Grand Turk Passage

[Ian A]

Location
SJ 262 517 (Approx.)

Directions
From the Moors Inn (Junction of A525 & B5430), head towards Wrexham (on the B5430) and take the 2nd right. Follow the road down and over a small crossroads until you come to a T junction. This T junction tries to naturally take you left â€" go left. Take the next right which heads downwards almost doubling back on yourself and park in the car park at the end of the road.

Take the footpath past the house (heading back the way you came but off to the right) and go over the gate on your far right at the edge of the property(s) up a grassy track heading up hill. Turn right along a steep, difficult to see path after only a short distance. You are trying to get above and behind the property you just went past â€" the entrance is along a footpath up there looking over the parking area.

Access
Open

Suggested Equipment
2 electons for the shaft and rigging to fix them in or SRT. Lifeline pretty much essential.

Length
Significant

Flood Risk
It is an active riverway at one end with water running through the bottom end. There is evidence that this cave DOES flood.

Cave Attributes
Phreatic passage with some mining operations. Some fine fossil and sediment examples.

Description
A fine example of a phreatic system with wonderful scalloped, arched roofway. Many examples of calcite formations with some stals, columns and gours at the upper end.
Some mining operations are evident in both the upper section and the mid section where there is a connection to White Vein in Minera mine although the passage through is currently blocked.

Further down the passage you meet the waterway and ultimately a sump.

Most of the passage is clean and the sediment washed away. However, in places some banks of sediment remain and are rather elegant in places.

Unexplored Passages
Unknown

Digs
There appears to be a dig at the very upper end. There is also a potential dig to clear the blockage through to White Vein which appears to be only 8 feet in length.

Links
http://www.wirralcavinggroup.org.uk/trips/grandturk.html

[Ali Wiseman]

I don't think you actually clicked on your 2nd link... I know it's hot, but I can't describe Minera as Sub Tropical!

[Ian A]

A gour formation at the uppermost part of the passage


A small fossil (4 inches if uncoiled)


A fossil (10 inches if uncoiled)


By the crawl entry looking up river ...

[Ian A]

Looking DOWN the passage (height 5 foot)


Looking down and further down (height still 5 feet)

[Ian A]

Still heading down - roof still around 5 feet


The fine sediment example


Erratic floor erosion - also note the scalloped roof


The perculiar calcite composite that litters the passage

[Ian A]