Ogof Nadolig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ogof Nadolig |
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Lower entrance structure
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| Location | Alyn Gorge, Flintshire, Wales |
| OS grid | SJ 19036555 |
| Length | 300 metres (980 ft) |
| Discovery | North Wales Caving Club 1978 |
| Geology | Limestone |
| Hazards | None |
| Access | Free |
| Translation | Christmas Cave (Welsh) |
| Cave survey | elevation |
| Registry | Cambrian Cave Registry |
Ogof Nadolig is a cool cave located in the beautiful Alyn Gorge in Flintshire, Wales. It's a special place known for its unique discovery story. This cave is mostly a "crawling" cave, meaning you'll need to get on your hands and knees to explore many parts of it.
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Discovering Ogof Nadolig: The Christmas Cave
Ogof Nadolig is about 300 metres (980 ft) long, which is like three football fields end-to-end! It was first explored by the North Wales Caving Club in 1978. Imagine finding a whole new cave!
How Did Ogof Nadolig Get Its Name?
The name Ogof Nadolig is Welsh. It means "Christmas Cave" in English. This special name comes from the fact that the cave was discovered on Christmas Day! What a fantastic Christmas present for the explorers!
Exploring the Cave's Passages
When you explore Ogof Nadolig, you'll find that much of it requires crawling. This makes it an exciting adventure for cavers. The cave eventually leads to a shaft that goes up towards the surface. At the very top of this shaft, there's a locked manhole cover.
What is the Alyn Gorge?
The Alyn Gorge is a stunning natural area in Wales. It's known for its deep valleys and interesting rock formations, including many caves. The geology of Ogof Nadolig is limestone, which is a common type of rock where caves form. Water slowly dissolves the limestone over thousands of years, creating these amazing underground passages.
Other Caves Nearby
Ogof Nadolig isn't the only cave in the Alyn Gorge. Close by, and even nearer to the river, you can find two other interesting caves. These are called Ogof Hesp Alyn and Ogof Hen Ffynhonnau. The Alyn Gorge is truly a hotspot for cave exploration!
