Burnley cavers from 1950s went to new depths on trip

4:33pm Thursday 28th August 2008

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THIS week, we’re going back underground — with Burnley Caving Club.

The club was founded in 1950 by a group of local lads and lasses and their first headquarters were in Oxford Road.

It grew quickly and only a couple of years after being formed, members arranged their first trip to Ireland — where they discovered a new cave.

It was named Polna Michael the ‘Cave of Michael’, after one of the member’s sons.

The cavers who made the Irish trip, in our first picture, are left to right: John Hartley, Bernard Hartley, Ken Williams, Gordon Marks, Roland Phillips, Trevor Rambadt, and Raymond Morris.

They are wearing the typical the caving tackle worn in the early 50s, which included any old overalls, or woollen pullovers, hob nailed boots and National Coal Board compressed cardboard safety helmets.

You won’t be surprised to learn that a good few of the lads worked in the local coal mines!

Our second photo shows a group of cavers in ‘Duke Street’ in Ireby Fell Caverns near Ingleton in 1972. They are left to right: Duncan Smith, Tom Target, John McNeil, Dennis Woods, Vic Granger, and Steve Clegg.

As you can see the old helmets have been replaced by plastic ones, and wet suits are now beginning to emerge.

It was around this time that the club discovered Red Moss Caverns near Horton-in-Ribblesdale, a cave system a mile and a half long.

Burnley caving Club is still going strong today and making regular trips to the Yorkshire Dales and beyond.

It is also one of the few clubs with its own ladder and rope tower where it can train new or potential members.