Our History
Our Journey Through Time: A Decade-by-Decade Account
The 1950s
1954: The Mendip Caving Group is formally adopted as the club’s name. The Timber Hole dig is started, and the first subscription rate is set at 12 shillings per year.
1955: Honorary memberships granted for access to Saye’s Hole and a tackle storage hut. The first general meeting is held.
1957: The inaugural AGM and Annual Dinner take place. The Group obtains the rent-free use of a cottage in Nether Wood, Charterhouse, as their first HQ.
1958: The Group commences a survey of the Longwood/August System.
1959: The Longwood/August survey is completed. Canyon Cave and Goatchurch Cavern are surveyed. Digs begin at Pinetree Pot and Cooper’s Hole.
The 1960s
1960: First overseas meets in France. Pinetree Pot is opened, and Ubley Hill Pot is discovered and opened in a single weekend.
1961: Meets in Ireland, Austria, and the French Pyrénées. Numerous discoveries by digging on Eastern Mendip.
1962: Meets in Ireland and Yugoslavia. Contact established with Swiss club SCMN. Excavation at Blackmoor (Stainsby’s) Shaft breaks into a mined cave.
1963: First meet in Switzerland with SCMN. Charnel Shaft is discovered.
1964: Following eviction from Nether Wood, the club purchases and re-erects an ex-army barrack hut at Nordrach.
1965: The Group hosts SCMN on Mendip and holds a “cottage warming” party. Digging starts at Knapp Hill Swallet.
1966: A meet takes place in Ireland, and a clean-up operation is carried out in August/Longwood.
1967: Meets in Yugoslavia. The Bone Hole dig begins.
1968: Torrential rain leads to the discovery of Upper Flood Swallet, Middle Flood Swallet, and Grebe Swallet. The long-term dig at Upper Flood begins.
1969: Thirteen MCG members visit Austria, exploring caves like Eis Kögel Höhle and Hennerhöle.
The 1970s
1970: The MCG participates in the first recorded British caving visit to the West Tatra region of Poland.
1972: Digging in Upper Flood enters a well-decorated chamber, extending it to 150m length.
1975: Planning permission is granted for the construction of Nordrach Cottage. Building work commences.
1976: Bone Hole is surveyed. The first of two sponsored walks is undertaken to raise funds for the Cottage purchase. The Group becomes a registered charity.
1979: On New Year’s Eve, a devastating gas explosion destroys the almost-completed Nordrach Cottage.
The 1980s
1980: An insurance cheque for £30,000 is received, and the rebuilding of Nordrach Cottage is subcontracted.
1981: The new Nordrach Cottage is completed, and a celebratory party is held.
1985: A major breakthrough at Upper Flood reveals Midnight Chamber and a continuing stream passage.
1987: Digging in Upper Flood (Bypass Passage) achieves several breakthroughs, including the Red Room.
1988: Major trips to Sarawak and Thailand. The club mourns neighbors Jim and Gladys Fry.
1989: Black Aven (Upper Flood) is extended, and voids are found in the Boulder Choke.
The 1990s
1990: Digging in Rod’s Pot leads to the discovery of Eyeball Rift.
1994: A significant Belize expedition is undertaken.
1995: A drought period allows for more progress upstream from Midnight Chamber in Upper Flood.
1997: The Library is built as an extension to Nordrach Cottage, enhancing club facilities.
1998: A major expedition to Madagascar is launched.
The 2000s
2000-2003: A series of four significant expeditions to Argentina are undertaken.
2004: The MCG 50th Anniversary Dinner is celebrated. A major discovery, the Golden Chamber, is made in Upper Flood.
2006: The sad passing of founder Malcolm Cotter. A major breakthrough in Upper Flood opens the boulder choke into the Departure Lounge, revealing the continuation of the streamway and the “jewel in the crown”: Neverland.
2007: Thief’s Chamber and Wall Street are found in Upper Flood.
2009: The MCG wins the Hidden Earth Club Stand award.
The 2010s
2012: New digs in Upper Flood include AWOL Avens, Muddy Hell, and L33T Inlet.
2014: The 60th Anniversary of the MCG is celebrated with trips to the Galapagos Islands and Lanzarote.
2015: After extensive digging, the ‘Happy New Year’ Breakthrough is made in Bone Hole. Ritual Protection Marks are found by Charlie Allison. A breakthrough in Sandford Levvy uncovers significant extensions.
2016: A new project starts to reopen Pearl Mine.
2017: Pearl Mine is successfully reopened, leading to the discovery of a further half-kilometre of new passage. The MCG is awarded the Hidden Earth Best Club Stand 2017.
The 2020s
2020: The Coronavirus Pandemic curtails caving. However, in between lockdowns, further passage is explored in Pearl Mine, named Biff Frith’s Mid Rift.
2021: Work progresses in West Passage, Upper Flood, to create further links into Neverland.
2022: A small, decorated chamber is entered in West Passage, named Sleepless Nights. The Mendip Caving Group formally transitions to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
2023: A breakthrough into a small rift occurs in Stainsby’s Shaft during the Possible Passage Dig.
2024: Wood is discovered in the Possible Passage dig, appearing to confirm the finding of the infamous 18-fathom level. The 70th Anniversary Celebrations of the MCG are held!
2025: The Possible Passage Dig breaks-through into the fabled Miner’s Cavern, exactly where the Miner’s said it would be.
Publications
The Club has a rich history of publications, including the regular ‘MCG News’, and a series of ‘Occasional Publications’ detailing major discoveries and research. We are also in the process of adding club logbooks to the website. These provide an invaluable record of the clubs activities and contributions to caving.
MCG Homes
The MCG have had different homes on Mendip since it’s formation in 1954. Explore the history of the homes of the MCG, including the cottage that exploded!
Gallery of the Past
