MrPlymExplorer
New member
Is there access to Yealm Bridge Cavern? If so, is it quite obvious or does it take some finding?
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Yealm Bridge Cavern
- Thread starter MrPlymExplorer
- Start date
rhychydwr1
Active member
There is a book....
Yealm Bridge Cavern
NGR SX 592 518
https://www.geocurator.org/images/resources/geocurator/vol10/geocurator_10_4.pdf
access 22/1/19 [summary]
?Freedman, Jan. 2015. William Buckland's connections to the last surviving Pleistocene collections from Yealm Bridge Caverns, Devon. The Geological Curator 10 (4): 147-158. In 2012, Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery received a large donation of subfossil bones excavated from several caves on the Kitley Estate, Yealmpton, Devon. Included in this collection of over 4000 specimens, was a small wooden box holding 184 bones and teeth from Yealm Bridge Cavern. The specimens present in the collection include wolf (Canis lupus), fox (Vulpes vulpes), bear (Ursus sp.), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), horse (Equus caballus), woolly rhinoceros (Coleodonta antiquitatis), red deer (Cervus elaphus), reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), bison (Bison priscus), sheep (Ovis aries), woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) and rat (Rattus rattus). An accompanying hand written note with the box suggested that these specimens were sent to William Buckland for identification. Supported by a generous grant from the Marc Fitch Fund, this paper outlines the research undertaken to discover when this collection was collected, who collected it and the links to William Buckland. The grant also allowed for the specimens to be re-packed into more appropriate storage to safeguard it for the future. Comparing the fauna to other sites with radiocarbon dates suggests the Yealm Bridge Cavern collection dates to around 40,000 - 35,000 years BP.?
Yealm Bridge Cavern
NGR SX 592 518
https://www.geocurator.org/images/resources/geocurator/vol10/geocurator_10_4.pdf
access 22/1/19 [summary]
?Freedman, Jan. 2015. William Buckland's connections to the last surviving Pleistocene collections from Yealm Bridge Caverns, Devon. The Geological Curator 10 (4): 147-158. In 2012, Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery received a large donation of subfossil bones excavated from several caves on the Kitley Estate, Yealmpton, Devon. Included in this collection of over 4000 specimens, was a small wooden box holding 184 bones and teeth from Yealm Bridge Cavern. The specimens present in the collection include wolf (Canis lupus), fox (Vulpes vulpes), bear (Ursus sp.), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), horse (Equus caballus), woolly rhinoceros (Coleodonta antiquitatis), red deer (Cervus elaphus), reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), bison (Bison priscus), sheep (Ovis aries), woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) and rat (Rattus rattus). An accompanying hand written note with the box suggested that these specimens were sent to William Buckland for identification. Supported by a generous grant from the Marc Fitch Fund, this paper outlines the research undertaken to discover when this collection was collected, who collected it and the links to William Buckland. The grant also allowed for the specimens to be re-packed into more appropriate storage to safeguard it for the future. Comparing the fauna to other sites with radiocarbon dates suggests the Yealm Bridge Cavern collection dates to around 40,000 - 35,000 years BP.?
LeckFell
New member
Yealm Bridge Cave is mentioned in the Plymouth Caving Group Special Publication 3: 'The Caves of Yealmpton' (1964). Pengelly wrote about the cave in 1870. He said that in 1823 a large number of bones were found in the cave. In 1836, a Colonel Mudge published a paper about a cavern near Yealm Bridge on the south side of the river where large quantities of bones were found. There were apparently three openings, each about 12 feet above the river but a considerable part of the cavern was destroyed by quarrying and it looks like the last bit of cave was gone by 1840. Today, there is very little evidence of any cave at Yealm Bridge Quarry.
MrPlymExplorer
New member
Such a shame. Is there no point going for a look then?LeckFell said:
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rhychydwr1
Active member
Yes, well worth a look to see if there is anything remaining. Might be a few bone fragments left.
LeckFell
New member
Interesting mrodoc. Are you sure this is in Yealm Bridge Quarry? It has been many, many years since I went to Yealm Bridge Quarry and it was very overgrown then. I'm relying on what R.C.Bray described in the 1960s. His words about Yealm Bridge were: "The quarries of this area contain several earth-choked rifts which will need careful examination when time permits". I suspect others have undertaken that careful examination - but who knows!? There is a lot of unquarried limestone in the Yealmpton area and even a few stream sinks. I'm sure there are opportunities for discoveries. So my advice to MrPlymExplorer is go look at this quarry and the area around it (when it is safe to do so!)
mrodoc
Well-known member
The cave I photographed was in Round's Nest Quarry. Years ago (50) I heard PCG had digs in the area. Digging is in Devon needs dedication. Digs are started and not followed through in some cases either due to landowner interference or lack of enthusiasm - or they just look unpromising. I have just started one with a fellow DSS member but of course that has all gone on hold.
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