After an initial visit to the site to see what was actually there the physical evidence
in support of its existence was enough to say, if it is no longer there then it certainly
once was. The description from the book exactly matched the above ground features of the
site and although we could not gain any access that day we noted an uncovered airshaft,
which looked down into the darkness below! The site was comprised of a doorway in the
middle of the woodland that borders the lake. The doorway appeared to lead to a spiraling
walkway that descended, wrapping around a circular subterranean room. This could all be seen
through a missing pane of the glazed top of the room, which is at the same level as the
woodland floor! Sadly we could do no more that day and so left with intent to return better
equipped.
A week later we headed back. We opted to go early in the morning, as we would benefit
from the cover of darkness and less potential activity on site due to the un-Godly
early hour. We arrived at approx 5.15am and proceeded with our walk to the airshaft,
carrying with us the 30ft knotted rope that we planned to descend the shaft with.
Some people may still have considered us to be ill equipped for such a descent,
but both the Stoop_Master and myself are physically strong and well able to climb
up and down such a rope. After a 10 minute walk in all but pitch black through
fairly dense woodland undergrowth we emerged onto the border path of the lake,
happy to leave the stinging and scratching flora behind us. From the path it was
a short walk round the lake and then cutting back into the woods to the access
doorway and the shaft! It was an exciting moment as we both peered down the shaft
that protrudes approx 4.5 ft out of the woodland floor; our torchlight shimmered
on the wet floor below. We hitched the rope around the nearest tree and hurriedly
threw it down the 3ft circular concrete pipe. Looking down the shaft again, it
was clear that the rope was not clearing the end of it. It has to be said at this
point that it is extremely difficult to judge the exact distance of the descent
when looking directly down a vertical shaft that allows you no other view than the
floor below. We pulled the rope back up and looked around for a suitable implement
that would be able to span the mouth of the shaft, support our weight and allow us
to directly attach the rope above the shaft giving it more length. Peering down again
this seemed to have done the trick, the rope was hanging out the bottom of the shaft
and although not touching the floor below, was no more than a couple of feet off.
Having a bit of a reputation as Monkey_Boy I didn't hesitate to hop on top of the
shaft and lower myself in grabbing the rope as I did so. The best option seemed to
be to place my feet on the damp walls of the shaft and lower myself using the knots,
it worked great and I was soon at the end of the shaft. I gripped the rope and released
my feet from the walls, lowering myself further one hand over the other as I hung suspended.
I reached the end of the rope but had not yet felt the reassuring ground beneath my feet.
I had observed earlier the rope's proximity to the floor so felt fine to release my grip
and drop into the darkness below, and that's when the fun started!
You know that feeling when your going up some stairs in the dark and you are
at the top but think there is another step? You step as if to step up it and
kind of stumble, well what happened next was kind of like that. I released my
grip and braced for the landing from the whole few inches drop that must be
below me, and I braced, erm? OK! I'm still falling!!!!!!!!! Then… BAM, one
of my feet hit the floor, but where was the other? Before I had time to even
think about that I was 100% submerged in freezing cold, stagnant water, I stood
immediately bolt upright and jumped onto the solid floor in front of me. All the
air had been ripped from my lungs by the unbelievably cold water and I stood
hunched over in the darkness, utterly soaked from head to toe, gasping for breath!
As my breathing settled my first thought was of my brand new camera slung over my
back, now filled nicely with putrid water. "Are you ok?" Shouted Stoop from above,
without looking up I just shouted out "My camera's F@!*#D!” Everyone who knows me
knows I don't swear, so Stoop knew that I was less than happy.
For the first time since hauling myself out of the water I looked up to see
the shaft above me, 12 feet above me! I had been hanging six foot above the
ground, braced for a fall of maybe three inches and dropped six feet! Even
better I had landed with one foot on the solid floor, the other off the
ledge of a four-foot deep rancid waterway that ran out in the direction
of the lake. So as soon as I hit the ground I had fallen sideways, head
first into the decaying leaf matter filled water! Even, even better as I
looked up at the shaft I was absolutely struck dead to see that the rope
was only just clearing the bottom of the shaft, so it was a good six foot
out of reach of my outstretched hand! Could this get any worse? Oh yes,
five minutes have already passed and I'm starting to feel a little cold
stood 45 feet underground, soaked from head to toe at 5.30 in the morning!
So, what to do? Of course the immediate thought is to get help, but that
has to be a last resort, we're not supposed to be here remember. I shouted
up to Stoop to pull the rope back up and take the knots out of it to see
how much more length that might give me, then I stood watching as the rope
disappeared back up the shaft. I figured he would be a while, as I know I
tied the knots tight, so I thought it best to move around a little, taking
a look around my underground tomb. The waterway that I had fallen into was
consistent with that described by the author in his book, I shone the torch
down the tunnel and the blackness just seemed to go on for ever eating the
light up. There was once a boat moored here which was used to reach the other
end of the tunnel from where the ballroom can allegedly be accessed, I guess
it didn't meet health and safety regs? I flicked the torch around the room,
I was standing in a roughly 30ftx50ft arched chamber 12ft high, with the
tunnel at one end, and a small opening in the corner at the other through
which could be seen steps. Stoop was showing no sign of being ready with
the rope yet so I headed to the steps, squelching with every step and
rapidly loosing feeling in my hands. I had actually descended into the
lowest of three chambers which are all connected via a spiraling staircase
to mid way point, which then changes to a spiraling ramp up to the surface
doorway. I walked the ramp to the top and reached the door, I felt like I
had been a long time so headed back down again, kicking myself that I couldn't
get any pictures due to the camera disaster, but also wondering if I'd have
been able to hold the camera any how!
I reached the bottom chamber again to find that there was still no rope to
be seen, I shouted up and Stoop's head appeared at the top of the shaft,
"Two more knots" he said, but then changed his mind and threw it back down
as was. Amazingly the rope was now just within my grasp and I felt a slight
wave of relief wash over me, I know my own strength and I know that even
with the extra weight of soaking wet clothes I could haul my ass up that
distance on a rope! At this point I hadn't considered the other elements
of the climb, they being, my wet numb hands and the freely moving rope. I
checked myself, gripped the rope and started to climb; if I could get into
the shaft it would be easier from there up. But that 12 ft of climb using
only your arms with no walls to steady you is a killer, and when the rope
started to twist just as my head was reaching the shaft it took all my
strength to hold on. I couldn't lift myself another inch and slid back
down the rope to which my hands now testify, couldn't feel a thing at the
time. As I stood in the chamber again I now started to worry a little more
and seriously consider telling Stoop to get help.
It'd now been a good forty minutes and I was shivering like crazy,
I tried in vain to dry my hands on the walls to afford me a little more grip,
then waited a while to try to muster some strength which I seemed to have
almost totally exhausted on the first attempt! I approached the rope again,
not feeling optimistic; I grabbed hold and started to climb, with Stoop
above doing his best to keep me from giving in. I reached a similar point,
just below the shaft as the rope began to twist and turn and I slid back down
again feeling even feebler than before. I looked up to Stoop and asked if
there was anyway he could pull me up? Unfortunately the shaft's position
and height made it impossible to achieve any success with this method.
"There must be something else? Another way I thought?" I spotted a rusty
iron gate in a corner of the room, leaning against the wall. I dragged
it over to the rope and stood it upright; pulling the rope down as much
as possible to give me some slack I attached it to the gate. My fingers
weren't doing great, and tying the rope was a struggle, I wasn't sure if
it would hold but I had to give it a go. Positioning the gate so that it
was as stable as possible I brushed my hands down, took my soaking coat
off as it was pretty weighty and asked God for some strength to get out
of there because he knows I didn't have any left in me.
I grabbed the rope for a third time and got to a point where I was
standing on the gate, took a little rest and then set off again.
The gate did a good job and held the rope steady enough for me to
make it into the shaft! I wedged my legs and back against the sides
and again stopped to rest my arms that felt like they were going to
explode. I felt a little more confident in the shaft and slowly
started to edge my way up at what felt like a few inches each time.
My tripod was slowly gouging a hole in my back, I struggled to remove
it from my belt, willing to just drop it back down if it relieved
the pain it was causing. I couldn't free it from my belt and continued
on not daring to look up or down as I think it would have just
finished me, instead listening to Stoop encouraging me to keep
on. As I neared the top I reached the two knots that Stoop had
left in the rope and they helped me get a better hold, I was
still a few feet from the top but was feeling as if I was nearly
there. One last push saw my hands within reach of the lip of the
pipe and I grabbed a hold of it thinking that was it, I was there!
At that point my body seemed to give up on me and my heart just sank,
I felt so weak, I couldn't lift myself from the pipe and was only
staying in place by my legs wedged in the pipe which were shaking
like mad and felt like they were going to give any second. I looked
up to Stoop who was in no real position to help being on the woodland
floor and even if he had been on top of the pipe he would have had no
room to grab me and stay secure himself! It suddenly seemed incredibly
desperate and I was pretty much freaking out, Stoop chilled me out and
with legs still failing he counted me down to one last push which
would either see me out of the shaft or at the bottom of it!
5.... 4.... 3.... 2.... 1 By now I'd given up on being quiet and
as I pulled myself upwards I shouted at the top of my voice in an
all or nothing style, as my body cleared the top of the pipe but
was still more in than out Stoop was able to grab a hold of me and
pull me out past the point where I could have easily fallen back down.
Now pretty much out, my strength left me, gravity took over and I
fell backwards the 4.5 Ft to the woodland floor getting some nice
cuts in the process.
I lay there, unable to move for a while and then and as I stood
up my legs protested at having to keep me upright! We walked slowly
back to the car and with each step I felt more and more like I was
about to throw up. We made it back to the vehicle with me walking
like E.T by the end of it, Stoop drove back and after a thirty-minute
exposure to the car's heating I was feeling a lot less nauseous.
We got back, had a cup of tea, and then went about our day .........................
.. We'll be back! Pics below are from our recce visit.
