Alum Pot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alum Pot |
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Two cavers are exiting from the pothole, which is about 60m deep at that point.
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| Location | Simon Fell, North Yorkshire, England |
| OS grid | SD 774 755 |
| Depth | 104 metres (341 ft) |
| Length | 159 metres (522 ft) |
| Geology | Limestone |
| BRAC grade | 3 |
Alum Pot is a really deep hole in the ground, also known as a pothole or cave shaft. It's located in North Yorkshire, England, on the side of a hill called Simon Fell. This amazing natural feature is about 104 meters (341 feet) deep! It's connected to other nearby caves like Long Churn Cave and Diccan Pot, making it part of a larger underground system. People who want to explore Alum Pot usually get there by a special private path from a small village called Selside.
Exploring Alum Pot's History
Early Descents into the Pothole
The first recorded attempts to explore Alum Pot happened a long time ago. In 1847, a man named John Birkbeck tried to go down into the pot from a nearby cave called Long Churn Cave. He didn't quite reach the very bottom that time.
But John Birkbeck didn't give up! The very next year, in 1848, he tried again. This time, he successfully reached the bottom. A group of nine men were lowered down into the deep shaft. They used a large bucket and a special rope system, which was operated by railway workers.
Later Explorations and Connections
Another full trip down Alum Pot happened in 1870. This time, people were lowered using a cage and a large winding machine. This machine was operated by navvies, who were workers building the Settle–Carlisle Line railway nearby.
In 1932, a large group of 24 cave explorers from the Craven Pothole Club achieved something new. They were the first to travel all the way from Alum Pot to another connected cave called Diccan Pot. This showed how these underground systems are linked!
