Mountains & hills · South Wales
Otter Hole
Otter Hole — cave in 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
- Chepstow · 2.5 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
About
Otter Hole is a named summit in the United Kingdom. Wikidata describes it as: "cave in United Kingdom". Coordinates: 51.6608°, -2.6861°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Wye SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Severn Estuary SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Wye Valley
- Ramsar wetland: Severn Estuary
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Otter Hole is perhaps one of the best decorated caves in Britain. Located on the Wales–England border just north of Chepstow, the cave runs from the banks of the tidal River Wye under the Chepstow Racecourse and onwards through various chambers, each rich with cave formations. Because of its importance as one of the finest examples of decorated caverns in Europe, access is restricted and is managed by the Royal Forest of Dean Caving Club on behalf of the landowner.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Description
The entrance to the cave is on the banks of the Wye through a gated doorway at the foot of a bluff. This is locked as a precaution against illegal entry to the cave, to protect the rare forms inside the cave and to prevent anyone wandering into the cave and being trapped accidentally as the cave floods with the tide. After a short crawl with few squeezes the passage opens out to a 'beach' where the tidal sump blocks access. At low tide this sump drains quickly and noisily, becoming passable as a 'duck' beneath a 'figure 8' double opening. The frequency of the tidal sump means that two trips are possible: a 'between tide trip' lasting around 6 hours will enter just after the sump drains and…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.6608, -2.6861
- District
- Monmouthshire
- Parish
- Chepstow
- Postcode
- NP16 6EG
- Parliamentary constituency
- Monmouthshire
- Nearest railway station
- Chepstow — 2.5 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q7109388 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Otter Hole (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Otterhole.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Otter Hole?
- Otter Hole is in South Wales, United Kingdom (postcode NP16 6EG), in the parish of Chepstow.
- Is Otter Hole a protected site?
- Yes — Otter Hole is part of the River Wye SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Severn Estuary SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Otter Hole free to visit?
- Yes, Otter Hole is free to enter.
- How do I get to Otter Hole?
- The nearest railway station is Chepstow, about 2.5 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode NP16 6EG.