Eastwater Cavern

#1415 among destinations in the United Kingdom

Nature, Natural attraction, Cave

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Facts and practical information

Eastwater Cavern is a cave near Priddy in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. It is also known as Eastwater Swallet. It was first excavated in April 1902 by a team led by Herbert E. Balch composed of paid labourers and volunteers from the Wells Natural History Society. Progress was initially slow, but by February 1903 Balch and Willcox had discovered substantial passage, following the streamway down to the bottom of the cave. Dolphin Pot was dug in 1940 by the Wessex Cave Club, with Primrose Pot following in 1950. West End series was the most recent significant discovery, in 1983. ()

Discovered: 1902Length: 2.18 miCoordinates: 51°15'11"N, 2°39'45"W

Location

EnglandUnited Kingdom

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Day trips

Eastwater Cavern – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Ebbor Gorge, Swildon's Hole, Hunter's Hole, Stock Hill.

1.5 miSW
Natural attraction, Canyon
Ebbor Gorge, Wells
38 min walk • Nestled within the verdant landscape of Somerset, Ebbor Gorge is a hidden gem that beckons nature enthusiasts to the outskirts of the city of Wells in the United Kingdom. This nature preserve is an oasis of tranquility, offering a respite from the hustle and bustle of...
0.6 miNW
Nature, Natural attraction, Cave
Swildon's Hole
16 min walk • Swildon's Hole is an extensive cave in Priddy, Somerset. At 9,144 metres in length, it is the longest cave on the Mendip Hills. It has been found to be connected to Priddy Green Sink and forms part of the Priddy Caves Site of Special Scientific Interest. The upper series of the cave compresses many features into a relatively short space.
0.7 miSE
Nature, Natural attraction, Cave
Hunter's Hole, Mendips
20 min walk • Hunter's Hole is a cave in the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. It is behind a pub, known as the Hunters Lodge Inn just outside Priddy where visitors can park.
0.8 miNE
Nature, Natural attraction, Hill
Stock Hill
20 min walk • Stock Hill is a Forestry Commission plantation on the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England. It lies to the south of the B3135 which runs from Cheddar Gorge to Green Ore and is the largest woodland on the Mendip plateau. A number of wide rides run through the forest.
1.4 miNW
Protected area
Chancellor's Farm, Priddy Mineries
37 min walk • Chancellor's Farm is a 34.2-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest just north of Priddy in the Mendip Hills, Somerset, notified in 1984.
~1500 ftE
Natural attraction, Cave
St Cuthbert's Swallet, Priddy Mineries
8 min walk • St Cuthbert's Swallet is the second longest, and most complex, cave on the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. It forms a major part of the Priddy Caves system and water entering this swallet re-emerges at Wookey Hole.
0.6 miN
Archaeological site
Priddy Nine Barrows
15 min walk • Priddy Nine Barrows Cemetery and Ashen Hill Barrow Cemetery are a collection of round barrows, dating from the Bronze Age, near Priddy in the English county of Somerset. They are designated as ancient monuments.
0.5 miNE
Natural attraction, Hill
Priddy Pools, Priddy Mineries
12 min walk • Priddy Pools is a 52.7-hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Priddy in the Mendip Hills, Somerset, notified in 1972. The pools provided the water supply for the Priddy Mineries which is now a Nature Reserve.
0.7 miNW
Church
Church of St Lawrence, Cheddar
19 min walk • The Anglican Church of St Lawrence at Priddy, Somerset, England, dates from the 13th century, with some rebuilding in the 15th century and was restored in 1881–88; it is a Grade I listed building.
~650 ftSE
Nature, Natural attraction, Cave
Priddy Caves, Cheddar
4 min walk • Priddy Caves is an Area: 67.6 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Priddy in the Mendip Hills, Somerset, notified in 1965. The entrance to St Cuthbert's Swallet is incorporated in the adjacent Priddy Pools SSSI.