Comments on: The Long Surrender: Brandy Bottle Incline

By: McEff

McEff — Wed, 21 May 2014 11:26:08 +0000

Hi there. That sounds like a good trip. Never actually done it myself but I’ve heard it can be very wet.
Cheers, Alen

By: rose46cave

rose46cave — Wed, 21 May 2014 11:08:03 +0000

Enjoyed your photographs of Brandy bottle incline and last Saturday I and a number of others entered Hard level and did the through trip exiting from Brandy bottle via the Black crosscut which contains some deep water all good fun.

By: smackedpentax

smackedpentax — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 22:04:09 +0000

It is 20 years since I did it ‘properly’ – age and ale has added to the waistline :-(

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 21:52:46 +0000

The good old days, eh? I used to live for mine exploration, but I’m from Cumbria originally so my underground experience was mostly in the Lakes, the Alston area, and Furness, with occasional forays into Wales and Ireland. I don’t know the Grassington area at all, but I’ve done a bit of potholing in the Dales around Ingleton, Settle, Dent and above Kirkby Lonsdale. I don’t think I could fit into my gear these days!

By: smackedpentax

smackedpentax — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 21:21:42 +0000

Excellent! I remember staying with a mate in Thwaite many years ago where he had a cottage – it had been snowing very heavily for a few days, but he had read a book about the mines and insisted we have a look for ‘Hard Level’ & ‘Brandy Bottle Incline’. We were going to do some exploring…but in the end we never found them – the snow was too deep and we couldn’t get anywhere near – unless we walked – and he didn’t want to! But in my caving days I spent many an hour in the mines and shafts on Grassington moor looking for the ‘lost connection’ to Mossdale Caverns and the Black Keld system. I remember finding a stick of sodden dynamite stuck in a crack in Lord Nelson’s Level – now sadly collapsed. Ah…tales of caving and mines… (sigh)…

By: mountaincoward

mountaincoward — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 08:20:52 +0000

If you started off on the beach, it would have been a donkey – I used to ride at a place up at Scalby Manor out the north side of Scarborough though :-)

By: McEff

McEff — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 20:51:24 +0000

Hi Mike. That’s pretty scary to think that that sort of attitude still prevails in other parts of the world. I suppose we all developed along the same routes but just at different times. Makes you think about human nature though, because it’s not as if there are no examples of good practice available at the touch of a button these days.
Cheers, Alen

By: McEff

McEff — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 20:43:43 +0000

Hiya Carol. Sorry about the long delay in replying to your comment but I’ve been in a warmer place. The only horse I’ve ever ridden was on the sands in Scarborough circa 1964. It’s name escapes me. It might even have been a donkey.
Cheers, Alen

By: Mike Peacock

Mike Peacock — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 10:47:45 +0000

An entertaining, informative account yet again – much appreciated. Re; the gung-ho, get-up-and-go and sod the consequences attitude of the early industrialists, I could see it in action when I visited part of China a few years ago.What I saw there must have been how it was in early industrial Britain – ah! here’s a source of ore, oh! and there’s a strong running stream to take away the effluent from the factory we can build on that perfectly situated grassy knoll beside it, so let’s get to it…

MIke

By: Jo Woolf

Jo Woolf — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 06:34:18 +0000

You’re very welcome, Alen! Your artwork even surpasses the standard of my own, which amazes the girls every time they see it. Limited edition prints sound like the obvious next step! :)

By: mountaincoward

mountaincoward — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 03:13:33 +0000

Very interesting read and I love the horse-picture – very amusing. I used to ride a horse called Mabel on the sands at Morecambe but can’t be the same one as she was dapple grey! ;-)

Keep meaning to go and visit Swaledale but it remains on the long list of things still to do!
Carol.

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 22:08:05 +0000

Hi Jo. That’s a fair point about the wind farms. Yes, there is no human connection with them and so they do not play as big a part in people’s lives. I’ll go along with that. And I can see the Romans hushing for gold, because the Romans were clever at everything. I shall look into the subject.
And thank you for praising my fine artwork. The bird is a carrion crow, Corvus corone, and the horse is called Mabel. I was considering doing some limited edition prints.
Cheers, Alen