My stereotypical image of prehistoric life is of a family sat eating round a fire, animal bones scattered about, in the mouth of a cave. Hence, this morning I found myself sat in a cave entrance high above the River Hodder near Whitewell living the dream. Fairy Holes Cave was excavated in 1946 and more recently in 2013 and has revealed cremated human bones, animal bones and pieces of pottery dated to the early Bronze Age. I had not been here for maybe 35 years when I had come to show my children the virtually unknown site. I remember it took some finding and was on private land – it remains so to this day. Once located there are three caves in a limestone outcrop, the middle one being by far the most extensive. A high entrance leads to a 25 m long cave which you need to stoop along until at the furthest point a phreatic tube allows you to stand again. My head torch only allowed a poor view of the features, but I was hoping some photos would show more. Having satisfied my speleological desires I clambered up the hillside and continued on my walk through this limestone area of Bowland.
The early morning start north of Chipping saw me parked up at the end of a bridleway, now a surfaced lane, leading to a prominent Lime-kiln on Knott Hill, this was used to provide lime for the fields and mortar. Throughout this walk little outcrops and quarries of limestone are discovered.
The tracks onwards to Lickhurst Farm were waterlogged reflecting the amount of rain we’ve experienced this summer. Got chatting to the weathered farmer, whom I knew from a previous life, about these isolated Bowland Hill farms. He is due for retirement soon and is one of the last generation born and bred in the area. So many buildings, farms and barns have been upgraded for a new breed of incomers. The property next to him which seemed derelict a couple of years ago when I passed through now offers luxury accommodation. We speculated, with a smile, on how they will manage cut off in the next harsh winter – no doubt helicopters will be involved and the TV will report on a survival rescue.
The next stretch through more wet fields passed farmsteads, Dinkling Green and Higher Fence Wood, amidst curious Limestone Knolls surrounded by the Bowland Fells: a juxtaposition of grit and lime. Hereabouts I had heard of caves but never found them, I wandered about in vain for a while and was on the verge of giving up when I spotted a fenced enclosure, a give away really. There it was – an obvious cave opening in an outcrop. It turned out to be a few cave entrances to a system which looked as though it extended down into deeper passages – not for me alone today. Has this cave a name I wonder?
Down the lane and across fields towards a small quarried outcrop which I remember bouldering on years ago and which is now in the definitive Lancashire Bouldering Guide named appropriately Reef Knoll Crag.
Anyhow, passing quickly onwards I arrive in the farmyard of New Laund where workers are busy sorting sheep. Nobody notices my diversion to Fairy Holes…
… my continuation over New Laund Hill gives views back to ‘The Jaws of Bowland’ with Mellor Knoll, Burholme Bridge and the Whitendale Fells prominent. Ahead is the deep wooded valley enclosing The Hodder with the slopes of Longridge Fell behind.
Some creative navigation through Fair Oak put me on the right track to Greystonely, another farmstead with converted buildings, the one whose residents I knew were out so no cups of tea! The bridleway over a ford quickly took me back to my car, and I was home for lunch.
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I like the spider. Suggest you ask Beating the Bounds (Mark Richards) if he can identify. Somebody at Craven Pothole Club may have info about the unnamed cave?
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It’s Dinkling Green Mine Cave. You can find details of access for this and Fairy Holes on the Council for Northern Caves website
Thanks for that information, I’ve the Northern Caves book somewhere.
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I used to live up at Greystonley in the now demolished farmhouse, good read! I have lived in Chipping all my life and never seen these caves!
Not many have seen them. It is worth finding them, if you are a local I’m sure the farmer at New Laund would point you in the right direction.
Great photos. I was there 1962 and 1965 as Preston Caving Club. The nameless cave was once mined for Calamine. Between Inn at Whitwell and Crimpton hill, you will find Whitewell cave in a hollow, and Crimpton Pit / Hell Hole higher up hill in a copse. There is also a (now filled-in) Whitewell Pot pothole where stream sinks above road (RH side on way up from Inn) and water resurges in bed of stream in gorge. We descended, via very tight squeeze and a tired 75 feet drop, ending in a sandy sump. Happy memories!
Thanks for the info. I know of some other caves you mention. https://bowlandclimber.com/2020/11/11/radholme-and-browsholme/
It is a fascinating limestone area.
Memories indeed.
Whitewell Pot was never filled in and we saved it before it actually collapsed You can see some pictures here http://northernboggarts.org.uk/gallery/category/160-whitewell-pot-tour The Northern Boggarts website is frozen at the moment due to an update on the software which we can’t do anything about but you can still access it and there is more information on Bowland caves in the newsletter but you have to burrow deep.
Thanks for that info and good link to The Northern Boggarts.