Swildon's Hole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swildon's Hole |
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Entrance structure
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| Location | Priddy, Somerset, England |
| OS grid | ST 5312851297 |
| Depth | 167 metres (548 ft) |
| Length | 9,144 metres (30,000 ft) |
| Elevation | 238 metres (781 ft) |
| Discovery | 1901 |
| Geology | Limestone |
| Access | Manor Farm |
| Cave survey |
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| BRAC grade | 4 |
| Registry | Mendip Cave Registry |
Swildon's Hole is a very long and exciting cave located in Priddy, Somerset, England. It stretches for about 9,144 metres (30,000 ft), making it the longest cave in the Mendip Hills. This amazing underground system is connected to another cave called Priddy Green Sink. Together, they form part of a special natural area known as the Priddy Caves Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The cave has many different parts. The upper sections are full of interesting features packed into a small area. But the cave goes much deeper! Its lower parts offer big challenges, even for very experienced cave divers.
The name "Swildon's Hole" might come from Swithun. He was an old Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester. This area used to belong to St Swithin's Priory in Winchester.
Contents
Exploring Swildon's Hole
Early Discoveries
People first entered Swildon's Hole on August 16, 1901. Members of the Wells Natural History and Archaeological Society were the first explorers. They quickly made their way to a spot now called the 40-foot pot. Even though the landowner said no, more trips happened between 1903 and 1910. Explorers took photos and mapped out new passages.
In 1914, they reached a new limit: Twenty Foot Pot. By 1921, they found the first sump. A sump is a water-filled passage that blocks the way. They tried to blast through it, but couldn't.
Diving Deeper
Sump 1 was finally explored by diving through it in 1936. Sump 2 was passed soon after. At this time, explorers had only found about one-fifth of the cave's total length that we know today.
Since 1936, caving groups have kept exploring. They have found ways past eleven main sumps. Sump 12 has been too hard to get through so far. But work continues to find a way past Sump 12b, which is nearby.
Getting to the Cave
The entrance to Swildon's Hole is a small, triangle-shaped opening. It's inside a stone building. This building is in a group of trees about 550 metres (1,804 ft) northeast of Manor Farm in Priddy.
Swildon's Hole is a very popular cave. Often, several different groups of cavers are exploring underground at the same time.
Inside the Cave
The cave has an active stream flowing through it. This stream has created a very diverse cave system. Some parts are low passages where cavers must crawl. Other parts are huge chambers with steep drops. There are also dry passages and loud waterfalls. The cave is famous for its challenging sumps. A map of the cave is on a stone plaque near Priddy village green. You can see it in the picture on the right.
Only a few of the eleven main sumps can be dived without special equipment. This is called "free-diving."
Understanding the Sumps
Here is a quick look at some of the sumps:
| Sump | Length of dive | Notes |
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| Sump 1 | 2 metres (7 ft) | Can be free-dived |
| Sump 2 | 8 metres (26 ft) | Can be free-dived |
| Sump 3 | 10 metres (33 ft) | Can be free-dived, but it's tricky |
| Sump 4 | 5 metres (16 ft) | Can be free-dived. You can reach it by going around Sumps 1-3. |
| Sump 5 | 10 metres (33 ft) | The water level has been lowered. You can pass it by ducking between air pockets. |
| Sump 6 | 10 metres (33 ft) | Not for free-diving; you can go around it. |
| Sump 7 | 8 metres (26 ft) | Difficult; you can go around it. |
| Sump 8 | ? | Easy to go around; Sump 9 is the limit for free-diving. |
| Sump 9 | 40 metres (131 ft) | Only for divers with full equipment. |
| Sump 10 | 0.7 metres (2 ft) | Can be gone around. |
| Sump 11 | ? | Often filled with mud; usually gone around. |
| Sump 12 | 20 metres (66 ft) plus | Has not been passed yet. |
The sections of the cave between sumps are named after the sump at the end of that section. So, the part between the entrance and Sump 1 is called Swildon's One. The part between Sump 1 and Sump 2 is Swildon's Two, and so on.
You can reach Sump 4 without going through Sumps 1 to 3. This route goes through places like Tratman's Temple and Blue Pencil Passage. Parts of this path are very difficult.
Cave Connections
The connection between Swildon's Hole and Priddy Green Sink was a big discovery. It was the first major "through route" found in the Mendip Hills. After many months of digging and blasting, the link was made in 1996. This happened at the top of the Cowsh Avens Series, a 120 metres (394 ft) climb above Sump 4.
The water that flows through Swildon's Hole eventually comes out at Wookey Hole Caves. This was first shown in the 1930s. Graham Balcombe and Jack Sheppard from the Cave Diving Group poured dye into the water. They were the same divers who first passed Sumps 1 and 2.
Images for kids
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Entrance structure
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Plan of Swildon's Hole in relation to Priddy, displayed on a plaque in the village
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Entrance to Swildon's Hole
