Info on Hodge Close

Hello all,

Planning a trip to Hodge Close in the Lake District next week and was
wondering if anybody had any current information on access. Latest info on
web (about 4 years old) and google archives for this group still list it as
£4.00 payable to the nearet house to the road entrance, can anyone confirm
this from recent experience?
Any information will be usefull as a 300 mile trip to not dive would be bad
news and worse may end up at Crapenray!
Will be taking full camera setup including strobe so may end up with some
interesting? photos.
We may call at Devils Bridge, Kirby Lonsdale on the way back if we feel we
have enough energy left, so any info on access rights here on week days in
August would also be good.

Thanks Richard

Richard Camm wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Planning a trip to Hodge Close in the Lake District next week and was
> wondering if anybody had any current information on access. Latest info on
> web (about 4 years old) and google archives for this group still list it as
> £4.00 payable to the nearet house to the road entrance, can anyone confirm
> this from recent experience?

Latest I've been there was about a year ago. Your directions are a bit
off - you go past the quarry, far below you on the right. Keep on going
a bit, and you get a cottage on the right. This is the money cottage.
Down to the left for the quarry, on a dirt-ish track beyond a flop
up/down bollard. You drive down to a carpark and get to the quarry
itself via a tunnel along the stream.

> Any information will be usefull as a 300 mile trip to not dive would be bad
> news and worse may end up at Crapenray!

I like it lots. Others have alternate views.

> Will be taking full camera setup including strobe so may end up with some
> interesting? photos.

There is very little life, but often exceptional vis - so you'll get
some great pictures of vans and cars....

> We may call at Devils Bridge, Kirby Lonsdale on the way back if we feel we
> have enough energy left, so any info on access rights here on week days in
> August would also be good.

put devil's bridge kirkby lonsdale into google - I posted the access
rules when I found them a few months ago.

Ben

--
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ben Panter, Edinburgh, UK
email is false. Use my name (no spaces) at bigfoot which is a com.

In article <uZcNc.10135$7t5.4272@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk> ,
richardcamm@blueyonder.co.uk says...
> Hello all,
>
> Planning a trip to Hodge Close in the Lake District next week and was
> wondering if anybody had any current information on access. Latest info on
> web (about 4 years old) and google archives for this group still list it as
> £4.00 payable to the nearet house to the road entrance, can anyone confirm
> this from recent experience?
> Any information will be usefull as a 300 mile trip to not dive would be bad
> news and worse may end up at Crapenray!

call in at Eccleston Delph, the aeriator pumps/filter are giving good
viz and actually warm the water up a few degrees.

> Will be taking full camera setup including strobe so may end up with some
> interesting? photos.
> We may call at Devils Bridge, Kirby Lonsdale on the way back if we feel we
> have enough energy left, so any info on access rights here on week days in
> August would also be good.
>
> Thanks Richard
>
>
>

Why not throw caution to the wind and do Wastwater instead , better dive
altogether, not like diving in a barrel at Hodge, go you know it makes
sense!!!!
"Dave" <Dave@daves.place> wrote in message
news:MPG.1b6ff793111f1aa5989739@news-text.blueyonder.co.uk...
In article <uZcNc.10135$7t5.4272@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk> ,
richardcamm@blueyonder.co.uk says...
> Hello all,
>
> Planning a trip to Hodge Close in the Lake District next week and was
> wondering if anybody had any current information on access. Latest info on
> web (about 4 years old) and google archives for this group still list it
as
> £4.00 payable to the nearet house to the road entrance, can anyone confirm
> this from recent experience?
> Any information will be usefull as a 300 mile trip to not dive would be
bad
> news and worse may end up at Crapenray!

call in at Eccleston Delph, the aeriator pumps/filter are giving good
viz and actually warm the water up a few degrees.

> Will be taking full camera setup including strobe so may end up with some
> interesting? photos.
> We may call at Devils Bridge, Kirby Lonsdale on the way back if we feel we
> have enough energy left, so any info on access rights here on week days in
> August would also be good.
>
> Thanks Richard
>
>
>

>Richard Camm wrote:
>> Hello all,
>>
>> Planning a trip to Hodge Close in the Lake District next week and was
>> wondering if anybody had any current information on access. Latest info on
>> web

>This is the money cottage.
>Down to the left for the quarry, on a dirt-ish track beyond a flop
>up/down bollard. You drive down to a carpark and get to the quarry
>itself via a tunnel along the stream.

Sounds good, but don't imagine a huge tunnel! When you drive into the "carpark"
you ford a small stream, get suited up and if traveling light, attempt to carry
all kit along the stream up to the rock where the part flooded tunnel is
visible, it is about 5' high in places combined with wading up to the knees in
water so stay zipped up and watch your head. At the end of the tunnel there is
a large cavern with a scaffold ladder leading down to scree and a scramble.
Don't be put off, entrance to the close is part of the adventure of diving it!

Diver mag recently ran an inland site series in which Hodge Close featured.
their web site's down so can't include link.

Good vis, next to no fish life, lots of rubble, there is tunnel system <cue
another link to the tunnel system in a diving mag (9-90??)> but the entrances
are hidden to deter misadventure.

Please consider the difficulty of egress of any casualty, there is no easy way
out. When I was there on CCRB course one of our group started paniking and
bolted for the surface. Lucky for him there was another small group enjoying
their rest when he surfaced close to them, they pulled him out using his
breathing loop, ripping his nice new counterlungs. By the time Digs and myself
surfaced (at a controled rate) he had calmed down and appeared to be just
shaken up, after a rest he was able to climb out un-assisted. Had he been
unconscious we couldn't have got this 18st man to the carpark between 3 of us.
I suggest mountain rescue would be helpful.

"R Hamp3601" <rhamp3601@aol.comnojunk> wrote in message
news:20040728045157.29660.00002284@mb-m16.aol.com...
> >Richard Camm wrote:
> >> Hello all,
> >>
> >> Planning a trip to Hodge Close in the Lake District next week and was
> >> wondering if anybody had any current information on access. Latest info
on
> >> web
>
> >This is the money cottage.
> >Down to the left for the quarry, on a dirt-ish track beyond a flop
> >up/down bollard. You drive down to a carpark and get to the quarry
> >itself via a tunnel along the stream.
>
> Sounds good, but don't imagine a huge tunnel! When you drive into the
"carpark"
> you ford a small stream, get suited up and if traveling light, attempt to
carry
> all kit along the stream up to the rock where the part flooded tunnel is
> visible, it is about 5' high in places combined with wading up to the
knees in
> water so stay zipped up and watch your head. At the end of the tunnel
there is
> a large cavern with a scaffold ladder leading down to scree and a
scramble.
> Don't be put off, entrance to the close is part of the adventure of diving
it!
>
> Diver mag recently ran an inland site series in which Hodge Close
featured.
> their web site's down so can't include link.
>
> Good vis, next to no fish life, lots of rubble, there is tunnel system
<cue
> another link to the tunnel system in a diving mag (9-90??)> but the
entrances
> are hidden to deter misadventure.
>
> Please consider the difficulty of egress of any casualty, there is no easy
way
> out. When I was there on CCRB course one of our group started paniking and
> bolted for the surface. Lucky for him there was another small group
enjoying
> their rest when he surfaced close to them, they pulled him out using his
> breathing loop, ripping his nice new counterlungs. By the time Digs and
myself
> surfaced (at a controled rate) he had calmed down and appeared to be just
> shaken up, after a rest he was able to climb out un-assisted. Had he been
> unconscious we couldn't have got this 18st man to the carpark between 3 of
us.
> I suggest mountain rescue would be helpful.
>
>
Thanks for your reply,

How long ago were you there, and did you manage to get the post blocking the
road removed by the local OK ?
At last some one else with a sense of adventure, or is that someone as daft
as me ???
Been after diving Hodge Close for the last 18 years, my whole time diving,
yes it may be a disapointment but at least I will have dived there.

Thanks again, Richard

Richard Camm wrote:
> How long ago were you there, and did you manage to get the post blocking the
> road removed by the local OK ?

It isn't a locking post - if the guy isn't there you can put it down
yourself and pay on your way out. Make sure you knock on his door
though, it doesn't pay to upset the locals and parking is cheap.

> At last some one else with a sense of adventure, or is that someone as daft
> as me ??
> Been after diving Hodge Close for the last 18 years, my whole time diving,
> yes it may be a disapointment but at least I will have dived there.

I *really* like it there. The tunnel entry and the vertical walls give
it real atmosphere.

Ben

--
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ben Panter, Edinburgh, UK
email is false. Use my name (no spaces) at bigfoot which is a com.

Hi

It's £4 per diver if you use the bottom car-park - and while I think it's
actually free if you walk down from the top car-park, in all honesty you
aren't going to do that!

After the main quarry carpark (where you can see down into the quarry) carry
on a couple of 100 yards, then turn sharp left (that's where the cottage
is) - don't do through the gates or you've gone too far!

Check out http://www.freshwaterdiver.com/

The ladder at the far end of the tunnel is in good repair, but the tunnel is
long, low and part flooded.

It's OK..... but why bother while it's summer??


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