Fairy Hole, Dentdale

[kay]

Older OS maps show "Fairy Hole", labelled as a cave, between High Hall and Low Hall on the RHS of the road (going down dale) just before it swings to cross the river and enter Dent. Does anyone know anything about this?

 

[mikem]

It's listed, but no further information:

Old Cumbria Gazetteer - index of Caves & Potholes

Was a fairly common name for small caves / hollows throughout the country - marked in same spot as what is now known as Low Hall Cave

 

[georgenorth]

It's listed, but no further information:

Old Cumbria Gazetteer - index of Caves & Potholes

Was a fairly common name for small caves / hollows throughout the country

Presumably it’s Low Hall Cave?

Northern Caves - Low Hall Cave

Low Hall Cave, Dentdale - details, exploration history and references.

northerncaves.co.uk

I’m afraid I don’t know any more though.

 

[mikem]

I added the last bit at same time as George was posting - presumably the (re)discoverers / namers didn't realise it was on older maps

 

[porgzilla]

It's listed, but no further information:

Old Cumbria Gazetteer - index of Caves & Potholes

Was a fairly common name for small caves / hollows throughout the country - marked in same spot as what is now known as Low Hall Cave

So that explains why I hear and see all these Fairy Holes

 

[mikem]

See initial description of the more famous example:

Fairy Hole Cave – Weardale – The Yorkshire Ramblers' Club

www.yrc.org.uk

Or the Lancastrians:

Unnatural Histories, The Fairy hole Caves at Whitewell

Lancashire isn’t exactly well known for its caves, with neighbouring Yorkshire enjoying all the potholing fun, but the edge of the Limestone reefs that underlie the North Yorkshire moors, which are…

northwestnatureandhistory.co.uk

& Another Yorkshire example:

The Grassington Fairy Hole Cave – rediscovered

The few modern references to Fairy Hole Cave list it as an alternative name for the Cove Hole Cave, located in the limestone scar, half a mile to the north ...

hobthrush.co.uk

Cave not a cave:

Fairy Hole Caves Saddleworth UK

Underground places around Greater Manchester.Fairy Holes a rock fissure.

www.derelictmanchester.com

 

[kay]

Thanks, everyone. Found it in Northern Caves now. I think it is Low Hall Cave, though the OS map has it about 50m further up the gill.

 

[Pitlamp]

Have you found the definitive Dentdale reference, which may help:

Long M H, Dentdale, present and future. BSA Journal 6 (46), August 1971, pages 9 - 17.

Pretty sure you'll have this in your club library.

I have a vague memory that Low Hall Cave is mentioned somewhere in Dave Heap's early 1960s book (Potholing Beneath the Northern Pennines) but my copy's not to hand so I can't check for you. Just wondering if either of the above sources gives Fairy Hole as an alternative name for this cave. (The Northern Caves database doesn't.)

 

[mikem]

Certainly none of os maps from WW2 onwards given it a name other than cave

 

[kay]

Thanks everyone. I now have enough information for my purposes.