Mountains & hills · South Wales
Banwell Caves
Banwell Caves is a mountain or hill in the United Kingdom.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 3 h–8 h
- Best time of year
- Late spring – early autumn (May–Oct)
- Nearest railway station
- Worle · 4.0 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
About
Banwell Caves is a named summit in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: Site of Special Scientific Interest. Coordinates: 51.3249°, -2.8869°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Banwell Caves SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Severn Estuary SSSI
- National Nature Reserve: MENDIP
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Mendip Hills
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Banwell Caves (grid reference ST383588) are a 1.7-hectare geological and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Banwell, North Somerset, England notified in 1963. The site comprises two caves, called 'Banwell Bone Cave' and 'Banwell Stalactite Cave', which lie within the grounds of a large house, at the western end of Banwell Hill. The caves contain barite deposits, which are found in greater abundance and variety here than at any other site in the Mendip Hills, and are used as a hibernation site by greater horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum). The site also has several grottos and follies, including the Pebble summerhouse, Druid's Temple, an osteoicon (or bone repository) and Banwell Tower which was completed in 1840.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The first cave to be discovered was the Stalactite Cave in 1757. This was opened in 1824 as a show cave to raise money for the local school. In an attempt to make access easier, a tunnel was dug into the hill during which the bone cave was discovered in 1825. The estate was owned by George Henry Law as Bishop of Bath and Wells, who thought the bones which were found were those of animals drowned in the flood at the time of Noah's Ark described in the Book of Genesis. The bishop had paths and folly buildings created for visitors and built a small cottage, which later became his retirement home. Since the 1970s, preservation and restoration work has been undertaken.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.3249, -2.8869
- District
- North Somerset
- Parish
- Banwell
- Postcode
- BS29 6NA
- Parliamentary constituency
- Wells and Mendip Hills
- Nearest railway station
- Worle — 4 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q4857341 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Banwell Caves (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Banwellcaves.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Banwell Caves?
- Banwell Caves is in South Wales, United Kingdom (postcode BS29 6NA), in the parish of Banwell.
- Is Banwell Caves a listed building?
- Banwell Caves is officially recognised as Site of Special Scientific Interest listed.
- Is Banwell Caves a protected site?
- Yes — Banwell Caves is part of the Banwell Caves SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Severn Estuary SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Banwell Caves free to visit?
- Yes, Banwell Caves is free to enter.
- How do I get to Banwell Caves?
- The nearest railway station is Worle, about 4.0 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BS29 6NA.