Wookey Hole Cave |
| Hob Uid: 197048 | |
Location :
Somerset
Mendip
St. Cuthbert Out
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| Grid Ref : ST5319048010 |
| Summary : Wookey Hole Cave represents the upper course of the River Axe, and has been extensively developed in the 19th and 20th centuries as a show cave. Originally, the cave comprised a small entrance way and a tunnel circa 85 metres in length, which led to four chambers. Three of these are partly occupied by the River Axe. The fourth is submerged, but was examined in the 1970s. The cave has been excavated on a number of occasions. Casual finds were made by Buckland during visits in the 1820s. William Boyd Dawkins conducted an investigations of sorts in the later 19th century. HE Balch intermittently undertook excavations during the first half of the 20th century, and some minor excavation has occurred as recently as the 1970s. The bulk of finds belong to the Iron Age and Roman periods. Finds include pottery, Iron Age and Roman coins (including a possible hoard), and numerous other objects including an ear ring, finger rings, a spoon, an ear scoop, spindle whorls and so on. A considerable quantity of human remains have also been recovered, including a cemetery of Romano-British date excavated in the 4th chamber in 1973-7. At least 28 individuals were present in the cemetery, accompanied by pottery, coins and other items. Investigation of the river bed in 1947-9 by divers produced Romano-British bowls and lead ewers, part of an 11th-12th century cooking pot, and two late 17th century glass bottles. |
More information : (ST 53194801). Wookey Hole (NR). (1)
Wookey Hole cave was excavated in 1911 and later by Balch, revealing an average of 4-7 ft of stratification, mostly Iron Age sealed by Romano-British. Finds included a silver coin of Marcia (BC 124), pottery from EIA to RB, iron weapons and tools, bronze ornaments, and Roman coins, from Vespasian to Valentinian II. Further work in 1926/7, again by Balch, produced many similar finds mainly from the upper RB levels. Investigation of the river bed within the cave by divers in 1947-9 produced RB bowls and lead ewers, part of an 11th-12th c cooking pot, and two late 17th c glass bottles. A considerable number of human bones associated with RB material was also found. Some of the pottery found by Balch was of Glastonbury type, and there were distinct resemblances between skulls found
at Glastonbury and Wookey Hole. (2-6)
A silt bank in the previously inaccessible 4th chamber, known as 'Holy Hole', was excavated over short periods in 1973-7. Remains of at least 10 individuals were found accompanied by RB pottery and 2nd-3rd c ornaments. The burials here, and in other parts of the cave, may have been ritual, as they were almost all of young people and apparently not of entire bodies. (7-9)
Excavations in the fourth chamber at Wookey Hole 1973-6 revealed a Romano-British cemetery. Full report (10)
Additional reference (11)
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