Sea Caves

[Peter Burgess]

Beachy Head Cave

I've never been there. My feeling is that it is a connoisseurs cave. You go to see it because it is so unusual, there being precious few natural caves accessible in the Chalk. From what I remember reading, it's a hundred metres or so of crawls to a static sump. I think the 'walk in' is probably more exciting, walking round the cliffs at low tide.

There's a write-up at

http://www.kurg.org.uk/sites/natural_caves.htm

 

[gus horsley]

Seeing as you guys live in that area and you know it well, what, in your opinion is the potential for "proper" caves in the chalk? If you can get miles of passages in soft material such as gypsum, theoretically the same should hold true for chalk. Or not?

 

[Peter Burgess]

Now there's a subject that's been visited a few times.

 

[gus horsley]

Blimey Peter, sometimes you are hard work. If I buy you a pint some time will you give me the benefit of your opinion on the above question?

 

[Peter Burgess]

Blimey Peter, sometimes you are hard work

Actually, hard at work, (or supposed to be) or is it just the effect of the Viagra soft?

 

[Peter Burgess]

The truth is, there are many theories on why there are, or are not, caves in chalk.

Pop over to France and there are some substantial stream caves in the chalk there, so it's not unreasonable to expect something over here.

The River Mole between Dorking and Leatherhead flows to a significant extent underground, but even in 1976 it didn't actually dry up completely. I have activated a significant swallet hole in the river bank many years ago by clearing away a load of dead leaves that had sealed up the river bed. It still didn't dry up, though perhaps that's just as well as I would probably have had the (then) river authority after me.

 

[Peter Burgess]

A very brief summary at

http://www.croydoncavingclub.org.uk/Archive/Pelobates/035/Caves.htm

 

[gus horsley]

If I remember rightly, you get all the usual karst features in the chalk. Has there been any serious digging, especially anything that yielded results? Has any dye-tracing been done?

It must be similar to the Cotswolds: I've seen karst features and tiny caves in some of the quarries near Cheltenham, but as far as I know nothing enterable has been found. Same with Portland, and probably quite a few other areas.

 

[Peter Burgess]

Oi, b****r off to Staffordshire. I'm trying to get some work done.

 

[gus horsley]

No need to be like that. Get on with yer bloody work then, I'm not stopping you. Byeee.

 

[Peter Burgess]

I'll wait till he's gone, then post up some theories (if Google can help me, that is).

 

[Peter Burgess]

See new thread at

http://www.ukcaving.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=2144&highlight=

 

[gus horsley]

Ok cheers. Saw that. And the comment about waiting till I'd gone.....

 

[Peter Burgess]

Hi Gus. Hope you enjoyed your break. Looks like you had some good weather! You must look positively sub-continental.

We missed you.

 

[gus horsley]

Oh thanks Peter. How sweet. I think I'm going to cry.

 

[whitelackington]

Well, was OTTER HOLE once a sea cave

 

[Peter Burgess]

Well, was OTTER HOLE once a sea cave

From my understanding of what a sea cave is, definitely not.

 

[gus horsley]

Well, was OTTER HOLE once a sea cave

If you look back through this post you will see that there is an explanation of why Otter Hole isn't a sea cave.  Come on, pay attention lad.

 

[whitelackington]

I think i must humbly disagree.
If part of a cave is tidal, then at least that part of the cave is a sea cave :agree:

 

[Peter Burgess]

Caves are best defined by how they are formed, and not by what fluid can be found in them.

Caves formed by wind erosion.
Caves formed by solution.
Caves formed by coastal erosion - sea caves.
Caves formed by molten lava flows - lava caves.
Caves formed by ground movement - tectonic caves.

If caves were defined by the fluid found in them, all Burrington sites would be piss caves.