Banwell Caves
Notification 1963 | | |
| Natural England website | ||
| Banwell Bone Cave | |
|---|---|
| Location | Banwell |
| Depth | 25m |
| Length | 92m |
| Geology | Limestone |
| Cave survey | Mendip Cave Registry & Archive: (1) and (2) |
| Banwell Stalactite Cave | |
|---|---|
| Location | Banwell |
| Depth | 62m |
| Length | 271m |
| Geology | Limestone |
| Cave survey | Mendip Cave Registry & Archive: (1) and (2) |
Banwell Caves (
The site comprises two caves, called 'Banwell Bone Cave' and 'Banwell Stalactite Cave', which lie within the grounds of a large house, at the western end of Banwell Hill. The caves contain
The site also has several grottos and follies, including the Pebble summerhouse, Druid's Temple, an osteoicon (or bone repository) and Banwell Tower which was completed in 1840.[2]
History
The first cave to be discovered was the Stalactite Cave in 1757. This was opened in 1824 as a show cave to raise money for the local school. In an attempt to make access easier, a tunnel was dug into the hill during which the bone cave was discovered in 1825.
The estate was owned by
Since the 1970s, preservation and restoration work has been undertaken.
Bone Cave
Banwell Bone Cave is 100 m (328 ft) long and 20 m (66 ft) deep. The Bone Cavern itself is 8 m (26 ft) high and wide and 20 m long. It is approached through an early 19th-century archway.
The Bone Cave was discovered in 1824 during attempts to drive a horizontal passage into the Stalactite Cave. Archaeological excavation was carried out by William Beard, with some of the bones being removed, but many being left in the cave in stacks.[5][6]
Stalactite Cave
Banwell Stalactite Cave is 240 m (787 ft) long and 75 m (246 ft) deep. Although no stream now runs through the cave, there is a deep lake in one of the chambers.[5] The Stalactite Cave was entered by miners in 1757,[4] and was a show cave between about 1824 and 1864.[7]
Banwell Tower
The 18-metre (59 ft) high, three-stage tower, which is also known as the Banwell Monument or Banwell Pepperpot, was built in 1840 from local lias stone with some decoration in Bath stone. During World War II, it was used as a lookout tower by the Home Guard.[2] By the 1960s it was in a poor state of repair and could no longer be seen above the growing treetops. Local conservation groups undertook conservation work, and it was reopened to the public in 1996. It is a Grade II listed building.[8]
See also
References
- ^ "Banwell Caves" (PDF). English Nature. Retrieved 9 July 2006.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9546138-7-7.
- ^ "Bone Cave entrance". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
- ^ a b "Mendip caves: Western Mendip". British Geological Survey. 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
- ^ ISBN 0-9536103-0-6.
- ^ "Banwell Bone Cavern". Mendip Cave Registry & Archive.
- ^ "Banwell Stalactite Cave". Mendip Cave Registry & Archive.
- ^ "Banwell Monument". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 12 September 2009.