CONTENTS
- NORTH OF ENGLAND - GAPING GILL
- SOUTH OF ENGLAND - SWILDON'S HOLE
- WALES - PORT YR OGOF
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SCOTLAND - FINGAL'S CAVE
NORTH OF ENGLAND - GAPING GILL
The Yorkshire Dales is one of the best caving locations in the country, thanks to the limestone landscape known as karst which abounds in this area. What’s special about Yorkshire’s caves is their size. As well as the longest cave system in the country, there are huge caverns beneath the ground here. The best example is the aptly named Gaping Gill, whose main chamber measures 129 metres long and 25 metres wide. The roof is around 30 metres high, but the most common entrance is through a shaft which opens 111 metres above the cave floor.
Obviously, the main attraction here is the size - it’s said to be large enough to house St Paul’s Cathedral - but the stalagmites, stalactites and falling torrents of water give it an alien beauty that’s hard to find anywhere else on, or under, Earth. You can witness this sight without the squeeze and scrambling usually associated with caving. Twice a year, local caving clubs set up a winch at the shaft entrance and allow members of the public to descend into its depths, where flood lights illuminate the incredible space.
SOUTH OF ENGLAND - SWILDON'S HOLE
The longest may be in Yorkshire, but the largest cave system in the UK (calculated by volume) is in the Mendip Hills, Somerset. One of the most interesting, and most accessible, parts of the system is Swildon’s Hole. If Gaping Gill is impressive for its dimensions, this cave is characterised by water. Exploring the cave involves following underwater streams, abseiling down waterfalls and marvelling at the rock formations sculpted by running water.
It’s possible to visit this cave on a guided tour. You’ll be kitted out with caving equipment - a helmet with a torch mounted on it, wellies and a waterproof one-piece suit - in order to withstand the inhospitable conditions. In this way, Swildon’s Hole is a great choice for anyone interested in caving not just for the underground sights to see, but in the techniques and practices involved in finding them.
WALES - PORTH YR OGOF
The classic image of a cave is usually a gaping entrance in a hillside, and that’s exactly what you’re faced with on the approach to Porth yr Ogof, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. At 8 metres high and 20 metres wide, this is the biggest cave mouth in Wales. Walking into Porth yr Ogof can feel like entering the lair of a Welsh Dragon, and the network of passages and tunnels that soon break off from the main atrium just add to the anticipation.
Porth yr Ogof is a wonderful cave to explore for newcomers to the sport, as there are no big drops or other dangers in the areas visited by groups. There is running water, the river Afon Mellte which is Welsh for Lightning River. Caving guides will take absolute beginners, including children, into this cave to explore part of the 1.5 mile system.
SCOTLAND - FINGAL'S CAVE
Our final entry on the list is a little different, as Fingal’s Cave is a sea cave. Its half submerged entrance can be spotted in the cliffs of the Hebridean island of Staffa from miles away, but it’s at shorter distances that the size and beauty of the cave becomes clear. The cave is cut into hexagonal basalt pillars - the same stuff that the Giant’s Causeway is made of, giving it an strange, almost artificial appearance. Views of the cave have inspired artists and poets such as J.M.W. Turner, James Macpherson and William Wordsworth, while the composer Felix Mendelssohn wrote an overture inspired by the echoes of crashing waves inside in the cave.
Visiting Fingal’s Cave isn’t a caving experience as such, because you have to take a boat trip. Nevertheless, it’s an incredibly exciting trip across the North Atlantic from the island of Iona, which is itself just off the larger island of Mull. It’s not uncommon to see dolphins, basking sharks and sea birds on the crossing, before the looming towers of basalt announce the opening of the cave mouth.
If that's whet your appetite for spelunking, take a look at our caving experiences in the UK. You can read the descriptions, or contact the providers, to find out which excursions will be suitable for you. Good luck!
