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Disappearing River Skell

richardg

richardg

Active member
I've been sourcing a number of references that mention the disappearing RIver Skell  :coffee:
This river is close to the monastic ruins of Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire near the town of Ripon.

There's a quoted straight line potential for the rivers underground flow of two kilometres with a fall of forty metres.
Obviously here is the promise of a very good cave awaiting a team of explorers to get down into it !!

Does anyone know of any possible sites which might lead into or even attempts having been made to reach the underground river.?

Richard.
 
G

grahams

Well-known member
Interesting - I hadn't realised that there was so much DP. I was told of a cave (I suspect it might be man-made) in the bank of the Skell downstream of Fountains Abbey Lake at or around 54.116977, -1.564206. At that time (about 40 years ago) due to a dispute regarding the public footpath, the area was heavily barb-wired. As the cave could only be reached with much risk to clothing, I didn't visit.

Incidentally, across the river at Ure Bank is a natural 60 feet deep rubbish floored shaft in the sandstone. This is almost certainly a gypsum collapse and might give access to gypsum voids/caverns. I can't be sure of the exact location after all these years and there could be much more rubbish down there now but the GR is at or around 54.147151, -1.513523.
 
C

C.Raven

Member
The area has Devils Chimney Caves nearby Northern Caves vol1 although according to an article in Cave and Karst Science vol26 num3 Dec 99 they are now covered over, the Skell sink is in a country park I suspect it would be very hard to get digging permission at this site.
 
JasonC

JasonC

Well-known member
I'm sure C.Raven is right re permission to dig - I now realise I walked past here not too long ago - very pleasant, in fact far too pleasant for mucky cavers making the place untidy!
Interestingly, Google Street View shows the footpath around 54.116977, -1.564206 and the dried-up riverbed can be seen at one point
 
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