Symonds Yat Caves

bagpuss

Member
Hi all,
I was out last weekend strolling round Symonds Yat on the Biblins side of the river. Came upon Merlins Cave when out wandering - it was gated due to bats. The were a series of small holes/caves after that, that weren't gated. (aside from buying the book) can anyone give me more info on what these are?

We were about the point on the map where is states 'caves' on the left side.
http://binged.it/JCOZwu

6964808888_e408ae928d_z.jpg


7110880259_ac7086cf15_z.jpg
 

DTM

New member
Hi Bagpuss,

It sounds like you found Pancake Mines (and Caves), on the Doward, near Symonds Yat. There is a description of them in the Caves of the South Eastern Outcrop, by Tony Oldham - but you don't really need the book - Just go and explore them! There are 4-5 worth taking a torch into.
There is a potential to abseil into one them (can't remember the name), which makes for a bit of excitement. I think somebody did the abseil on countryfile once.

 

graham

New member
How long has Merlin's been gated for? I'm sure it wasn't the last time the archaeologists were there; mind that was back in 1996.
 
I was there about a year ago and it was open. It must be a hell of a gate. It's not that easy for Joe Public to get to, was it realy necerssary to gate it?
 

bagpuss

Member
It wasn't a huge gate/grill, I may be getting confused but I'm sure the notice said Merlin's cave.. Can anyone elighten the situation?
 

AA Speleo

New member
Hi All, the gated cave (modified by Mining) mentioned is "Merlins" Cave, it is not part of the area where there are lots of Levels, collectively called the "Pancake" Caves/Mines

Merlins Cave has been gated (to protect Bats) for years, it`s one of a number of Caves (modified by Mining) that are in a cliff slightly below and around from the Pancake Caves/Mines.

Some of these caves have some very nice formations, as they are away from the main "Pancake" area, the formations have survived reasonable well  :)

Incidentally one of the Pancake Caves/Mines (lower down) is gated (to protect Bats) the gate is usually removed at the end of April and left off during the summer.
 

graham

New member
There is definitely some confusion, here. The cave to which Chris and I are referring - and which Chris says was not gated as recently as a year ago - is that discovered and named by UBSS back in the 1920s and excavated then by them (us) and again in the 1990s by Nick Barton. The most recent reference is this one: http://www.ubss.org.uk/resources/proceedings/vol20/UBSS_Proc_20_3_263-273.pdf which includes a survey of the cave on page 270. It certainly was modified by miners, but is not the easiest entrance to access & would require a very big gate indeed.

I cannot find a decent NGR for it, at the moment, but its position can be seen on the location map on page 264 of the above reference.
 

AA Speleo

New member
I was just confirming that the gated Cave (modified by Mining) that Bagpuss first mentioned is the one often referred to as "Merlins" Cave !

It has a small gated entrance.
 

graham

New member
AA Speleo said:
"Merlins" Cave - It has a small gated entrance.

Then it ain't the Merlin's Cave that's named in the archaeological literature. Maybe someone needs to construct an FoD area registry.
 

bagpuss

Member
graham said:
AA Speleo said:
"Merlins" Cave - It has a small gated entrance.

Then it ain't the Merlin's Cave that's named in the archaeological literature. Maybe someone needs to construct an FoD area registry.

I was just going on the name on the notice. The RFDC have a map on their website but I don't think it covers the area we are talking about.
 

bagpuss

Member
AA Speleo said:
Hi All, the gated cave (modified by Mining) mentioned is "Merlins" Cave, it is not part of the area where there are lots of Levels, collectively called the "Pancake" Caves/Mines

Merlins Cave has been gated (to protect Bats) for years, it`s one of a number of Caves (modified by Mining) that are in a cliff slightly below and around from the Pancake Caves/Mines.

Some of these caves have some very nice formations, as they are away from the main "Pancake" area, the formations have survived reasonable well  :)

Incidentally one of the Pancake Caves/Mines (lower down) is gated (to protect Bats) the gate is usually removed at the end of April and left off during the summer.

Thanks - do the other caves have names? Was suprised to see that the formations weren't too damaged, although there was some broken stal in the cave :(

I liked this formation in particular

6964807402_8538f66e78_z.jpg


and this

7110878647_c9d8c42756_z.jpg


My camera ran out of battery after that :(
 

Ship-badger

Member
I suspect that the gated cave you are referring to is what is known locally as "Lords Wood Level No 16". It is a large entrance, 2mx2m, with a small removable gate set in a grill that covers the entire entrance. A sign says that it is removed each year when the bats are no longer hibernating. Around the cliff from this entrance is a much less obvious entrance that is permanently gated, which is indeed known locally as Merlins Cave; but I do not believe that this is the cavern that Graham refers to as Merlins Cave. I shall take a copy of the survey and find the Merlins Cave that it portrays sometime when the weather is better. Hopefully we can clear up a confusing situation with a bit of official renaming?
 

Ship-badger

Member
Sorry Bagpuss; I've just re-read your posts. Obviously you were at the small entrance, permanently gated and locked, that is known locally as Merlins Cave. Everything else I said about sorting out the confusion still reads ok.
 

bagpuss

Member
Yes at the small entrance, and wondering what the ones just past there were called - are they Lords Wood Level?

I bet the Wye is raging after all that rain, I'd hoped to swim in it on the weekend I took the photos but thought better off it when I saw how fast the current was moving!
 

Leo

New member
Hi Bagpuss,

From memory Lord's Wood level is at the bottom of the hill near to Biblins. The pretty cave you photographed is further up and to the right (not sure if it has a name). Merlin's refers to at least two, if not three caves in the area. The one I always call Merlin's is the very large entrance with many bones.

The person you need to ask is Tom Elliot of the BEC - he's doing some survey work on that side of the river with one of the universities. I'll see if I can dig out his email address for you.

Alex Henderson
 

bagpuss

Member
On the subject of caves there is there much info about the ones on the other side of the river? Would like to have a nose in some of them next rime I'm over that way. I think they are the ones the outdoor groups tend to frequent?

 

graham

New member
Ship-badger said:
I think Merlins tally of caves is bettered only by King Arthur's.

It is of course the case that Merlin's (the archaeological site) was so named because the diggers were also working in King Arthur's Cave nearby. That site seems to have had its name for at least a couple of centuries or longer.
 
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