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Devonian limestone is found in patches throughout the county but mainly to the south and west apart from an area on the north coast near Ilfracombe. There are few areas large enough to possess the karst landscape typical of the Mendips or Yorkshire Dales and most of the caves have been discovered during the course of quarrying for limestone. Where the limestone outcrops on the coast there are some interesting sea caves. Intensive farming in Devon has also made it difficult to recognize the location of limestone features and where they do exist they have probably been heavily modified by stone extraction. One of the most picturesque locations is Chudleigh Rocks and here there are several small cave systems and, quite possibly more exist as is suggested by the relatively recent discovery of Skullcap Cave.


Here are some of my images of caves I have visited in Devon. There are few large cave systems in Devon and those one can visit tend to be muddy. However there are some unusual sites. There are two major clubs in Devon the Devon Spelaeological Society and the Plymouth Caving Group. The DSS is the older of the organisations and has a field hut in Buckfastleigh. The PCG have done a considerable amount of mine exploration and mapping both in Devon and Cornwall.

Buckfastleigh Area

Baker's Pit

Although Baker's Pit is linked to nearby Reed's Cave I have chosen to display them separately. They were discovered nearly a century apart and in a way illustate how caving has progressed from exploration of open holes to planned excavations in search of new cave. Baker's Pit was discovered in a deep limestone quarry on Buckfasteigh Hill extremely close to the local church (gutted by a disastrous fire in 1992) in the mid 19th century, It was systematically explored and surveyed by the then newly formed DSS in the 1940's and some minor discoveries made by digging. In 1968 Plymouth Caving Group made a major find now known as the Plymouth Extension amounting to a kilometre of complex passage which has posed a challenge to surveyors over the last 40 years. The cave is thought to have been formed by the nearby River Dart aeons ago.

Mike Stower (L) and Nick Chichase (R) parked in the quarry at Baker's Pit in 1968

Baker's Pit entrance 1967 (clockwise from rear) Peter Glanvill, Colin Corbett, Wendy Glanvill, Dorothy Smith (now Ball)

Jeremy Vevers outside Baker's Pit entrance 1975

The entrance to Baker's Pit in the 1990's

 

Peter Ravenscroft descending the entrance shaft

Bridget Pearce beside the original entrance

The Main Chamber looking down

Stalagmite flow just beyond the entrance crawl

Looking up the Main Chamber

Members of the Devon Spelaeological Society at the 50th AGM in Main Chamber

Members of the DSS at the 50th AGM

   

Cave Pearls in MainChamber

Passage leading to old entrance

Bat skull at Bat Corner

Crystal floor

Typical Devonshirre stubby helictite

Crystal pools

Cave pearls

Bat bones at Bat Corner

Part of Main Chamber

In Main Chamber

Painted inscription in Main Chamber

Another part of Main Chamber

A rift off Main Chamber

Near the old entrance

 

P

Part of Main Chamber

A crawl off Main Chamber

Crystal floor

Glistening stal

 

Crystal Corridor

Crystal Corridor

Crystal Corridor

 

Crystal Corridor

Crystal Corridor

Crystal Corridor

Beyond Crystal Corridor

Beyond Crystal Corridor

Beyond Crystal Corridor

Beyond Crystal Corridor

End of the Cat Crawl

Steve Larcombe looking out of the Cat Crawl

Steve Larcombe in the streamway under Main Chamber

Drain Chamber

       

Martin's Garden

En route to Dutch Oven

Base of The Pot

Peter Ravenscroft at Crystal Leap

Peter Ravenscroft in Red Chamber

   

The rift

Graham Bradford in the Rift

Just before Judge's Chamber

Stream Chamber

Stream Chamber

Stream Chamber

Lower Stream Series

 

Fergus Bradford in Lower Stream Series

The exit into Bullcleaves Quarry

Approach to Waterfall series

Waterfall series

The Waterfall

Traverse in the rift just after entry into the series from just beyond the Waterfall

Angie Glanvill ermerges into the extension

Formations en route to Platform Chamber

Crawl near Platform Chamber

Platform Chamber

Platform Chamber

Platform Chamber

Sally Glanvill near Pretty Chamber

Jason Dean approaching Pretty Chamber

Ben Larcombe leaving Pretty Chamber

Pretty Chamber

Pretty Chamber

Pretty Chamber

Pretty Chamber

Alternative route back to Platform Chamber

Keith Pearson admires formations near Pretty Chamber

Jason Dean and the Aqueduct

Neil Johnson and the Aqueduct

 

Sally Glanvill

Formations near the Jamjar

Formations near the Jamjar

Botryoidal Stalactites

Brian Johnson and carrot formations

The Turkey's Leg

   
       
       
       
       
       

 

 

Bunker's Hole

This short cave near the hamlet of Dean outside Buckfastleigh is only accessible through a leader system. In the late 1960's a small extension was entered leading to a low tunnel smothered in aragonite crystals. This form of calcite seems to develop on the junction between slate and limestone and is rarely seen except in some caves in South Wales and the Quantock Hills of Somerset.

The Entrance

Looking out

Entrance crawl

 

 

Entering Main Chamber

Main Chamber (stream in floor)

The Blasted Squeeze looking in

Olivier emerging through the squeeze into Fin Chamber

Fin Chamber

Fin Chamber

Far end of Fin Chamber

 

 

 

   

Between Fin Chamber and the Crystal Crawl

In the Crystal Crawl

Crystal Crawl

Crystal Crawl

Crystal Crawl

Aragonite

Aragonite

Aragonite

Aragonite

Aragonite

Near the Cactus

Near the Cactus

 

 

 

Pridhamsleigh Cavern

 

Situated just outside Buckfastleigh this is the second longest cave system in Devon and has been accessible for at least 2 centuries. It was presumably revealed, like most Devon caves, by quarrying. A large entrance portal leads to an insignificant crawl into the rest of the system - about 700 metres of so of complex, maze like muddy passages through which a variety of routes can be taken. The cave is very popular with outdoor pursuit groups, Scouts, and army cadets and has suffered as a consequence with very few of the stalactite formations first seen by the original surveyors 60 years ago now apparent. Cavers have also excavated many of the mud filled passages by their traffic converting crawls to standing height. The Deep Well, originally a cave diving site plumbed to a depth of 5 or 6 metres has become choked with mud and can now be waded across to the detriment of the formations on its previously rarely visited far side. The cave ends in a clear green lake. The water levels in the lake vary considerably throughout the year and these fluctuations became more noticeable when the A39 dual carriageway was constructed past the entrance. It is known that civil engineers encountered many cavities in the construction of the road and it may be that drainage patterns were interrupted. Eels have been seen in the lake suggested a link to surface waters. It seems unlikely that they make their way in via the cavers route! Divers started exploring the lake in the 1950's but it was not until the early 70's that a route at 25 metres depth was found through an archway into the vast chamber of Pridhamsleigh 2. If drained this chamber would be something like 40 metres high 40 metres long and about 25 metres wide. However it is filled with water to a depth of 34 metres. The size of the void has allowed suspended sediment to settle creating astonishingly good visibility and above water are some of the most spectacular speleothems in Devon. The lake is still being explored and mapped by Devon cavers.

 

If you wish to visit the cave please approach by approved route through the orchard containing the ancient dove cote, which is just over the bridge crossing the A38 dual carriageway. In 2007 the access fee was £1.50 payable down a chute in the tiny kiosk by the gate. Failure to do this risks removal of access to the cave as well the adjacent Dog Hole. The farmer has considered CCTV to observe trespassers so be warned.

The entrance

Looking out

further in

The real entrance

Just inside

On the way to Crystal Chamber

Formations in the lower series below the excavated Lobster Pot

In the entrance passages

Smashed stal in Crystal Chamber

One of the other ways into Crystal Chamber

Tony Boycott entering Bishop's Chamber

Divers crossing Bishop's Chamber

The curious hole up to the Attics in Bishop's Chamber

 

Near the Attics

The hole in the Attics

Floor detail in the Attics

Helictites in the Attics

Route from the Bear Pit to Crystal Chamber

Far side of the Well

Looking across the Deep Well

Entering the Flooded Rift

The Flooded Rift

 
   

Oxtongue Climb

Traversing round the Pit

Grand Gallery

View down Grand Gallery

The Lake in high water

View from the old diving platform

More view of the lake

Brian Johnson prepares to dive

Divers in the Lake (photo courtesy of PCG)

Jim Durston on the line junction at 25 metres

     

Surfacing in Prid 2

Aragonite on the walls in Prid 2

Straws in Prid 2

Stal cascades into the lake of Prid 2

View from the ledge above Prid 2 lake

Brian (Scoff) Schofield approaching the arch from Prid 2 towards Prid 1

View from the ledge above Prid 2 lake

View from the ledge above Prid 2 lake

View from the ledge above Prid 2 lake

On the ledge above Prid 2 lake

Ray Stead on the ledge above Prid 2 lake

On the ledge above Prid 2 lake

On the ledge above Prid 2 lake

On the ledge above Prid 2 lake

On the ledge above Prid 2 lake

 

Chudleigh Area

 

Skullcap Cave

This small system was discovered as a result of a systematic search for new cave in the Chudleigh area.

Although Chudleigh Rock has a number of caves within it, the most noteworthy being Pixie's Hole, the other side of the gorge like valley through which the Kate Brook runs seemed to over prospects for further discoveries. On 30th August 1986 Brian Johnson myself and Jim Durston plus Brian's sons Mark and Neil examined the area around Palace Quarry for potential dig sites. A small draughting hole right on the edge of the quarry was located and Brian later returned with a small team and started an excavation. This rapidly revealed an old stream passage running into the hillside. Two weeks later we returned and escavated a second entrance to facilitate spoil removal. Steady progress was made although spoil removal was difficult as the passage was never larger than a hands and knees crawl. A descending tube took some time to pass - probably a fossil sump - but after ten trips we had reached airspace again and progerssed to a stalagmite obstruction - a draught lured us on. Digging conditions deteriorated oth because of the need to transfer spoil all the way to the entrance but also because the fossil sump started to fill with water creating an unpleasant wallow to negotiate en route. The route became confusiong and the diggers, principally Pete Rose and myself became despondent until on our 43rd trip we broke into a substantial airspace and a low crawl. Dubbed Treason Crawl (it was around November 5th and the crawl was entered before us by Wendy Sampson who lived locally and had helped with the dig) it led to a mud bank and more airspace. Rapid progress to a large obstructing boulder was made and this was removed explosively by Tony Boycott leaving the way clear for Pete and myself to excavate a route into new cave on the 7th December 1989on the 47th digging trip. We found 20 metres of clean washed well decorated fossil streamway ending in another choke. Chris Proctor surveyed the cave and a gate placed. Unfortunately the gate was removed by persons unknown and I am hoping the cave has not suffered unduly from damage as a result. This was the first and only new cave find in Devon for several decades and demonstrates that cave can be found with a degree of determination.

 

Prospective diggers might take note that there is more cave to be found near the entrance both in back flilled tunnel at a bend before the fossil sump, at a tight aven in the me area and near the original entrance.

 

Near the second entrance

Chris Proctor on the spoil heap.

Second entrance

Second entrance

View out of second entrance

Chris entering in the early days

Another early shot

Digging out the 'sump'

Dig and spoil bags

Chris excvating

Much work was expended passing the sump

At the top of the slope by excavating to bare rock one could there had been a small cascade.

Beyond the sump a short tunnel led to this tiny roof grotto

Nick Chipchase under the grotto

Pete Rose in Treason Crawl

The way on beyond Treason Crawl

Doomed stal

Doomed stal

Decorated passage

Size mean nothing extension at the start - note scalloping

Chris delicately negotiating the decorated crawl

Chris and stal

Tree roots under calcite

Floor detail

Tree roots under calcite

Mini gours

Stalagmite on a mud bank

Floor detail

Close up

Interesting layered stalagmite

Seondary stal deposition

Botryoidal stal

Floor detail

Entrance section

Chris taking photos in the passage

Chris taking photos in the passage

Chris in the passage

Chris in the passage

The terminal choke

 

Afton Red Rift Cave

 

Although not particularly long this system offers both a satisfying round trip, some beautiful formations and some sporting traverses. It consists of a winding phreatic rift leading to a large terminal chamber. There are a couple of series of small side passages and a small hard to reach stream passage.

The entrance

Looking out

The gate

Start of the traverse

The traverse

Near the far end of the traverse

Near Flower Chamber

In Flower Chamber

Leaving Flower chamber

Traverse near start of Upper Series

Upper Series

Upper Series

Crystals in Upper Series

Entering Main Chamber

Entering Main Chamber

The famous curtain in Main Chamber

Main Chamber formations

Main Chamber formations

Bottom of Main Chamber

On the route to Watkins Squeeze

Formations near Mud Hall

Near Mud Hall

Watkins Squeeze

       
The ANUS survey

Scottish Caving    (Animation)

Mendip Caves

Caves of the Forest of Dean

The ANUS survey