The White Scar Caves visitor trail ends in a vast underground cavern called Battlefield Cavern, so called because the pile of boulders at the entrance looks like the aftermath of a battle between giants. It is over 330 feet long and 100 feet high in places. It was discovered as recently as 1971, by a teenage girl called Hilda Guthrie, a member of the Happy Wanderers caving club. She entered the cave by coming up through a tunnel in the base, holding her breath and swimming through a water-filled 'sump', to then surface and discover the massive cave. Just imagine how exciting that must have been! Visitor access to the cavern was achieved in 1991, when tin miners from Cornwall blasted a 65 metre sloping tunnel to connect the cavern with the existing stream tunnel lower down. It is pretty phenomenal! It's rather attractive in parts too, with the delicate stalactites illuminated by coloured lights.
Enchanting comes to mind!
ReplyDeleteHow brave was Hilda to go into that water not knowing was on the other side!
ReplyDeleteI learned about stalactites and stalagmites in Mother Shipton's cave at Knaresborough. There everyday articles which have been hung up over the decades have become completely covered with the dripping calcium.
ReplyDeleteWOW amazing photos. Such beauty under our feet.
ReplyDeleteYou are so brave to go down there. I am a bit claustrophobic and would have demurred.
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