Banwell Ochre Caves facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
| Area of Search | Avon |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°19′47″N 2°51′09″W / 51.3297°N 2.8525°W |
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 12.46 ha (30.8 acres) |
| Notification | 1983 |
| Banwell Ochre Cave | |
|---|---|
| Location | Banwell |
| Depth | 12m |
| Length | 62m |
| Geology | Limestone |
| Cave survey | Mendip Cave Registry & Archive: (1) and (2) |
The Banwell Ochre Caves are a special place in North Somerset, England. They cover about 12.46 hectares, which is like 17 football fields! These caves are near the village of Banwell and were officially recognized as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1983.
There are five main caves here. They are famous because they hold the biggest and easiest-to-see areas where people used to dig for a special yellow rock called ochre. You can find many types of ochre and other iron-rich rocks, like limonites, right where they formed. These rocks built up over time, especially during the Ice Age (also known as the Pleistocene period). The caves are also a very important home for Horseshoe bats, which are a protected species.
People started mining for ochre in these caves in the 1930s. They continued this work until 1948.
The caves vary in size. Cave one is 62 meters long, Cave two is 154 meters, Cave three is 92 meters, Cave four is 62 meters, and Cave five is 31 meters long. There's also a smaller cave that is blocked by rocks about 4 meters deep.
Contents
What Makes Banwell Ochre Caves Special?
The Banwell Ochre Caves are a "Site of Special Scientific Interest," or SSSI. This means they are protected by law because they have very important natural features. For these caves, it's their unique geology and the special bats that live there.
The Amazing Ochre
Ochre is a natural earth pigment, which means it's a colored dirt or clay. It gets its yellow, orange, or red color from iron minerals. People have used ochre for thousands of years as paint, especially in ancient cave art!
At Banwell, you can see how different types of ochre formed. These rock deposits are like clues from the past. They show us how the land changed during the Ice Age. Scientists can study these rocks to learn about Earth's history.
Home to Horseshoe Bats
The caves are also a vital habitat for Horseshoe bats. These bats are a protected species, which means it's against the law to harm them or disturb their homes. Caves provide a safe, cool, and quiet place for bats to live, especially during winter when they hibernate. Protecting these caves helps these important creatures survive.
History of Mining at Banwell
People have been interested in the Banwell Ochre Caves for a long time. The main period of ochre mining here was from the 1930s until 1948. Miners would dig out the ochre, which was then processed and used for various purposes, like making paints or dyes. This mining history adds another layer of interest to the caves, showing how humans have interacted with this natural environment.
