Many of our visitors will already have heard about The Dig at Poole’s Cavern. For several years, volunteer cavers Allan Berry and Simon Dillon have been working on an ambitious project deep within the cavern, carefully excavating through a challenging boulder choke in the hope of discovering previously unexplored cave passages beyond.

Progress is slow and painstaking. The work involves carefully removing material and, in places, installing scaffolding to safely support sections of the dig. The team is following a compass bearing informed by previous radar surveys and the successful drilling of boreholes, which have helped to build a picture of what may lie beyond.

Their ultimate goal is to reach a potential new chamber, known as “Seventh Heaven.” But what does it actually take to undertake a dig underground, and how do you know where to dig when you cannot see what lies ahead?

Join Allan for an engaging and accessible talk about the ongoing exploration of Poole’s Cavern. He will take you behind the scenes of The Dig, explaining how the project began, the geological setting, the planning and safety considerations, the equipment and excavation techniques used, and the challenges of working underground.

The talk will also explore the discoveries and findings made so far, the importance of protecting the cave environment, and what the team hopes the future may hold.

The talk will finish with an opportunity for questions and discussion, giving visitors the chance to find out more about this fascinating ongoing project directly from one of the volunteers involved.