police, he very kindly allowed me to use his pictures on my web site
http://thattoheathmo...&linkvar=000044
I think the problem is when it was first quarried due to it being a small operation no records had to be kept, people who enter them now need to photograph and map them.

[phoebeleigh]

why are the caverns there?where they some sort of mine?or where they actually dug out for the monks?

[Olliebeak]

Hello phoebe and welcome to Connect

It seems that the caverns were once quarries for stone for local buildings. It also appears that many stories/legends/myths have sprung up surrounding the caverns/mine working - so at the moment nobody really knows what to believe.

Only thing for sure is that they are in a dangerous state and the landowner doesn't want people messing around in them - he's taken the trouble on a couple of occasions to erect barriers, but these have so far been easily removed. I suppose the BIG danger is that, one day, he'll come along and erect another barrier whilst accidentally locking somebody down there .

Edited by Olliebeak, 20 January 2011 - 11:59 PM.

[Handsome Johnny]

not another bloody woman....................................

[Olliebeak]

Handsome Johnny, on 21 January 2011 - 01:34 PM, said:

not another bloody woman....................................

HJ - I hope you're referring to ME - and not our new member, phoebeleigh.

Now come on, dear boy - most of us know what an absolute 'pussy cat' you are - don't be giving newcomers a bad impression of yourself.

One of these days, all us 'bloody women' will come looking for you .................. we know where you drink ................. start running now, cos it'll be Heaven help you when we catch up with you!

[Handsome Johnny]

it's bad enough her being a woman but she's not a bloody leyther is she??

back on topic for a second is it just me or does anyone else think that the council have missed a great opportunity by not making the caverns into a tourist attraction????

[HORT]

I too, have wondered about that. They would have to be cleaned up and made safe, not beyond the wit of some councils.

[Alan]

.....they'd also have to own them

[Dave D]

Alan, on 21 January 2011 - 04:18 PM, said:

.....they'd also have to own them

Compulsory Purchase Alan but hold on they might be a little short on funds after blowing £100k on new Christmas lights