Skirwith Cave
Skirwith Cave | |
---|---|
Location | Ingleborough, North Yorkshire, [UK] |
OS grid | SD 7095 7378 |
Coordinates | 54°09′32″N 2°26′47″W / 54.158807°N 2.446307°W[1] |
Length | 1,000 metres (3,300 ft)[1] |
Elevation | 275 metres (902 ft)[1] |
Discovery | 1934[1] |
Geology | Carboniferous limestone |
Entrances | 1 |
Difficulty | III[1] |
Hazards | water, loose boulders[1] |
Access | Permit [2] |
Cave survey | 1980 NCC line survey on Cavemaps |
Skirwith Cave is a major resurgence solutional cave on Ingleborough in Chapel-le-Dale, North Yorkshire, England; it was a show cave between 1964 and 1974. It is no longer open to the public but is still visited by cavers. It lies within the designated Ingleborough Site of Special Scientific Interest.[3]
Description
The current entrance is through an opening in a small
Geology and hydrology
Skirwith Cave is a solutional cave formed in the lowest beds of the
History
It is thought that the cave was first entered by locals in 1934, and at least some of the upstream passages were further explored by members of the Yorkshire Ramblers' Club in 1935.[6] By 1947, the cave had been fully explored to the first sump.[7] The sumps were explored in 1965 and 1966 by members of the Happy Wanderers Cave and Pothole Club.[8]
The cave was opened as a show cave in 1964; it was always a smaller commercial operation than the nearby showcaves Ingleborough and White Scar, and more difficult of access for visitors. Blasting from the local quarry destabilized the roof and boulder piles, and the cave was closed in 1974. Little evidence remains above ground of its use as a show cave.[9]
References
- ^ ISBN 1855680335.
- ^ "Cave Access Information". Council of Northern Caving Clubs. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
- ^ "Designated Sites View - Ingleboroough SSI". Natural England. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
- ISBN 0412788608.
- ISBN 978-0-901031-08-2.
- ^ YRC Committee (1936). "Cave Exploration". Yorkshire Ramblers' Club Journal. 6 (22): 349–357. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ Thornber, Norman (1947). Pennine Underground. Clapham, via Lancaster: The Dalesman Publishing Company. pp. 173–174.
- ^ Southworth, John (1966). "Skirwith Cave". Happy Wanderers Cave and Pothole Club: 7–8.
- ^ Duckeck, Jochen. "Skirwith Cave". showcaves.com. Retrieved 5 February 2016.