| Goatchurch Cavern |
Shopping Cavern |
Website Links For Cavern |
Information AboutGoatchurch Cavern |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT GOATCHURCH CAVERN | |
| mendip hills | |
| caves of england | |
| limestone caves | |
Goatchurch Cavern () is a cave on the edge of Burrington Combe in the limestone of the Mendip Hills , in Somerset , England . The cave is historically understood to be approximately 750m long, although 1500m of surveyed passage has been measured (.1 Around 1901 the owner unsuccessfully tried to turn it into a Show Cave .2 The cave is especially popular for training people who are new to caving. This is due to its easy access and wide range of terrain that does not necessitate the use of special equipment such as ropes or ladders. The two entrances to the cave add interest as cavers can do a round trip. Many of the surfaces within are polished, as a result of numbers visiting over many decades and are slippery. Notes of exploration in the 1920s record finds from the Pleistocene period including bones of Mammoth , Bear , Hyaena and cave lion.3 During November 2003 inscribed marks were noticed in Goatchurch Cavern while cleaning away Graffiti . Three finely cut marks were uncovered, resembling the letter W with a Patina darker than in nearby graffiti dated 1704. These have been identified as ritual protection marks, possibly dating from the period 1550 to 1750. The term ritual protection mark was preferred to the description " Witch Marks ".4 REFERENCES SEE ALSO |
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