Year

Winner

Title

Commended

Judges & notes

Older award winners

1979

Steve Worthington

Sheffield USS Expedition to the Tymphe Mountains, Greece [SUSS Journal]

GPF committee
Award: £25 cash

1980

Martyn Farr

The Darkness Beckons

None

GPF committee

1981

Charlie Self (ed)

Caves of County Clare

None

GPF committee

1982

Juan Corrin (ed)

Caves & Caving

Pozu del Xitu expedition report, OUCC Proceedings (10);
Phil Chapman for cave biology articles in Caves & Caving

GPF committee

1983

Ben Lyon

Venturing Underground

None

GPF committee

1984

David Judson (ed)

Caving Practice and Equipment

Howard Beck for Gaping Gill

GPF committee

1985

Rob Palmer

The Blue Holes of the Bahamas

None

GPF committee
(D67)

1986

Ray Mansfield

Current Titles in Speleology

None

GPF committee

1987

David Rose & Richard Gregson

Beneath the Mountains

None

GPF committee
(D79)

1988

No award

–

–

GPF committee

1989

Northern CC

The Caver

None

Ray Mansfield, Roy Paulson, Nick Williams
(D90)

1990

University of Leeds Speleological Association

ULSA Explorations Journal II

None

Ray Mansfield, Roy Paulson, Nick Williams; cash award increased to £50
(D95)

1991

Martyn Farr

The Darkness Beckons [2nd edition]

The Descent Index issues (1)–(100) by Chris Howes;
‘A History of the WSG 1950-1990’ by Duncan Minty in WSG Bulletin Vol 9 (6);
OUCC Proceedings (13)

Ray Mansfield, Roy Paulson, Nick Williams
(D103)

1992

Queen Mary College Speleological Expedition

Below Belize

An Exploration Journal of Llangattwg Mountain by Chelsea SS;
International Caver edited by Tim Stratford;
Who was Aveline Anyway? by Richard Witcombe

Ray Mansfield, Roy Paulson, Nick Williams
(D108)

1993

David Gibson (ed)

Cave Radio & Electronics Group Journal

None

Ray Mansfield, Roy Paulson, Nick Williams

1994

Yorkshire Subterranean Society

YSS 3

None

Ray Mansfield, Roy Paulson, Nick Williams (D118)

1995

Paul Monico (ed) and the CDG

Northern Sump Index 1995

‘Long-term Quaternary uplift rates ... Malaysia’
by Andy Farrant, Pete Smart, Fiona Whitaker
and Donald Tarling in Geology Vol 23 (4);
Irish Speleology (15)

Ray Mansfield, Roy Paulson, Nick Williams
(D128)

1996

Paul Peppiatt & Kym Price

Underground Photographer

None

Ray Mansfield, Roy Paulson, Nick Williams

1997

Chris Howes

Images Below

Cave Guide to Slovenia by Ian Bishop;
The Caves of Fermanagh and Cavan by Gareth Jones, Gaby Burns, Tim Fogg and John Kelly

Ray Mansfield, Roy Paulson, Nick Williams
(D138)

1998

No award

–

–

GPF committee

1999

No award

–

–

GPF committee

2000

Trevor Shaw

Foreign Travellers in the Slovene Karst 1537-1900

None

Ric Halliwell, Tony Jarratt, Don Mellor
(D159)

2001

Pam & Tim Fogg

Beneath Our Feet

None

Ric Halliwell, Tony Jarratt, Don Mellor
(D162)

2002

Dave Yeandle [posthumously]

The Adventures of Another Pooh

None

Ric Halliwell, Tony Jarratt, Don Mellor (D169)

2003

Jerry Gibbs & Rick Stewart

Moorland Caver

None

Ric Halliwell, Tony Jarratt, Don Mellor
(D176)

2004

John Gunn (ed)

Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science

None

GPF committee
(D177)

2005

No award

–

–

GPF committee

2006

Graham Proudlove

Essential Sources in Cave Science and Subterranean Fishes of the World

None

GPF committee
(D190, D194)

2007

Wessex Cave Club

Swildon’s Hole

Not for the Faint-Hearted by Mike Cooper;
The Hollow Mountain 1974-2006 by Imperial College CC

GPF committee
(D200)

2008

Judith Calford & Chris Howes

Descent

Lead Mining in Derbyshire, Vol. 2, by Jim Rieuwerts;
Memoirs of a Moldywarp by Pete Ryder;
Great Caves of the World by Tony Waltham

GPF committee

2009

–

–

–

GPF committee

2010

Joint award:

Juan Corrin & Peter Smith (eds)

Jim Hanwell, Duncan Price
& Richard Witcombe

Matienzo

Wookey Hole

Red Rose CPC Journal (10) edited by Paul Swire;

Is That So? edited by Rob Taviner

Chris Howes, Alan Jeffreys, Martin Mills; cash award changes to become a presentation trophy
(D217, D214)

Caves of the Peak District by Iain Barker and John Beck;
Sheffield University SS 50th anniversary journal 1961-2011 edited by Rob Middleton;
Shuttleworth Pot into Witches Cave II, edited by Pete Monk;
Aspects of the History of Slovene Karst 1545-2008 by Trevor Shaw

2012

Trevor Shaw and Alenka Cuk

Slovene Caves & Karst

The Three Counties breakthrough articles in Descent (224) and (225);

Bath Stone Quarries by Derek Hawkins;

The Cave Radio & Electronics Group Journal, for its long-running production at a high standard;

Earth Colours by Marie Clarke, Neville Gregory and Alan Gray;

Phil Hendy’s series of caving articles in the Mendip Times

Ric Halliwell, Chris Howes, Alan Jeffreys, Martin Mills

Tim Allen and Frank Pearson for their‘A Midge-infested, draughtless no-hoper ...’ and ‘We should have gone to Aygill’ linked articles in Descent (230);

Peter Barry and Alasdair Kennedy (eds) of Irish Speleology (20) (Descent 235);

Martyn Farr for Classic Darksite Diving;
Dave Gill for ‘Bottoming the Berger – on Ladders’ in Descent (235);

Jim Rieuwerts for Adventurers in the Lead Trade (Descent 233);

Tony Waltham and David Lowe for Caves and Karst of the Yorkshire Dales (Descent 232)

Peter Barry and Alasdair Kennedy (eds) for issue (21) of Irish Speleology (Descent 241);

Roger Burt and others for Mining in Cornwall and Devon (Descent 241);

Matt Ewles and Gary Douthwaite (eds) for The Journal of York CC & North York Moors CC (2) (Descent 241);

Kelvin Lake and David Poyner (eds) for 50 Years of Mine Exploration (Descent 241);

Jean Shaw for Caves of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Descent 237);

John Wilmut, Chris Proctor and David Jean for Exploring the Limestones of South Devon (Descent 240)

Michael Adams for One Man One Pan (Descent 248);

Peter S. Burr for Mines and Minerals of the Mendip Hills (Descent 247);

Ralph Crane and Lisa Fletcher for Cave. Nature and culture (Descent 249);

Elaine Hill and Adrian Hall (comps) for Northern Sump Index 2015 (Descent 245);

Dewi Lloyd (ed) for NPC Journal 2015 (Descent 247);

Duncan Price for Underwater Potholer (Descent 245);

Michael Shaw, David Poyner and Robert Evans for Aerial Ropeways of Shropshire (Descent 247);

Trevor Shaw and Alenka Cuk for Slovene Karst and Caves in the Past (Descent 246)

Jim Rieuwerts and Phil Wolstenholme for The Castleton Mines

Peter Barry and Alasdair Kennedy (eds) for Irish Speleology (22)

Andy Chapman for compiling Mike Boon's writings in A Spider's Thread of Shining Silver

Marion Dowd for Underground Archaeology

With special mention of Thomas Arbenz' books in the Cave Pearls of Meghalaya series

Tony Waltham and Deej Lowe for Caves and Karst of the Yorkshire Dales 2

Sam Allshorn and Paul Swire for Northern Caves. The Three Counties System and the North-West

Martyn Farr for The Darkness Beckons (3rd edn)

Mark White for William Boyd Dawkins & The Victorian Science of Cave Hunting

Phil Wolstenholme for editing the TSG Journal (19)

Peter Barry for Irish Speleology (23)

David Drew for Karst of Ireland

Martin Ellis for 'The Tham Luang Cave Rescue - a personal account' in Shepton Mallet CC Journal Series 13, (9)

Chris Howes for 'Mission Impossible' in Descent (263)

Trevor Shaw for Skocjanske jame 2920-1940

John Barnatt for The Archaeology of Underground Mines and Quarries in England

Peter Barry and Alasdair Kennedy for Irish Speleology (24)

Annie Farrer and john Cordingley for The Earth Beneath My Feet

Elaine and Bob Hall for South Wales CC Newsletter (136)

Robert Macfarlane for Underland

Chris Scaife for The Caves of Northumberland

Bryan 'Scoff' Schofield for Bumbling in the Dark

Chris Blakeley and Gina Moseley for their two-part Greenland articles in Descent (273) and (274)

Juan Corrin (ed) for Matienzo Caves Project 2010-2019

Martin Ellis for The Caves of Western and Central Thailand

Dave Gill for Journeys Beneath the Earth

Bob and Elaine Hall (eds) for South Wales CC Newsletter (137)