For Sale
SOMERSET UNDERGROUND - 1
VOLUME 1 (Bristol, Broadfield Down, The Bristol Channel & West Somerset)
by R. M. Taviner
Winner of the prestigious Tratman Award for 2020, this is the first of four volumes covering almost every conceivable underground site in the historic County of Somerset. Comprising 275 pages, it contains details of more than 800 natural caves, sea caves, mines, sinks, risings, springs, holy wells and artificial underground sites in Bristol, the Avon Gorge, Broadfield Down, the entire Bristol Channel and West Somerset including Milverton, the Quantocks, the Brendons and Exmoor. Priced at a mere £10 (plus p&p), this stitched, flexibound, full-colour production has been especially designed for use in the field. Volume Two (West Mendip, Burrington and North Mendip) is currently at the printers and should be available in Summer 2020. Volumes Three (Central and South Mendip) and Four (East Mendip, Bath and South Somerset) are on course for completion in 2021/2022. The four volumes combined cover more than 2400 sites throughout Somerset and over the course of a twelve-year project the MCRA have re-visited all that remain practicably accessible, including almost 400 previously unrecorded sites.
PURCHASE OPTIONS
Contact or post cheques (Made payable to MCRA) to -
Alan Gray - toursandresearch@yahoo.com
42, Maynard Terrace
Clutton
Somerset
BS39 5PW
You can pay by PayPal or Credit Card by clicking on the appropriate button.
| Delivery Method | Price Per Copy |
|---|---|
| Somerset Underground 1 - By post UK | £12:50 |
To purchase multiple copies or from overseas, please ask for a quote since p&p costs vary.
SOMERSET UNDERGROUND - 2
VOLUME 2 (West Mendip, Burrington & North Mendip)
by R. M. Taviner
Winner of the prestigious Tratman Award for 2020, this is the second of four volumes covering almost every conceivable underground site in the historic County of Somerset. Comprising 261 pages, it contains details of almost 600 natural caves, mines, sinks, risings, springs, holy wells and artificial underground sites in West Mendip, Burrington and North Mendip. Specific areas covered by this guide include Bleadon Hill, Loxton, Banwell, Sandford Hill, Shipham, Compton Bishop, Axbridge, Dolebury & Rowberrow, Burrington Combe, Rickford, Compton Martin, East Harptree, Lamb Bottom, Eaker Hill and Chewton Mendip. Priced at a mere £10 (plus p&p), this stitched, flexibound, full-colour production has been especially designed for use in the field. Volumes Three (Central and South Mendip) and Four (East Mendip, Bath and South Somerset) remain on course for completion in 2021/2022. The four volumes combined cover more than 2400 sites throughout Somerset and over the course of a twelve-year project the MCRA have re-visited all that remain practicably accessible, including almost 400 previously unrecorded sites.
PURCHASE OPTIONS
Contact or post cheques (Made payable to MCRA) to -
Alan Gray - toursandresearch@yahoo.com
42, Maynard Terrace
Clutton
Somerset
BS39 5PW
You can pay by PayPal or Credit Card by clicking on the appropriate button.
| Delivery Method | Price Per Copy |
|---|---|
| Somerset Underground 2 - By post UK | £12:50 |
To purchase multiple copies or from overseas, please ask for a quote since p&p costs vary.
SOMERSET UNDERGROUND - 3
VOLUME 3 (Central & South Mendip)
by R. M. Taviner
This is the third of four volumes covering almost every conceivable underground site in the historic County of Somerset. Comprising 266 pages, it contains details of almost 500 natural caves, mines, sinks, risings, springs, holy wells and artificial underground sites in Central and South Mendip, including the major catchment areas of Cheddar Risings and Wookey Hole. Priced at a mere £10 (plus p&p), this stitched, flexibound, full-colour production has been especially designed for use in the field. Volume Four (East Mendip, Bath and South Somerset) is on course for completion in 2023/2024. The four volumes combined cover more than 2400 sites throughout Somerset and over the course of a fifteen-year project the MCRA have re-visited all that remain practicably accessible, including almost 400 previously unrecorded sites.
PURCHASE OPTIONS
Contact or post cheques (Made payable to MCRA) to -
Alan Gray - toursandresearch@yahoo.com
42, Maynard Terrace
Clutton
Somerset
BS39 5PW
You can pay by PayPal or Credit Card by clicking on the appropriate button.
| Delivery Method | Price Per Copy |
|---|---|
| Somerset Underground 3 - By post UK | £12:50 |
To purchase multiple copies or from overseas, please ask for a quote since p&p costs vary.
SOMERSET UNDERGROUND - 4
VOLUME 4 (East Mendip, Bath & South Somerset)
by R. M. Taviner
This is the final instalment of four volumes covering almost every conceivable underground site in the historic County of Somerset. Comprising 283 pages, it contains details of more than 500 natural caves, mines, sinks, risings, springs, holy wells and artificial underground sites in East Mendip, Bath and South Somerset including the Bath hot springs, Glastonbury and the major catchment area of St Andrew’s Well. Priced at a mere £10 (plus p&p), this stitched, flexibound, full-colour production has been especially designed for use in the field. The four volumes combined cover more than 2400 sites throughout Somerset and over the course of a fifteen-year project the MCRA have re-visited all that remain practicably accessible, including almost 400 previously unrecorded sites.
PURCHASE OPTIONS
Contact or post cheques (Made payable to MCRA) to -
Alan Gray - toursandresearch@yahoo.com
42, Maynard Terrace
Clutton
Somerset
BS39 5PW
You can pay by PayPal or Credit Card by clicking on the appropriate button.
| Delivery Method | Price Per Copy |
|---|---|
| Somerset Underground 4 - By post UK | £12:50 |
To purchase multiple copies or from overseas, please ask for a quote since p&p costs vary.
MINES and MINERALS of the MENDIP HILLS
by Peter S Burr
“Mines and Minerals of the Mendip Hills will not only become the standard reference on the subject, it will remain so for many years” - Chris Howes, Descent
This book is recommended to anyone interested in the Mendips, in British geology or mineralogy, or in British mining, social or economic history. With the exception of one chapter which deals with the origin of the mineral mendipite, every effort was made to make the contents of the book understandable to the lay person. The book is profusely illustrated with some 200 photographs and many maps and diagrams, and contains some 2,700 manuscript, newspaper, and literature references.
Costs £80 £70 which includes UK p&p and consists of two hardback volumes and 1,000 pages, all colour.
Click here for more information
PURCHASE OPTIONS
Contact or post cheques (Made payable to MCRA) to -
Alan Gray - toursandresearch@yahoo.com
42, Maynard Terrace
Clutton
Somerset
BS39 5PW
To purchase multiple copies or from overseas, please ask for a quote since p&p costs vary.
Click here for more information
MENDIP UNDERGROUND 5
A Cavers Guide
Compiled and edited by registrars Alan Gray, Rob Taviner and Richard Witcombe.
A thoroughly revised, full colour production featuring :-
Many new entries including the big discoveries at Charterhouse Cave, Reservoir Hole and Upper Flood Swallet.
- Full surveys
- TOPOs
- Rigging Guides
- Original colour photographs
Read more about the book at https://www.mcra.org.uk/mu/mu5.html.
EARTH COLOURS
Mendip & Bristol Ochre Mining
Earth Colours by Marie Clarke, Neville Gregory and Alan Gray
Earth Colours provides an historical record of ochre mining and the use of ochre on Mendip from the Roman times until the mid 20th century. Neville concentrated on the technical and historical aspects of the industry and Marie looked at what the impact of ochre mining was on the towns, villages and people – her anecdotes of characters and life of the times give a human aspect to this book and some unexpected insights – not least of which being lies, theft and murder! Tony Jarratt reviewed this book and stated that it will put an entirely different emphasis on mining on Mendip whereas it was thought that the majority of mining was for lead the balance will now be restored with half the mining being for lead and the other half being for ochre.
Alan Gray sourced the photographs and redrew all the maps and diagrams and wrote part of Chapter 12 which brings the research from the 1980's to 2011. This book was researched during the 1970’s and was not published. Unfortunately Marie passed away and during 2007 Alan was contacted by Josyanne Clarke (Marie’s daughter) who wished to publish the book as a tribute to her mother. The book is the same size as the Swildon's and Wookey books so it is a must buy.
Statistics – 292 pages long, hardback in full colour.
Delivery Options
Contact or post cheques (Made payable to MCRA) to -
Alan Gray - toursandresearch@yahoo.com
42, Maynard Terrace
Clutton
Somerset
BS39 5PW
You can pay by PayPal or Credit Card by clicking on the appropriate button.
| Delivery Method | Price Per Copy |
|---|---|
| Earth Colours - By post UK | £9 |
To purchase multiple copies or from overseas, please ask for a quote since p&p costs vary.
J-RAT'S BEQUEST
In the weeks leading up to his death, Tony Jarratt very generously donated his remaining stock of the fourth edition of “Mendip Underground” and Herbert Balch's classic “Mendip - Its Swallet Caves and Rock Shelters” to the Mendip Cave Registry and Archive. It was Tony's wish that the books be sold by the MCRA to raise funds for the publication of a fifth edition of “Mendip Underground”. The MCRA will fulfil Tony's wish in the next 2 to 3 years and will dedicate the new book to both Tony and Dave Irwin, his co-author for the third and fourth editions.
The sale price for both books has been fixed at £5 each. The two books can be bought together (while stocks last) for a discounted price of £9.
