St Cuthbert's Swallet

Infobox Cave
name =St Cuthbert's Swallet
photo =
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location =Priddy
depth = convert|145|m|ft|0
length =convert|6.7|km|mi|0
coordinates =gbmapping|ST543505
survey =
discovery =
geology =Limestone
number of entrances =
difficulty =
hazards =
access = Bristol Exploration Club
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St Cuthbert's Swallet (gbmapping|ST543505) is a cave which forms a major part of the Priddy Caves system in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England.

A swallet, also known as a sinkhole, sink, shakehole, swallow hole, or doline is a natural depression or hole in the surface topography caused by the removal of soil or bedrock, often both, by water flowing beneath the water-table at considerable depth. Water entering this swallet reemerges at Wookey Hole.

St Cuthbert’s Swallet, which was discovered in 1953, is a classic example of a deep phreatic cave system at a depth of not less than convert|280|ft|m|0 beneath the contemporary water table. [cite journal
quotes =
author = Derek C. Ford
date =
year = 1965
month = October
title = The Origin of Limestone Caverns: A Model from the Central Mendip Hills, England
journal = Bulletin of the National Speleological Society
volume = 27
issue = 4
pages = 109–132
doi =
id = ISSN 0146-9517
url = http://www.caves.org/pub/journal/PDF/V27/v27n4-Ford.htm
language = English
format =
accessdate = ] It contains inclined bedding plane mazes at many levels, fault-guided rifts and some significant chambers. Nine successive phases of sediment deposition, stalagmite deposition and stream erosion have been recognised at the site, providing an exceptional record of environmental change through the warm and cold phases of the Ice Age.

St. Cuthbert's Swallet is attractive to cavers, for its complexity and size, reaching over 6.7 km and a depth of 145m, and having numerous large decorated chambers, forming phreatic mazes on seven distinct levels. Among its displays are large and impressive calcite groups such as the 'Curtains', 'Cascade', Gour Hall with its convert|20|ft|m|1 high gour, 'The Beehive', Canyon Series and the 'Balcony' formations in September Chamber, perhaps some of the best in Britain. There are also mini-formations including floating calcite crystals, over twenty nests of "cave pearls", and delicate fern-like crystals less than four millimetres long. [cite web | title=How do I book a trip to go down St Cuthberts? | work=Bristol Exploration Club | url=http://www.bec-cave.org.uk/content/view/81/35/ | accessdate=2007-01-27]

The cave has also been identified as an important site for the study of cave insects. Oligaphorura (formerly Archaphorura) schoetti are troglophiles, reaching convert|1.7|mm|in|2|lk=on in length and it is common in many caves. Most specimens are female but a male specimen was collected from St. Cuthbert's Swallet in 1969. [cite web | title=Oligaphorura schoetti in Uk and Ireland | work= Collembola of Britain and Ireland | url=http://www.stevehopkin.co.uk/collembolamaps/Poduromorpha/091OLsch/ | accessdate=2007-01-27]

St Cuthbert's Swallet is part of, and lies underneath, the Priddy Pools, Site of Special Scientific Interest. [cite web | title=Priddy Pools | work=English Nature | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000337.pdf | accessdate=2006-07-17] In the citation this is given as St Cuthbert's Cave, which should not be confused with St Cuthbert's Cave in Northumberland.

The cave is locked and access is controlled by the Bristol Exploration Club on behalf of the land owners.

References

See also

* Caves of the Mendip Hills