Chartist Cave facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chartist Cave |
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|---|---|
| Location | Mynydd Llangynidr |
| Length | 440 metres (1,444 ft) |
| Geology | Limestone |
| Access | unrestricted |
Chartist Cave is a really important cave located on a mountain called Mynydd Llangynidr in southern Powys, Wales. Its entrance is a wide arch made of a strong rock called Twrch Sandstone. This rock sits on top of another type of rock called Carboniferous Limestone.
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About Chartist Cave
Chartist Cave is found high up on the moors, which are open, grassy lands, near the top of Mynydd Llangynidr. It's about 2.5 kilometers north-northeast of a village called Trefil. The cave entrance is shaped like an arch. This arch was formed because a hard rock cap, sometimes called millstone grit, protected the top while the softer limestone underneath slowly wore away.
The cave has a couple of other names in Welsh: Ogof Fawr, which means 'Big Cave', and an older name, Tylles Fawr, meaning 'Great Hole'.
Why is it called Chartist Cave?
The name Chartist Cave comes from a special time in history, back in 1839. A group of people known as Chartist rebels used this cave. They were a movement of working-class people who wanted fairer laws and the right to vote for all men. They secretly stored weapons in the cave. This was before their big march on Newport in November of that year. Today, there's a special plaque at the cave entrance. It helps everyone remember the important actions of the Chartists.
Exploring the Cave
In 1969 and 1970, a group called the Severn Valley Caving Club did some digging inside the cave. They found a passage that led down to a lower room with many other tunnels branching off. We know the cave is at least 440 meters long. However, many people believe it's part of a much bigger system of caves hidden under the moors.
During their explorations, the cavers found some interesting things. They discovered an old clay pipe, a flat stone with a hole in it, and even some animal and human bones. The stone might be very old, but the human bones were thought to be from about 50 to 100 years ago.
A Special Place for Nature
Chartist Cave is part of a special area called the Mynydd Llangynidr Site of Special Scientific Interest. This area was officially recognized in August 2012 by the Countryside Council for Wales. It's important because of its unique landscape, which includes features like caves and sinkholes, formed by water dissolving the limestone rock. This type of landscape is called a karstic landscape.
