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| Gough's Cave with the river running through it. |
I have been listening to Robert Macfarlane's book 'Underland' a second time. I am not easy with making critical appraisals of books, but his sheer knowledge is awe inspiring and also because he reads his own book tranquil on the ear.
The first chapter is about the Mendips, that outcrop of limestone gorges and caves that are but a few miles from Bath and supply the hot water for the pool in the Roman buildings. Can you imagine percolating rock, caves with stalactites and stalagmites of creamy hue often buttering down to a rich toffee brown. The river that snakes through this underground system, it is indeed a fantasy place for the imagination.
I have walked round that area over the years, finding the nine barrows he talks about but he makes no mention of Priddy Circles, smaller version of the three Thornborough henges. Or the Cold Comfort Inn. He is lost in a geological world of aeons, the Anthropocene Age we are supposed to be living in now according the scientists.
What is the Anthropocene? Break down the word Anthropo = which is humankind, cene = new. Why? because it is humans that have caused mass extinction amongst the animal and plant life, polluted the oceans and altered the atmosphere. Sad but true.
But to get back he goes down into some of the caves, the Aveline cave is one that had the early bones of man and animals. Also tells of a tale in the Derbyshire district which is rather sad. It involves a caving enthusiast called Neil Moss who got stuck in a shaft. You can read about it in the link just attached. He died because of lack of oxygen, and they could not pull his body from the shaft. His father said to leave the body there with the shaft cemented up so that it would not happen to any one else.
The second chapter of the book was about Boulby Mines and no I have never been down this very, very deep mine, where it is possible to study the universe from. He was taken down there and explored the mines which run for miles under the sea. Which apparently leaks in occasionally and they spend an absolute fortune on electricity pumping it out.
As an addenda to this my daughter says she has spoken to people who have worked down these mines, and they describe it as HELL.
The great machines which tunnel and cost millions, once they fail, are driven into old tunnel workings and left to rot there like ungainly dinosaurs a remnant of our civilisation.
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| There is a group of seven barrows and a group of nine in this area. Burial memorials to make you think about the vastness of time/ |
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| When nature is unfettered it becomes like a green paradise. |
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| Narrowed part of Ebbor Gorge |
Being trapped in a shaft is the stuff of nightmares. When I was about 12, I nearly got stuck between two garages, and it still terrifies me now.
ReplyDeleteIt is a frightening experience Tasker but I'm glad you managed to escape.
DeleteI had never heard the story of Neil Moss before even though I have twice been down Peak Cavern at Castleton. What a sad end for a fellow "Neil". Down there I doubt that his body will be covered with "Moss". With the cold temperature in the cave, I suspect that his body may still be in good condition but I do not propose to go looking! Poor lad. Died at twenty and would have been 84 years old now.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very sad tale Neil, I wondered if you had walked in the area. I know my daughter when I started to tell her the tale last night said don't go on. Stuff of nightmares being trapped like that.
DeleteHumans have made a mess of our poor planet, haven't we?
ReplyDeleteYes Ellen, I still have faith that it may be saved by today's youngsters though.
DeleteI find these deep mines scary - have never been down one but there are a few round here in the old lead workings.
ReplyDeleteI suspect the Limestone of the Mendips is like the old fashioned Crunchie bars. I was going to write about swallets something you found in the district Pat.
DeleteI did not know Macfarlane had this book, thank you, I will look for it. I love caves, though they scare me and I've never gone in any but tame ones. I was in the catacombs of a Cathedral and wondered why I liked them so much-- dawned on me they reminded me of caves.
ReplyDeleteI think further along in the book Macfarlane goes down some catacombs. He has a lovely lyrical way of describing such stuff.
DeleteThose poor miners had awful jobs, especially back in the days before safety was given even a second thought. The Neil Moss story was terrible. I cannot imagine being his poor father standing vigil at the entrance of the cave.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it was better that Neil Moss lost consciousness fairly early on. It was a terrible happening for his family.
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