Return to Thirst House Cave

Cave in Bull hay Dale

After missing a week because of the inclement weather we embarked on a 5 dale marathon. We started on the footpath into Bull hay Dale where we found yet another huge natural cave which has signs of past mine workings. The walking at this point was on a nice flat grassy surface.

Rob & Ike at the Bull hay Dale Cave entrance.

Bull hay Dale

From Bull hay Dale the track took us into Horseshoe Dale and then onto Deepdale (North). Some of the track through here is very hard going. The surface is not only uneven but the rocks are hidden under the grass and you have to carefully watch you you put your feet. I have referred in the past to this area as ankle breakers and this week was worse than the last time we came.

Priests way in Horseshoe Dale

Definitely not a couple of priests!!!!

Plenty of wild flowers

Entrance into Deep Dale (North)

Geoff scrambling across the rough terrain

After battling our way through deep Dale we eventually got to Thirst House Cave. We came equipped with torches this time so we could have a proper look around inside.
There was a couple of surprises for us the first was shining in the darkness on the cave floor just about 40 feet in was a 10p piece. We ventured right to the back of the first chamber, the floor was all over the place, up, down and holes, the torch had to be pointing down to see where your feet were going. At the back the floor drops away very quick into a second chamber, rob & Ike went in, Rob first and we heard the shout "there's bats in here". he had caught one in his torch beam and watched in go into a small hole in the face of the cave. He just took a pic in the general area where he saw it (its pitch black in there) and got a brill pic.
The third surprise was a small sculpture showing 2 figures perched on a crack in the wall. They were only a couple of inches high and you had to shine a torch directly at them for them to be seen. It was only luck we spotted these.

Ike about to go into the second chamber

Rob & Ike emerging from the second chamber

This shows the scale of the cave.

These small figures were perched on a ledge in the first chamber

Bat in the second chamber

Geoff & myself 

Entrance to Thirst House Cave

Out of the Bat Cave

 After coming out of Thirst House Cave we walked back the way we had come towards Back Dale.
We stopped for breakfast at the junction of 3 dales, Deep Dale, Horseshoe Dale and Back Dale. After our breakfast stop we headed down Back Dale. This was a nice flat surface to walk on and once again this dale is full of birds and wild flowers.

Breakfast stop at the junction of Horseshoe Dale and Back Dale.

Even the flies cant resist the Orchids.

Geoff, Rob & Ike lost amongst the Cow Parsley

Me & Geoff in the Cow Parsley

Looking back into Brierlow Dale.

Flies everywhere even on the Daisy's

 Back Dale leads onto Brierlow Dale and this track ends up at the bookshop in Brierlow Bar on the A515, from here we walked down the road until we reached the car.
On the way along the road we spotted next weeks target. On the side of the hill above Chelmorton in letters about 15 feet high is the word "ENGLAND"

The cave in Bull Hay Dale in the foreground with ENGLAND  on the hill behind.

England in huge letters on the hillside.

For me this week the highlight couldn't be caught in the camera, i wasn't quick enough to capture the fantastic spectacle of a vixen with several quite large fox cubs running up the hillside quite close to us. The colour of these animals was a rich reddy brown and they just took us by surprise. A truly stunning sight.
Roll on next week and if the weather is clear enough we'll be on top of ENGLAND.
Cheers