The Caves of the Mendip Hills are formed by the particular geology of the Mendip Hills, with large areas of limestone worn away by water makes it a national centre for caving. Swildon's Hole ( is an extensive Cave in Priddy, Somerset. The first recorded exploration occurred in 1901 and new sections have frequently been The Mendip Hills (commonly called The Mendips) are a range of Limestone hills situated to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset Caving or spelunking is the recreational Sport of exploring Caves In contrast Speleology is the scientific study of caves and the cave The hills conceal the largest underground river system in Britain. [1]
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Geology
The hills consist of anticlines of Carboniferous Limestone lying over Devonian Old Red Sandstone. In Structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is convex up and has its oldest beds at its core Carboniferous Limestone is a type of Limestone rock, which was laid down in Great Britain and Ireland in the Dinantian stage The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era spanning from to million years ago. The Old Red Sandstone is a Rock formation of considerable importance to early Paleontology. When a surface stream running down one of the Sandstone peaks reaches the layer of Limestone it sinks below ground through a "swallet", continuing on its way down towards sea level by enlarging existing cracks in the rock to form caves. A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or Cenote, is a natural depression The catchment area of the Cheddar Yeo, which rises in Gough's Cave, measures 54 km² (20. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 8 sq mi). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Dye marking shows that some of the water travels underground for up to 10 miles (16 km), taking up to 14 days to reach Cheddar. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Cheddar is a large Village and Civil parish in the district of Sedgemoor in the English county of Somerset.
History
The earliest scientifically dated cemetery in Britain was found at Aveline's Hole, near Burrington Combe. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Aveline's Hole ( is a cave at Burrington Combe in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. Burrington Combe ( is a Carboniferous limestone Gorge near the village of Burrington, on the north side of the Mendip Hills, in North Somerset The human bone fragments it contained, from about 21 different individuals, are thought to be between roughly 10,200 and 10,400 years old. [2][3]
Archaeological evidence including pottery, flints, hearths, coins, burials and metalwork from the Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman eras have been found in many of the caves. The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of human technology in between the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. [4]
Access
The caves which are easily accessible to the public are at Cheddar Gorge and Caves and Wookey Hole, but the vast majority of the caves require specialist equipment and knowledge. Wookey Hole is a village close to Wells in Somerset, England. Many of the caves are gated and operate leader systems in an attempt to reduce the damage caused when the caves are visited. [5] Local caving groups organise trips and continue to discover new caverns.
Cave Diving
Attempts to move from one cave to another through the underground rivers led to the development of cave diving, with Swildon's Hole being the site of the first cave dive attempt in Britain, in 1934 and the first successful cave dive in Britain, being achieved the following year at Wookey Hole where the last sump is currently the deepest sump in Britain at 76 m (249 ft). Cave diving is a type of Technical diving in which specialized SCUBA equipment is used to enable the exploration of natural or artificial Caves which are Swildon's Hole ( is an extensive Cave in Priddy, Somerset. The first recorded exploration occurred in 1901 and new sections have frequently been Wookey Hole is a village close to Wells in Somerset, England. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
The cave complexes at St. Dunstan's Well Catchment, Thrupe Lane Swallet, Lamb Leer and Priddy Caves have been identified as geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. St Dunstan's Well Catchment ( is a Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, covering near Stoke St Michael in the Mendip Hills, Somerset Thrupe Lane Swallet ( is a 05 Hectare Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, notified in 1992 Lamb Leer ( is a 1459 Hectare (3604 acre Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest between East Harptree and Priddy in the Mendip Priddy Caves ( is an Area 676 Hectare (1670 acre Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Priddy in the Mendip Hills, Somerset A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. There are also caves within the Cheddar Complex SSSI. The Cheddar Complex is a 4413 Hectare (10905 acre Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Cheddar and around the Cheddar Gorge
List of caves
A selection of the better known caves are listed below
| Name | Location | Map | Length (km) | Depth (m) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aveline's Hole | Burrington Combe | ST47615867 | 0. Aveline's Hole ( is a cave at Burrington Combe in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. Burrington Combe ( is a Carboniferous limestone Gorge near the village of Burrington, on the north side of the Mendip Hills, in North Somerset 067 | 16 | Site of early cemetery & cave markings |
| Axbridge Ochre Mine | Axbridge | ST429552 | 0. Axbridge is a Town in Somerset, England, situated in the Sedgemoor district on the River Axe, near the southern edge of the Mendip 132 | 33 | |
| Banwell Caves | Banwell | ST38225881 | 0. Banwell Caves ( are a 17 Hectare Geological and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Banwell, North Somerset Banwell is a village in the North Somerset district of Somerset, England. 097 | 21 | geological Site of Special Scientific Interest |
| Banwell Ochre Caves | Banwell | ST40605904 | geological Site of Special Scientific Interest | ||
| Compton Martin Ochre Mine | Compton Martin | ST543566 | 0. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. Banwell Ochre Caves ( are a 1246 Hectare Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Banwell, North Somerset, Banwell is a village in the North Somerset district of Somerset, England. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. Compton Martin Ochre Mine ( is a 085 Hectare Geological and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Compton Martin, Somerset Compton Martin ( is a small village within the Chew Valley in Somerset and Civil parish in the North Somerset Unitary authority 4 | 21 | geological Site of Special Scientific Interest |
| Cox's cave | Cheddar | ST46465390 | Open to the general public as a show cave | ||
| Fairy Cave Quarry *Balch Cave *Conning Tower Cave *Fairy Cave *Fernhill Cave *Hillier's Cave *Hillwithy Cave *Shatter Cave *W/L Cave *Withyhill Cave |
Stoke St Michael | ST65654775 | 1. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. Cox's cave ( is in Cheddar Gorge on the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. Cheddar is a large Village and Civil parish in the district of Sedgemoor in the English county of Somerset. Show caves, also called tourist caves, public caves, and in the U Fairy Cave Quarry ( is between Stoke St Michael and Oakhill in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. Balch Cave ( is a cave in Fairy Cave Quarry, near Stoke St Michael in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. Hillier's Cave ( is a cave in Fairy Cave Quarry, near Stoke St Michael in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England Shatter Cave ( is a cave in Fairy Cave Quarry, near Stoke St Michael in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. Stoke St Michael is a village and Civil parish on the Mendip Hills 4 miles north east of Shepton Mallet, and 8 miles west of Frome, in the 17[6] | <60[6] | Many highly decorated. |
| GB Cave | Nr Shipham | ST47595623 | 1. GB Cave ( is a cave near Shipham in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. Shipham ( is a village in Somerset, England on the western edge of the Mendip Hills near the A38, approximately 15 miles south of Bristol 95[6] | 134[6] | Named after Goddard and Baker who first discovered it. Part of the Cheddar Complex SSSI. The Cheddar Complex is a 4413 Hectare (10905 acre Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Cheddar and around the Cheddar Gorge |
| Goatchurch Cavern | Burrington | ST47585823 | 0. Goatchurch Cavern ( is a cave on the edge of Burrington Combe in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. Burrington is a small village and Civil parish in the Chew Valley, 5 miles to the N 75 | 55 | |
| Gough's Cave | Cheddar | ST46705391 | 2. Gough's Cave is located in Cheddar Gorge on the Mendip Hills, in Cheddar, Somerset, England. Cheddar is a large Village and Civil parish in the district of Sedgemoor in the English county of Somerset. 135[6] | 90[6] | Open to the general public as a show cave |
| Lamb Leer | East Harptree | ST54325505 | 0. Show caves, also called tourist caves, public caves, and in the U Lamb Leer ( is a 1459 Hectare (3604 acre Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest between East Harptree and Priddy in the Mendip East Harptree ( is situated 5 miles north of Wells and 15 miles south of Bristol, on the northern slope of the Mendip Hills overlooking the Chew 64 | 67 | geological Site of Special Scientific Interest |
| Longwood Swallet | Cheddar Complex | ST48615571 | 1. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. Longwood Swallet ( is a cave near Charterhouse, in the carboniferous limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. The Cheddar Complex is a 4413 Hectare (10905 acre Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Cheddar and around the Cheddar Gorge 65 | 175 | Part of the Cheddar Complex SSSI. The Cheddar Complex is a 4413 Hectare (10905 acre Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Cheddar and around the Cheddar Gorge |
| Manor Farm Swallet | Charterhouse | ST49825566 | 1. Charterhouse, also known as Charterhouse-on-Mendip, is a small hamlet in the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB in the 06[6] | 156[6] | |
| Priddy Caves *Eastwater Cavern *Hunter`s Hole *St Cuthbert's Swallet *Swildon's Hole *Wigmore Swallet |
Priddy | ST53885062 | |||
| Rod's Pot | Burrington | ST47215844 | 0. Priddy Caves ( is an Area 676 Hectare (1670 acre Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Priddy in the Mendip Hills, Somerset Eastwater Cavern ( is a cave near Priddy in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. St Cuthbert's Swallet ( is a cave which forms a major part of the Priddy Caves system in the Limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, Swildon's Hole ( is an extensive Cave in Priddy, Somerset. The first recorded exploration occurred in 1901 and new sections have frequently been Priddy is a village in Somerset, England in the Mendip Hills, close to East Harptree and north west of Wells. Rod's Pot is a Limestone cave above Burrington Combe in the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. Burrington is a small village and Civil parish in the Chew Valley, 5 miles to the N 188 | 45 | In September 2007, digging established a link through to nearby Bath Swallet |
| Sidcot Swallet | Burrington | ST47545828 | 0. Sidcot Swallet ( is a cave near Burrington Combe, in the carboniferous limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. Burrington is a small village and Civil parish in the Chew Valley, 5 miles to the N 2 | 28 | |
| Stoke Lane Slocker | Stoke St Michael | ST66874745 | 2. Stoke Lane Slocker ( is a cave near Stoke St Michael, in the Carboniferous limestone of the Mendip Hills, in the English County of Stoke St Michael is a village and Civil parish on the Mendip Hills 4 miles north east of Shepton Mallet, and 8 miles west of Frome, in the 18[6] | <60[6] | A low, wet cave containing sumps early on and decorated chambers later. The cave is well known for producing cases of Weils Disease. Leptospirosis (also known as Weil's disease, canicola fever, canefield fever, nanukayami fever, 7-day fever and many more is a |
| Thrupe Lane Swallet | Shepton Mallet | ST60384580 | 1. Thrupe Lane Swallet ( is a 05 Hectare Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, notified in 1992 Shepton Mallet is a small rural Town in Somerset, England. It is situated five miles (8 km to the east of Wells, and lies just 147[6] | 120[6] | geological Site of Special Scientific Interest |
| Tyning`s Barrow Swallet | Cheddar | ST47135638 | 1. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. Cheddar is a large Village and Civil parish in the district of Sedgemoor in the English county of Somerset. 28[6] | <60[6] | |
| Upper Flood Swallet | Charterhouse | ST50575576 | 2[6] | <60[6] | A very well decorated cave with plenty of walking passage, and some tight sections to reach some recent extensions. Upper Flood Swallet ( which was originally known as Blackmoor Flood Swallet is a cave near Charterhouse, in the carboniferous limestone of the Mendip Hills Charterhouse, also known as Charterhouse-on-Mendip, is a small hamlet in the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB in the |
| Wookey Hole Caves | Wookey Hole | ST53184802 | 3. Wookey Hole Caves is a show cave and tourist attraction in the village of Wookey Hole on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills near Wells in Somerset Wookey Hole is a village close to Wells in Somerset, England. 66[6] | 152[6] | There are 25 sumps on the main route through this resurgence cave, several of which are deep, some of which have nearly claimed lives. The first sump was the site of the first successful cave dive in Britain, in 1935, and the last sump is currently the deepest sump in Britain at 76 m (249 ft). Open to the general public as a show cave |
References
- ^ Fact Sheet 8: Rivers (pdf). Show caves, also called tourist caves, public caves, and in the U Cheddar caves. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva.
- ^ Earliest British cemetery dated. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva.
- ^ Aveline's Hole - An Early Mesolithic Cemetery Site in the Mendips. Rick Schulting. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva.
- ^ Mendip Hills: An Archaeological Survey of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (pdf). Mendip Hills AONB. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva.
- ^ Mendip. Protect Our Caves. Retrieved on 2008-04-15. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Mendip. UK and Ireland Cave Lengths and Depths. Retrieved on 2007-01-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign
Bibliography
- Barrington, Nicholas; Stanton, William (1977). Mendip: The Complete Caves and a View of the Hills. Cheddar Valley P. ISBN 0950145920.
- Irwin, David John; Knibbs Anthony J. (1999). Mendip Undergound: A Cavers Guide. Bat Products. ISBN 0953610306.
External links
- Active Mendip
- Google Map of Mendip Caves from Bracknell District Caving Club
- Wiki about Mendip Caves from UK Caving