Ingleborough Cave
The entrance to Ingleborough Cave is at the base of a limestone cliff in Clapdale, a pleasant walk from the village of Clapham in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales' "Three Peaks" country.
Part of the cave is electrically lit and open to members of the public, but at the end of the show cave what lies beyond is strictly for experienced cavers and potholers only - a complex of caverns which eventually connect with the main Gaping Gill system, the waters from which emerge at Beck Head Cave a short distance from the main (dry) entrance of Ingleborough Cave.
Although the main entrance is prominent the cave remained unexplored since prehistoric times, principally because a calcite dam just inside the vestibule blocked access, holding back a lake and flooded passage which would have deterred casual visitors. However in 1837 Joseph Farrer (who owned much of the surrounding estate land) had the calcite dam demolished by explosives, releasing the trapped waters in what would have been a spectacular torrent and opening up the passages for easier access.
Since then Ingleborough Cave has been developed as a popular show cave, now having a concrete floor and electric lighting. An interesting feature throughout the cave is that the water level of the old lake can easily be deduced, with formations such as flowstones being clearly truncated along a horizontal plane where the surface of the water would have been.
There are many fine formations in the cave, including (pictured above left) the "Sword of Damocles" (a large stalactite) and the "Beehive" (a flowstone which formed above the water of the lake).
Another interesting feature of the cave is the way stalactives criss cross the ceiling in distinctive lines. These follow fissures in the limestone through which water feeds, being similar to the kind of joints which can be seen in the clints and grykes of limestone pavements at the surface.
More information about caves, caving and potholing in the Yorkshire Dales.
The Yorkshire Dales - Home Page
The Yorkshire Dales website is designed, maintained and promoted by Eagle Intermedia Publishing Ltd.
