History of caving in the Dales

Lankyman said:
I went for a walk today and called into the church at Beetham (just across the M6 from Burton). There are several Huttons mentioned on various monument plaques mounted on the inside walls. I didn't spot any Hutton graves outside - wasn't looking though. 'William', who was a vicar there features on several and he died in 1811 and is buried just in front of the lectern. One of the plaques is for his first wife, Mary, who died aged 29 in 1768. If I'm reading it correctly, Mary was the daughter of a certain 'Mr John Hutton of Helslack of this Parish'. Was John William's uncle or unrelated? Not sure where 'Helslack' is but it could be Hazelslack - there is Hazelslack Tower not far away.
Hutton looks like a local name - there's Priest Hutton village as well not far away.
Click to expand...
Hutton as a place name is quite common in North Yorkshire as in Hutton Rudby and Hutton-le-Hole, the hutton bit was possibly from OE for a settlement 'tun' on a spur/promontory 'hoh', Hutton Roof nearer Burton has a similar derivation.

Jim
 
The discovery of the Yorkshire dales published in 2020 lists John Leland and William Camden in the 1500s only talking about mining, whilst Celia Fiennes and Daniel Defoe visited mother shiptons dripping well and spas during the late 1600s / early 1700s (although they also mentioned lead). By the late 1700s the agricultural improvers, Arthur Young and John Tuke had arrived, still no caves, but more interested in the countryside and the use of lime, whilst noting that the big manufactories developing elsewhere weren't found ruining the dales, although lead mining continued, as it would be noted throughout the 1800s.

During the 1700s the grand tour of Europe was popular, initially with the gentry, but latterly the upcoming middle classes, but later in the century revolutions and war meant continental travel became difficult, whilst the turnpike roads made travel around Britain easier. So tourists turned to the mountainous areas of the west, especially after Samuel Johnson and James Boswell, plus Thomas Pennant (who visited the lakes and dales on his way back), publicised their travels around Scotland during the 2nd half of the century - which brings us to the books already mentioned in previous posts, starting with Pastor in the Gentleman's magazine.
 
After his above tours, Thomas took a 1773 trip, written up in A Tour from Downing [Flintshire] to Alston Moor (1801), quoted in Chris Parks' book: "Pennant then rode on to Ingleton, 'a small town ... seated at the foot of the great mountain of Ingleborough'. He tells his readers that Camden had given a description of the mountain, but admits that he 'had not leisure to visit it; but was informed that it was well worth a traveller's attention, on account of the immense caverns it abounds with, and the various plants very rare in other places.'"

William Bray published his 'Sketch of a Tour into Derbyshire and Yorkshire' in 1777, initially anonymously, pointing out the "famous dropping well" (as it seems to have been referred to then) and the three other wells in Knaresborough, followed by hurtle and jingle pots, plus weathercote and yordas caves around Ribblehead, "but having only 'imperfect information' he did not visit them. ... Around the sides of Ingleborough he noted the existence of several 'caverns [that] may be descended, and the passage pursued to a great distance', including Gaper [Gaping] Gill. Near Chapel-le-Dale he mentioned Catknot Hole and Greenside Caves, as well as Alum Pot. In Ribblesdale, near Horton and 'the high hill of Penyghent', he points out 'a grotesque amphitheatre of rock' called Dowgill Scar, and Hulpit Cave."

Adam Walker published 'A description of some natural curiosities in the western edge of Yorkshire' in The General Evening Post on 25th September 1779, which was "reprinted the following year in the second edition of Thomas West's Guide to the Lakes. ... he went specifically to see the caves, mountains and geological 'curiosities'. In Chapel-le-Dale he 'met with [but did not name] three caverns that are totally unlike any in this island, though caverns are common in all limestone countries.'" Presumably being potholes rather than horizontal caves.

John Byng's journal entries for 'A Tour to the North' were made in 1792, but it wasn't published as 'The Torrington Diaries' until the 1930s (he became the fifth Viscount Torrington shortly before his death in 1813). In Chapel-le-Dale they "met 'a jolly shoemaker [called Jobson], a fine bold-looking fellow ... [who] is a guide to the neighbouring caves, the noblest of which, Weathercote, is adjoining to his house'. He was very taken by the area, noting 'perhaps there is no corner of this island that can afford wilder scenery', and impressed by the caves. They peered down and dropped stones into Jingle Pot, 'a horrid chasm', then walked on to Weathercote Cave, where the 'cascades [of water] fall with a horrid din, filling the mind with a gloom of horror.' Their guide then took them to Yordas Cave, where they lit their candles and went in; Byng noted 'it is well worthy of inspection, not too tedious, and beautifully closed by a cascade. Jobson stuck up candles by the way, which gave a most fanciful effect.'" Later "they 'crossed over difficult wall stiles' to Gordale, the 'most dwelling upon my memory' of all the waterfalls he had seen in the North. His guide took him to a 'little, snug, dry cave', which he said 'was once inhabited by fairies - but that now they were quite out of fashion.'"

So tourism was starting to be established by the time that Thomas Gray wrote 'A Supplement to the Tour through Great-Britain, Containing a Catalogue of the Antiquities, Houses, Parks, Plantations, Scenes and Situations in England and Wales, arranged according to the alphabetical order of the several Counties' in 1787, although it doesn't seem to include caves.

Many descriptions of Britain from this period were also collected into the 5 volumes of William Mavor's 1798 'The British Tourists; or Traveller's Pocket Companion through England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Comprehending the most Celebrated Tours in the British Isles.' Although Parks doesn't say whether it covers any caves, he does mention that three "Gentlemen of the University of Oxford" visited weathercote cave (one of them at least described descending to the bottom) and hurtle pot in 1797.
 
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John Bigland in 1801 wrote the Yorkshire volume of 'Beauties of England and Wales: or, Original delineations, Topographical, Historical, and Descriptive of each County.' "In the area around Ingleton he mentioned 'many objects [caves and waterfalls] worthy the attention of all admirers of romantic scenery. Among these are Thornton Scar, Thornton Force, Yordas Cave ... [and] Weathercote Cave [that] displays a scenery still more romantic and sublime [than the others].'... He was struck by the 'steep towering mountain' of Penyghent where, 'at its base are two frightful orifices, called Hulpit and Huntpot holes: the former looking like the ruins of a large castle, with the roof fallen in and the walls standing; the latter resembles a deep funnel.'" He was also one of the first to write about Dentdale and Brimham Rocks.

The Romantic movement caused JMW Turner to paint Dow and Weathercote Caves, Jingle and Hurtle Pots, whilst John Ruskin wrote of 'Ingleborough a really fine mass of hill, the streams in the limestone behaving in the most extraordinary manner, perpetually falling into holes and coming out again half a mile afterwards. Penyghent a fine hill too', and William Wordsworth's 1835 'Guide through the District of the Lakes' mentioned approaching through Ingleton, "past Weathercote Cave, 'a fine object', to Kirkby Lonsdale."
 
All of the above and this post are from Chris Parks' 2020 The discovery of the Yorkshire Dales (although as he states that is a relatively recent name, it previously being the Western Fells to differentiate from North York Moors - Eastern). When he published, most of the books were already available on the internet archive (as are those below unless otherwise stated), although not Adam Walker, as that was a newspaper article, but he and Ruskin were included in Colin Speakman's 1981 A Yorkshire Dales Anthology. Parks doesn't say where he found the Oxford Uni description, but possibly the same.

John Houseman's 1808 'Descriptive Tour and Guide to the Lakes, Caves and Mountains and other Natural Curiosities in Cumberland, Westmorland, Lancashire and part of the West Riding of Yorkshire', & Harry Speight's 1892 'The Craven and North-West Yorkshire Highlands. Being a complete account of the History, Scenery, and Antiquities of that Romantic District' are obviously worth a look. Whilst John Bailey Harker (1869) 'Rambles in Upper Wharfedale; including the Historical and traditional Lore of the District' recommended and described a visit to the Grassington lead mines.

In the 1700s most caves were viewed from the outside, whilst visiting them increased towards the end of the century and was well established by the 1800s, with visitors wanting to see inside by mid century. Edward Baines' 1822 'History, Directory and gazetteer of the county of York; etc. Volume I. West Riding' also described several of the caves, along with many other authors particularly recommending Weathercote and Yordas. As did Thomas Wilkinson's 1824 'Tour to the British Mountains'. Now we get to William Boyd Dawkins (and RH Tiddeman) at Victoria Cave, plus Speight again for Dowkabottom.

Also with a more or less archaeological bent, Upper Ribblesdale caves feature in Edmund Bogg's 1898 'A Thousand Miles of Wandering along the Roman Wall, the Old Border Region, Lakeland, and Ribblesdale', whilst Elbolton Cave appears in his (1904) 'Two Thousand Miles in Wharfedale;' etc. The 1898 book also includes more touristic YRC descents of Gaping Gill and Rowten Pot and explains that 'This sport has been called mountaineering reversed, cave hunting, pot-holing, and, by the Philistines, mouldy warping. Its pursuers have dignified it with the more scientific name, speleology.'

Ingleborough Cave was described in William Howson's 1850 'An Illustrated Guide to the Curiosities of Craven, with a Geological Introduction;' etc, whilst Stump Cross appeared in William Grainge's 1863 'Nidderdale; or, An Historical, Topographical, and Descriptive Sketch of the Valley of the Nidd'. Parks also includes Christopher Long and John Churchill's 1920s explorations, culminating in the discovery of White Scar. Not in the book, but WJC Miller briefly mentions Weathercote, Jingle and Hurtle Pots on p.174 as part of his Holiday Rambles in 1875:
huddersfield.exposed

The Huddersfield College Magazine: Volume III (1874/75)

read this book online at Huddersfield Exposed
huddersfield.exposed
 
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Actually the bibliography lists Gentlemen of the University of Oxford (1797) 'Journal of a Three Weeks Tour, in 1797, through Derbyshire to the Lakes.' Quoted in Mavor (1798) Vol 5.

The book finishes with the rise of the outdoor movement during the late 1800s / early 1900s, from individual walkers, through clubs to the establishment of the Ramblers Association, the Scouts, the Youth Hostel Association, cycling clubs and then motor touring. Next the Right to Roam, along with various Preservation Societies and setting up long distance footpaths, before the National Parks were formed after the Second World War. Although caving and climbing clubs aren't specifically mentioned, they were part of this scene (the Fell and Rock Climbing Club were consulted during government planning).

In comparison, Stephen A. Craven's article lists Durant as writing about a cave in Weardale prior to 1746, and Dr Richard Pococke visiting the more usual fare in 1751, before including many of the reports already mentioned above, plus various others. So plenty to go at there...
 
Stephen A. Craven followed up his original article (hinko is actually a Bulgarian caving website that have uploaded the issue):
Cave and Karst Science Vol 26 (2) p.53-59 Craven S.A. A history of cave exploration in the Northern Pennines, United Kingdom, up to 1838

With:
Cave and Karst Science Vol 26 (3)
p.137 Craven S.A. Letter: "A history of cave exploration in the Northern Pennines up to 1838" [Author's Reply]

&:
Cave and Karst Science Vol 29 (1)
p.21-32 Craven S.A. A history of cave exploration in the Northern Pennines, United Kingdom, from 1838 until 1895
 
The letter cited above is from John W. Gardner and points out that West was published before Hutton - which SAC accepted, as he has recently got his own copy of the 1780 edition. The other two articles are well worth reading.
 
I know of two mines on Mendip with dates from the 1750s (and different names), but Dave Judson beat that:
"In 1971 I took a week's leave and, by courtesy of the late Ian Plant, spent the time looking at the remains of the BSA library and records. The archives, which date back to 1383 (graffiti in Yordas Cave), include the BSA minute books. They are so vast that it would have needed much more time, even with modern technology, to do justice to the collection. Nevertheless I recorded what I could, and made a mental note to return later which I was unable to do."
langcliffe has been adding their material to BCRA website...
 
mikem said:
I know of two mines on Mendip with dates from the 1750s (and different names), but Dave Judson beat that:
"In 1971 I took a week's leave and, by courtesy of the late Ian Plant, spent the time looking at the remains of the BSA library and records. The archives, which date back to 1383 (graffiti in Yordas Cave), include the BSA minute books. They are so vast that it would have needed much more time, even with modern technology, to do justice to the collection. Nevertheless I recorded what I could, and made a mental note to return later which I was unable to do."
langcliffe has been adding their material to BCRA website...
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I've just been doing the moronic bit. Alan Jeffreys and John Manchip from the Grampian Speleological Group undertook the hard graft.
 
The following thesis includes reports from the late 1600s of pen park hole and lamb leer (both Somerset), plus what is thought to be fairy holes in Weardale (although not published until 72 years later), Ochy [wookey] hole, Poole's cavern, the devils arse and Eldon hole (not descended). Throughout the 1700s more visits are recorded to particularly the peakland and Irish caves, with pen park again in 1775.

This is followed by Dr Richard Pococke visiting various Yorkshire sites in c.1750 and Adam Walker - ‘A description of some natural curiosities in the western edge of Yorkshire,’ in Thomas West, A Guide to the Lakes, in Cumberland, Westmoreland and Lancashire (London: Richardson and Urquhart, 1780), p. 229 testing the effects of acid in weathercote cave 1779 (having done the same in Ireland during 1771) and his description of Dunald mill cave on the next page (visited 1760) etc.

"There is evidence of regular visits to caves such as Wookey Hole and the caves of the Peak District since at least Michael Drayton’s topographical poem of 1613, Poly-Olbion that celebrates them both. Pococke appears to be the first traveller to record visiting caves in Yorkshire.":
 
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