Welcome to

Banwell Caves

 

Banwell Stalactite Cave was discovered by mineral miners in 1757 it was re-opened in 1824 by Dr Randolph, Vicar of Banwell, as a show cave to raise money for a charity school in Banwell.

Entry was via two ladders and the cave needed an easier entrance. A tunnel was driven into the hill at a lower level, but instead of connecting with the Stalactite Cave, it broke into a hitherto unsuspected cave (the Bone Cave) containing a large quantity of prehistoric animal bones.

Eventually an easier entrance to the Stalactite Cave was constructed and both caves opened to the public in 1825.

The caves were on the estate owned by George Henry Law, Bishop of Bath and Wells. The Bishop regarded the bones as being the remains of animals drowned in Noah's flood.

In the early 19th century the scientific understanding of Geology was in its infancy and early Geologists were questioning the biblical account of the creation. The Bishop hoped to show his visitors that the Bible story was true. Here were the bones of animals that perished in the Universal Deluge!

Bishop Law planted the wood, laid out paths, built summerhouses and sham ancient monuments to remind his visitors of a wicked world drowned in the flood.

Many of these follies had stone or wooden tablets with verses in keeping with the Bishop's beliefs. The Bishop died in 1845.

The estate was managed for the Bishop by William Beard (1772 - 1868). Beard kept the caves open until 1865 when he was 93 years old. The Bishop's family eventually sold the property in 1902.

The entrance to the Bone Cave - 'here let the scoffer of God's holy word behold the traces of a deluged world'

The Bone Cave contains fossil remains of Ice Age mammals

The bones were excavated by William Beard on behalf of the Bishop of Bath and Wells between 1825 - 1840

The bones are of bison, reindeer, wolf, red fox, artic fox and brown bear they are 80,000 years old

A hole appeared in the roof of the Cave from the water washing bolders around

A plant root growing into the Cave

The bones were washed into the Cave when humans were not living in this country so there are no human bones in the Cave

Recent excavations to the chamber below which were halted as it started to collapse

Looking up towards the original Cave entrance

The way out of the Bone Cave framed by Whale bones (not from here)

A sham 'Druid's Grotto' 'here when once Druids trod in times of yore and stain'd their altars with a victim's gore'

The Osteoicon - ruins of a picturesque museum where the best bones from the Cave were exhibited

The entrance to the Stalactite Cave

Looking towards Weston from the entrance

Looking down into the Stalactite Cave

Pebble Summerhouse - built in 1830 with pebbles from Weston beach it had a lion on the right which is now gone and a camel on the left

Gazebo - the Vicar of Banwell had a summerhouse on Banwell Plain after he died Bishop Law moved the building to Banwell Hill this may be that building

Banwell Tower - you can go to the top and admire the view

Looking towards the River Severn from the top of the Tower

The shadow of the Tower on the ground

Looking towards Worlebury Hill

Looking towards Weston seafront

Crook Peak

A cap on top of the hole in the roof of the Bone Cave to stop the family's dog falling through!

The Bishop had a small cottage built between the two Caves for his own visitors - it has been extended over the years