British Caving Library

Whilst sorting through some British Speleological Society archive material, a box of 16 mm film clips were found together with some notes. These were passed across to Sid Perou, who identifying them as being very fragile, negotiated with the Yorkshire Film Archive that they be digitised and enhanced, with the YFA retaining the originals for safe-keeping. Copies were then returned on DV tapes, which allowed Sid to inspect the contents.

They turned out to be the original 1953 experiments by the BSA, led by Eli Simpson, which were intended to be the preparatory work for making a film about limestone caves in the Yorkshire Dales called "Birth of a Yorkshire River". As originally conceived, it was a grandiose project which included resurrecting the waterfall at Malham Cove using pumps and laying hoses down the Watlowes Valley, and powering large underground lights with an even larger generator which needed to be transported to the cave entrances. But as the technical and cost constraints became apparent, the project was abandoned and all that remains are these rushes and notes. Using his technical know-how and a lot of detective work, Sid unravelled the story and made a superb documentary on the project first shown at the BCA's Hidden Earth. This may be viewed online.

The rushes may be viewed from the links below. Places shown in the clips include Gatekirk Cave, Hull Pot, Hunt Pot, Ingleborough Cave, the Ingleborough Estate grounds, Ingleborough Hall, Malham village, Malham Tarn, and Malham Cove. People include Arnold Brown, who was the Ingleborough Cave guide between 1939 and 1962, Norman Hinchcliffe, Cymmie himself, and a glamorous mystery blonde.