Shute Shelve Cavern facts for kids

Shute Shelve Cavern is a natural cave system found in Shute Shelve Hill, Somerset, England. It is located above the town of Axbridge in the Mendip Hills, not far from Cheddar. This cave is special because it was once mined for a colorful mineral.

What is Shute Shelve Cavern?

Shute Shelve Cavern is a type of cave called a phreatic cave. This means it was formed a long time ago when it was completely filled with water. Inside the cave, you can find fossils of speleothems. These are cave formations like stalactites and stalagmites. Some of these fossils are incredibly old, over 350,000 years!

The Cave's Mining Past

For many years, Shute Shelve Cavern was used as a mine. Miners dug out a yellow mineral called ochre. Ochre is a natural earth pigment, which means it's a colorful powder found in the ground. People used this yellow ochre as a dye to make paint. Because of this mining history, the cave was also known as the Axbridge Ochre Mine. Mining continued here until the 1920s.

Visiting the Cavern

Today, access to Shute Shelve Cavern is carefully managed by the Axbridge Caving Group. There is a locked gate at the entrance to protect the cave. It's important to know that the cave is completely closed during the bats' roosting season. This is to make sure the bats are not disturbed while they are resting or raising their young.

Inside the Chambers

The cave has several interesting areas:

• Chamber 1: In this chamber, you can see special taped-off areas. To the right, there are marks on the rock called scallops. These are scoop-shaped hollows formed by water flowing through the cave. To the left, you can spot old supports left by the miners and a large geode. A geode is a rock that has a hollow space inside, often lined with crystals.
• Chamber 2: This is a large, tall crack in the rock, also known as a rift. Like Chamber 1, it has taped-off areas to help protect the natural features and keep the cave healthy.
• Other Areas: Beyond these main chambers, there are more parts of the cave known by names like Box Tunnel and Elm Street.