History of caving in the Dales

This book apparently covers some early tourist reports:
www.worldofbooks.com

The Discovery of the Yorkshire Dales

THE YORKSHIRE DALES, so beloved of visitors today, was once remote, wild and undiscovered, invaded by settlers who left their stories in scars on the land and hints of their origins in the place names that remain. As the written word developed, a gradual trickle of explorers came to view the...
www.worldofbooks.com www.worldofbooks.com

But Hutton's and other write ups can be found at:

Old Cumbria Gazetteer - frameset

lakesguides.co.uk

Book I mentioned above:
books.google.co.uk

The Complete English Traveller

books.google.co.uk
 
thehungrytroglobite said:
Does anyone know when & what the earliest record of caving (as a sport as we know it today) in the Dales is? If not the earliest, if people could fire some early facts / records / instances at me that would be great. Feel free to reference to resources, libraries or anyone else I might be able to ask too :)
Click to expand...
IMG_8891.jpeg

I’ve seen this signature in a few caves…
 
Google comes up with:
"Both recreational and scientific exploration of the caves of the Yorkshire Dales have proceeded since 1837 when Mr J. Anson Farrer ordered excavations to begin at Ingleborough Cave (Craven 2004; McFarlane et al. 2005)."

Or 1860 / 1922:
www.stumpcrosscaverns.co.uk

Cave History | Stump Cross Caverns | UK

Explore the 300-million-year history of Stump Cross Caverns. Learn about prehistoric finds & a world record caving feat. Book your visit today!
www.stumpcrosscaverns.co.uk www.stumpcrosscaverns.co.uk

Article from 50 years ago :

The Golden Age of Yorkshire Potholing – The Yorkshire Ramblers' Club

www.yrc.org.uk www.yrc.org.uk
 
Last edited:
There is mention in The Craven Herald of the small and limited caves of Storrs Common being dug/opened for tourists in 1884 and 1891. Not technically the sport that we know, still digging though!

Does anyone know what year the Balderston - Ingleton book was produced? That features descriptions of caves of the area, so at the very least caves were being explored prior to the book being produced.
 
mikem said:
It's also included in the Old Cumbria gazetteer, as is "A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778" in print until 1821
Click to expand...
The second edition of which is where Hutton's book was first published as an Appendix. The British Caving Library has a copy.
 
OCG uses the 1821 edition, but other versions are available online too. The other publication that is frequently referenced is:
"A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49, latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes."


Another copy of guide to the lakes (although the archive is currently offline):
 
Last edited:
DuncJ said:
There is mention in The Craven Herald of the small and limited caves of Storrs Common being dug/opened for tourists in 1884 and 1891. Not technically the sport that we know, still digging though!

Does anyone know what year the Balderston - Ingleton book was produced? That features descriptions of caves of the area, so at the very least caves were being explored prior to the book being produced.
Click to expand...
Duncj - do you have a date/reference for the Craven Herald Storrs Common mention?
 
Steve Clark said:
Good chronology here :

100 Years of Caving

Craven Pothole Club - Caving and Potholing in the Yorkshire Dales and beyond
www.cravenpotholeclub.org www.cravenpotholeclub.org

Also some really detailed and early journals here :

YRC Journal – The Yorkshire Ramblers' Club

www.yrc.org.uk www.yrc.org.uk

The early exploration of Lost Johns' and the rescue from Sunset Pot are both fascinating as a modern day caver.
Click to expand...

The craven anniversary journal is incredible, I picked it up last week incidentally. Thank you to the craven for furnishing me with a copy.

Great for a pictorial and wordy rundown of their many years of caving.
 
British newspaper archive has craven herald Saturday 27 April 1889 page 2:
"INGLETON. Srouas CAVES.—Two oars situate a short distance from the village were formally opened on Good Friday. Mr Hewitson, the owner, has been at considerable expense in opening one of them, and as further exploration is still going on a large sum of money will still be required." (Presumably storrs caves - two caves)

They also list reports on Dow cave from Saturday 22 April 1876 page 5, elbolton cave Saturday 07 September 1889 p.5 & Friday 01 November 1889 p.4, with an accident there Friday 22 November 1889 p.5, also calf hole Friday 12 November 1897 p.4, victoria cave Friday 06 August 1897 p.3, Saturday 10 February 1877 p.8 & its museum Saturday 28 July 1877 p.4, gingle and hurtle pots Saturday 19 April 1879 p.6, Clapham cave Saturday 13 May 1876 p.5 & Saturday 08 September 1877 p.5, article about limestone Saturday 20 July 1889 p.2. Various others mention visits to weathercote or caves generally & elsewhere, plus lectures.

Note that spelling can be interesting due to auto reading of old newsprint, including changing case & calve to cave!
 
Thank you all for your help so far. Does anyone happen to have access to the British Newspaper Archive, whose login I might be able to use for free? It is rather expensive!
 
Prof. Warthog said:
Duncj - do you have a date/reference for the Craven Herald Storrs Common mention?
Click to expand...
There's two for 1884 and one 1891- these are what Ged Dodd found/documented.

May 3rd 1884. Craven Herald reported ... A new cave for Ingleton. A party of enterprising gentlemen last week commenced to explore what has long been supposed to be a fine cave, but has never before been explored, and a party of labourers were set to work in cutting a drain for the purpose of lowering the water, which at present is standing at a considerable depth.
May 31st 1884. Craven Herald reported ... The New Cave. Workmen are still employed in the cave exploring and preparing a course to take away the water. They are also paving a road with stone for a distance of sixty or seventy yards, and if all goes on favourably the portion of the cave already explored will by the end of the present week be open to the public for inspection. A raft has been placed on the little lake in the cave for the use of those who wish to have a pleasure trip within the bowels of the earth.
July 3rd 1891. Craven Herald - Ingleton's Physical Features No 3 by Rev R. V. Taylor.
 
Seems that BNA is still missing quite a lot of craven herald issues - the 2nd victoria cave reference says:
in "answer to W.C. in Notes and Qualm [queries] respecting Victoria Cave, it was dbouvered by Mr. Joseph Jackson, of Settle, in 1838, on the coronation day of Queen Victoria, and was therefore celled Victoria Cave. It is situated in • lonely ravine known as King's Soar"
 
The archive.org links I put up on Wednesday are working again and top is the 7th edition 1843 with yordas on page 200 and others mentioned up to 211, next 4th edition 1830 which only has Dunald mill hole on p.75 (91 in later ed.). Bottom link - Guide to the lakes is 1793 edition (the website also has 1778, 1780, 1784, 1789, 1796, 1799 and several copies from 1779)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

thehungrytroglobite
early female cavers
2 3 4
Replies
68
Views
4K
Dolly
D
Standard Unit of Tom
The history of caving in Cardiff
Replies
12
Views
1K
idriswilliams
I
Pitlamp
For anyone in the Dales, interested in Elgar's music
Replies
12
Views
1K
LadyMud
LadyMud
Badlad
Total length of caves in the National Park
Replies
6
Views
793
mikem
M
Pitlamp
Darnbrook Pot; anyone heading there in the next few weeks?
Replies
8
Views
680
Pitlamp
Pitlamp
Back
Top