Hunter's Hole facts for kids

Hunter's Hole is an exciting cave located in the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. It's also sometimes called Hunters' Hole. This cave is a popular spot for people who enjoy exploring underground spaces. You can find it just outside the village of Priddy, right behind a pub called the Hunters Lodge Inn.

Exploring Hunter's Hole

How to Find the Cave

The entrance to Hunter's Hole is about 100 meters (around 330 feet) behind the Hunters Lodge Inn. Look for a small dip in the ground between some trees. To get into the cave, you use a special ladder that is always there.

A Look Inside

Hunter's Hole is a deep cave, going down 58 meters (about 190 feet). It stretches for 275 meters (around 900 feet) underground. The cave is made up of several shafts, which are like vertical tunnels. These shafts lead down to a larger area called the "railway tunnel."

Practicing Caving Skills

Because of its unique structure with many shafts, Hunter's Hole is a perfect place for cavers to practice a skill called single rope technique (SRT). This technique helps cavers safely go up and down ropes in deep caves.

The Cave's History

People first entered the main part of Hunter's Hole in 1954. This happened after cavers from the Wessex and BEC clubs spent time digging to open up the cave.

Why Hunter's Hole is Special

Hunter's Hole is part of the Priddy Caves Site of Special Scientific Interest. This means it's a very important natural area. Scientists study it because it's a great example of a "shaft complex." This is a system of shafts that helps drain water from a closed dip on the surface.

The cave's ceiling in the main shaft shows many interesting features. These include bridges made of soil and boulders. You can also see rifts (cracks) that are shaped by water and lined with speleothems. Speleothems are cave formations like stalactites and stalagmites. Unlike some other caves in the Priddy area, Hunter's Hole didn't form from a stream flowing into it.