Cave Hydrology

Torrential rain and strong winds has hit the entire country this weekend, heavy rain throughout Friday and heavy all weekend as resulted in the Peak Speedwell System being hit by flooding, as well as other caves within the area.

Peak Cavern was sumped at Lumbago walk, preventing access to the Great Cave and beyond. The overflow from Lumbago was flowing down the Swine Hole passage; this overwhelmed and eventually resurged out of the show cave entrance. Water joined the already swollen stream from the Peak resurgence and flowed down the river Styx. Five Arches was obviously flooded and I would assume that Treasury Sump has also flowed this weekend due to severe flooding in Speedwell Mine.

Speedwell Mine has been closed all weekend due to flooding. Titan would have been impassable at the Event Horizon and James Hall at Bitch Pitch would have been extremely wet, impassable at the top of the Leviathan. Due to the amount of water it wouldn't surprise me if the connection between James Hall and Far Sump Extensions isn't sumped either!

The stream in the gorge downstream off Russet Well overflowed onto the pathway from Goosehill Bridge up to the peak show cave. The water didn't quite overflow onto the pathway opposite luckily for the residents who live the cottages but got very close. One of the residents from the gorge, said the stream sounded like Niagara Falls flowing outside.

At a guess I would say that this is the biggest flood in the system since 21st December 1991.