Dartbridge cave

Cartwright26

Cartwright26

New member
Hi does anybody know a a cave located behind the dartbridge in it is located on an OS map at grid ref sx748 666 im not aware of any an if there is will it be gated?
 
Les W

Les W

Active member
According to Mr Oldham's "Concise Caves of Devon", it is called Ware Cave. It is reputed to be around 120 feet long and is described as "a short crawl, leading to an earth choked passage".
The access is described as "Permission should be obtained from the bungalow called 'Cott Orchard', near Dart Bridge, on the Buckfastleigh to Totnes Road".

Not sure how up to date this information is though...  :unsure:
 
mrodoc

mrodoc

Well-known member
I think some of the DSS visited it relatively recently. I can remember visiting the entrance but my memory is hazy as it was over 40 years ago. I think it is in a disused quarry on the left as you start down the Totnes road. If you ever get permission to visit Smuggler's let me know as it one of the few Devon Caves I have no images of.
 
Cartwright26

Cartwright26

New member
Hi mrodoc, are you saying this one is called smugglers? As les has said above he believes it is called ware cave as listed concise caves of devon. If smugglers is a different one then id be happy to pursue permission
 
mrodoc

mrodoc

Well-known member
Smuggler's is a different cave underneath Buckfast Hill and accessible only with difficulty but very well decorated.
 
G

gphelps

New member
Yeah, DevonSS visited this cave in 2012, surprisingly for such a small cave is was one of our best attended trips! It's located in the upper overflow car park of the Dartbridge Inn (which I believe has now closed), we asked them for permission. The 2012 trip was written up in our May 2012 newsletter.

I'll show you where it is next time I'm in Buckfastleigh if you like?

 
Cartwright26

Cartwright26

New member
Nice one thanks glenn! You have my email so let me know, there is another place that me and rhett are going to look at getting a one off permission for but we will have no chance before
March due to bat conservation.
 
A

alasdair neill

New member
At Ware Cave I once helped the late Spike Parsons who knew the then owners of the pub, with a dig. Recollections of details are a bit hazy (but I will have written them down), but after a very small amount of effort we got through to connect to a previouly unknown higher cave. Spike stated that in wet weather you could hear a large stream behind big slabs near the entrance, but didn't have the right technology to get past these. That was my only visit to the cave.
 
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