Coastal Caves
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Al Evans
Guest
Lots of limestone sea caves in Pembroke and Gower too, You've taken yourself a big job on, I would go to Tony for guides covering the areas to staryt with.
mrodoc
Well-known member
How many years have you got? With Britain's fractal coastline you are also going to have the challenge of deciding what is significant as a cave. I know some quite complex sea caves on the South Devon coast that are in metamorphosed shale but they are longer than some limestone sea caves and more complex. Then you have caves/mines such as the complex system at Trevaunance Cove near St. Agnes in Cornwall. Have fun!
Bob Mehew
Well-known member
Are you dealing with the UK covering (in alphabetical order) England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales plus of course the Isle of Man etc? Or just one of them?
Oldham's Caves of Scotland does moderately well for sea caves but it will require a substantial search to dig them out of the text. Not sure how he deals with access control as it has historically not been much of a problem in Scotland.
I am afraid I can't resist asking the Cave Registry Coordinator what about cave registry info? Or is this a hole in its UK coverage?
Also, can any one search online the OS map stock for sea caves? I have no idea if this is a stupid question.
Regarding Staffa, all its sea caves have "controlled" access under National Trust for Scotland delegated to various boat operators who take you out there. It is a SSSI for caves as well as birds flora and gelology, etc.
Oldham's Caves of Scotland does moderately well for sea caves but it will require a substantial search to dig them out of the text. Not sure how he deals with access control as it has historically not been much of a problem in Scotland.
I am afraid I can't resist asking the Cave Registry Coordinator what about cave registry info? Or is this a hole in its UK coverage?
Also, can any one search online the OS map stock for sea caves? I have no idea if this is a stupid question.
Regarding Staffa, all its sea caves have "controlled" access under National Trust for Scotland delegated to various boat operators who take you out there. It is a SSSI for caves as well as birds flora and gelology, etc.
W
workshopmonkey
Guest
I've got a Tony Oldham book titled "caves of scotland" which contains details of a number of sea caves from Wemyss bay up to here on Skye. If these are any use I'll post some grid references.
The GSG database currently has 1128 entries for seacaves around Scottish coasts (including Orkney and Shetland)
Judging by the fact that only 141 of these have a length recorded (on this database), most of them appear to be unsurveyed.
I have been checking out seacaves on the E coast between Arbroath & Peterhead and on the adjacent N coast, and have done rough surveys of some of them.
My tally of confirmed seacaves on the E coast is sitting at 112 of which 9 are over 100 m total tunnel length and one of those is 270 m. Most, but certainly not all, are indicated on various versions of OS - with the 1st Ed 6" generally the most informative - doubtless reflecting a much greater interest in, and local knowledge of, the coastline by small boat fishermen in the nineteenth century.
The caves are in sandstone, sandstone conglomerate, granite and one in basalt.
Judging by the fact that only 141 of these have a length recorded (on this database), most of them appear to be unsurveyed.
I have been checking out seacaves on the E coast between Arbroath & Peterhead and on the adjacent N coast, and have done rough surveys of some of them.
My tally of confirmed seacaves on the E coast is sitting at 112 of which 9 are over 100 m total tunnel length and one of those is 270 m. Most, but certainly not all, are indicated on various versions of OS - with the 1st Ed 6" generally the most informative - doubtless reflecting a much greater interest in, and local knowledge of, the coastline by small boat fishermen in the nineteenth century.
The caves are in sandstone, sandstone conglomerate, granite and one in basalt.
