Balch Cave facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Balch Cave
Entrance drum being replaced for Balch Cave Aven Chamber Series
Location	Stoke St Michael
Discovery	1961
Geology	Limestone

Balch Cave is a fascinating cave located in Fairy Cave Quarry. This quarry is found near Stoke St Michael in the Mendip Hills of Somerset, England. The cave is carved into limestone rock. It is part of a larger system of underground passages. These passages lead to the St. Dunstan's Well Catchment Site of Special Scientific Interest. This area was once used by Bristol Water to collect water.

What is Balch Cave?

Balch Cave got its name from Herbert E. Balch. He was a very famous explorer of caves in the Mendip Hills. He spent a lot of time discovering and mapping these amazing underground worlds.

How Was Balch Cave Discovered?

The cave was accidentally opened in November 1961. This happened because of blasting work at the quarry. Sadly, much of the cave has been lost since then. By the end of the 1960s, large parts of it were destroyed by quarrying.

Exploring the Cave's Beauty

In December 1961, explorers went into the newly opened cave. They found many beautiful rifts. These were decorated with sparkling flowstone. Flowstone is a type of cave formation that looks like frozen waterfalls. There was also a special grotto. It was filled with pure white stalactites and pillars. Stalactites hang down from the cave ceiling like icicles. They also found a set of "organ pipes." These were about 10 feet (3 meters) wide and 15 feet (4.5 meters) high.

Amazing Formations Inside

Another visit happened in January 1962. Explorers went into the fourth chamber. This room was very richly decorated. It had white and cream flowstone. There were also several narrow curtains of rock. Many different white stalactites hung from the ceiling. The fifth and sixth chambers also had many stalagmite formations. Stalagmites grow up from the cave floor.

Sadly, more blasting from the quarry happened in later years. This damaged the central chambers of the cave. About 425 feet (130 meters) of passages were destroyed. Rockfalls also ruined many of the remaining formations. Other parts of the cave became impossible to reach. Even more work to stabilize the quarry later destroyed about 300 feet (90 meters) of passage. This included the original entrance and a large area called the Great Chamber.

Protecting Balch Cave

Today, the Fairy Caves Management Committee looks after access to Balch Cave. They work with the quarry owners. The cave is closed every year from October 1st to April 30th. This is done to protect bats that hibernate there. Hibernating means the bats are in a deep sleep for the winter. It is very important not to disturb them.