Charles Dawson — Ancient and Modern " Dene Holes." 295 



The whole of this area is covered with countless thousands of pits 

 resembling the dene holes of Essex and Kent. They represent, in 

 fact, the result of the usual method of procuring the limestone 

 wherever the stone is quarried from a depth below the surface of 

 the ground. The workmen, who with their forefathers have been 

 accustomed to this industry all their lives, perform the work with 

 wonderful celerity. The stratum of stone having been ascertained 

 to exist near the surface, a well about three to four feet in diameter 

 is commenced in certain blue and brown shales, and usually reaches 

 the limestone within 40 feet (sometimes 50 or 55 feet) from the 

 surface. The cavity above the stone is then belled out on all sides 

 to a diameter varying with the stability of the strata. Sometimes 

 the cavity is 15 or 16 feet in diameter, sometimes considerably 

 more. The stone is then removed, and four small arched lateral 

 chambers are dug at four equidistant points in the side of the 

 bell-shaped cavity so as to extract as much stone as the pitman 

 dare without endangering his life. Three men are employed in and 

 about the hole when in full working order. The stone is hauled up 

 by one of the" men on the surface by means of a windlass of very 

 primitive description and a handle of a curved peculiar shape which 

 is characteristic. Sometimes there is a handle each end of the 

 windlass where the work is heavy. 



Stone Pit-mouth, showing primitive Windlass and " Trug-Basket." 



To the cord is attached a Sussex " trug-basket," in which the 

 smaller fragments of the stone are hauled up ; the larger pieces 

 are tied by the cord and hauled separately. The writer made the 

 usual descent into the pit, which is performed by placing the toe on 

 the hook of the cord and holding the rope above, the windlass being 

 carefully unwound by the man at the surface. With a frayed rope 

 not an inch in diameter this may seem dangerous ; but few accidents 

 have been knov/n to occur. 



While the last pieces of stone are being removed from the pit 

 one of the men commences another shaft about six yards away, so 

 that it may be well forward by the time the other work is 

 completed. Sufficient room is scrupulously left to prevent one 

 chamber encroaching too near to the other, and it is therefore 

 necessary to adopt some regularity in their design. And so the 

 operation is repeated over and over again without any variation of 

 importance. 



