THE HAMPS AND MANIFOLD VALLEYS SSSI - Ladyside Pot
Although not designated specifically for cave features, the site contains a number of caves with features of special scientific interest. There are two groups of caves, the
active caves (valley floor caves and Ilam Risings), and the relict caves. The most important of the valley floor caves (described below, and with surveys) are Darfar Pot,
Ladyside Pot and Redhurst Swallet which provide excellent examples of recent and active cave passage development beneath the modern valley floor. These, together
with the many other small (in both length and passage dimensions) caves that are not described individually in this report, provide the only example in the Peak District
of a new cave system developing under a valley floor and gradually capturing the surface flow.
The Ilam risings discharge all of the flow of the Hamps and Manifold rivers except in very wet conditions, when there is surface flow throughout. About 250m of
active phreatic passage has been explored to a depth of 54m, although the survey is incomplete and has not been included in the present report. The explored risings
provide a good example of active phreatic passage but are not known to contain any other features of special interest.
There are a number of high level caves, of which the most important are Elderbush Cave and Darfar Ridge Cave each of which is described below. Thor’s Cave is a
truncated phreatic passage with a very impressive entrance but no survey is available and the cave does not contain clastic sediments or speleothems that have been
studied.
Ladyside Pot. CPM.
An active swallet cave in the bed of the River Manifold descends to a depth of 21m below river level. Upstream leads to a fine
phreatic passage, with large silt banks probably entirely of recent origin, that ends in a sump. The downstream route is an excellent
example of joint influence on an epiphreatic passage system. The cave ends at a sump.
CAVE CONSERVATION MONITORING FORM (Version 4 – May 2006)
Ladyside Pot
Please annotate survey map, where possible, to show location of assessed feature, if not clear.
Feature
Description of interest features
Are the features Comments on the condition of the
number
still present?
features
CPM – Cave Passage Morphology
on
Y/N
survey
1
Ladyside Pot. CPM.
An active swallet cave in the bed of the River
Manifold descends to a depth of 21m below
river level. Upstream leads to a fine phreatic
passage, with large silt banks probably entirely
of recent origin, that ends in a sump. The
downstream route is an excellent example of
joint influence on an epiphreatic passage system.
The cave ends at a sump.
General comments
on conservation
status of the cave
Please indicate on map location of any mineral
deposits and any unauthorised collection.
Name:
e.g. Passage intact? If not – explain.
?evidence of water pollution (in active
passages)
(eg Heavily used cave, much carbide,
pollution, changes to drainage system,
specimen collecting, areas inaccessible
due to rock fall etc)
Date of visit:
Contact details: Tele/Email:
Please return this form to Dave Webb, DCA, 3 De Vere Gardens, Woodthorpe. Nottingham . NG5 4PH
“Thank you for assisting in the conservation of this cave.”
Ladyside Pot, Wetton.
NGR: 0960 5498
ALTITUDE: 168m (550ft)
DEPTH: 21m (70ft)
SOURCE: DRAKELEY, 1981.
LENGTH: 457m (1500ft)