Caves in Devon facts for kids

Devon is a county in England known for its beautiful countryside. It also has some amazing underground places called caves! Many of these caves are found in the limestone areas, especially near Dartmoor. The River Dart has helped create many of these cool caves. While most caves in Devon don't have active streams flowing through them, there are a few exceptions, like the Bakers Pit streamway. Devon even has its own special type of cave shrimp!

Caving Clubs in Devon

If you're interested in exploring caves, there are clubs that can help you learn how to do it safely.

Devon Speleological Society

The Devon Speleological Society (DevonSS) is the oldest caving club in Devon. It started way back in 1947! Members meet every week to go caving and hang out. The club even owns a place called the South Dartmoor Bunkhouse in Buckfastleigh. This bunkhouse is used by cavers and other adventure groups.

Exeter University Speleological Society

The Exeter University Speleological Society (EUSS) is a newer club. Its members enjoy caving all over the country. They even go on exciting caving trips to other parts of the world!

Awesome Show Caves to Visit

Show caves are special caves that are open to the public. They have pathways and lights so you can explore them easily and safely.

• Kents Cavern – This famous show cave is near Torquay. Many important archaeological discoveries have been made here, showing how people lived long ago. It's open for everyone to visit!
• Chudleigh Cavern – The first part of this cave is open to the public. If you're an experienced caver, you can explore even further inside. The cave entrance is in a pretty garden that has other smaller caves, some of which you can also visit. This is located outside the town of Chudleigh, between Dartmoor and the South Coast of England.
• Beer Quarry Caves – These aren't natural caves, but old mines near the village of Beer in east Devon. People used to dig out "Beer stone" from here. This stone was very popular for building and carving beautiful things.

Caves Around Buckfastleigh

The area around Buckfastleigh is home to several interesting caves.

• The Bakers Pit cave is found in this area. It used to be connected to Reed's Cave, but that connection was blocked. This was done to protect the amazing cave formations inside Reed's Cave.
• Higher Kiln Quarry, located below Buckfast church and graveyard, also has several caves.
  • Reed's Cave – This is a huge cave system with incredibly beautiful cave formations. Because they are so delicate, public access is usually not allowed.
  • Joint Mitnor Cave – This cave is famous for the many archaeological finds discovered inside it.

Other Fascinating Devon Caves

Devon has many other caves, each with its own unique features.

• Afton Red Rift – This Devon cave is known for some challenging traversing sections, which means moving sideways across rock faces.
• Ash Hole Cavern – Located in Brixham, this cave is a protected historical site. It has shown signs that people lived there as far back as the Bronze Age!
• Cow Cave – This is a small cave system found in the Chudleigh Gorge. It's important because of the ancient animal fossils found there.
• Pridhamsleigh Cavern – This is a very large cave system on the edge of Dartmoor. It's special because it contains a big underground lake!