The latest on C Chamber: a new cave at Stump Cross Caverns
Here at Stump Cross Caverns, we're embarking on a new adventure. Get the latest news on C Chamber.
The Yorkshire Dales is threaded with caves and caverns – more than 2,500, in fact. But a particularly beautiful example lay undiscovered until 1860. If it hadn't been stumbled upon by two local lead miners, perhaps we'd still be none the wiser.
Since its discovery that on fateful day, Stump Cross Caverns has undergone many changes – changes of ownership, changes to accessibility and the opening of new chambers.
We were recently delighted to share the news that
we're getting ready to open a new cave to the public. C Chamber, as it's known, is currently overrun with mud and rocks. But when it's cleared out, it will be a publicly accessible cavern showcasing gorgeous rock formations.
Buckle up. We've got some exciting updates for you.
For a start, our pet project has gone global. In the States, the news has reached
Kansas,
Tennessee and
Indiana. And closer to home, it's been
covered by the BBC, as well as local news outlets like
Your Harrogate and
The Yorkshire Post.
We're also excited to announce the first in a series of videos that will chart the ups and downs of the project. (We're crossing our fingers for nothing but 'ups'.)
In the video, Stump Cross Caverns owner Oliver Bowerman says:
"It's a once-in-a-generation thing. The last time it happened here at Stump Cross was in the year 2000. You can count on one hand the amount of times it's happened in the UK in the last 20 years or so."
So when, you might be wondering, will C Chamber be open? It's not an easy question to answer – let us tell you why…
What's happening at Stump Cross Caverns?
For the first time in 25 years, we're opening a brand new section of Stump Cross Caverns: C Chamber, as it's known.
Why does it matter? Well, many of the world's caves are for professional eyes only. They're inaccessible to the public due to safety concerns. C Chamber is one such cave. To get a good look at it, you'll need to get into caving gear and join a caving team.
This is a real shame because C Chamber is full of gorgeous rock formations – those stalagmites, stalactites and other decorations that fill the world's show caves.
As Oliver told the BBC:
"It's incredibly exciting because we can get people to see what we've seen.
"We get the chance," he went on, "to actually peer behind the curtain and see these amazing caverns, but it's a massive undertaking because there's a lot of engineering that is going to be involved."
"Massive undertaking" is no exaggeration. For C Chamber to be made accessible to the public, there's a huge amount of digging to be done.
What state is C Chamber in?
At the moment, C Chamber is a place of contradictions. It's full of pristine stalactites, stalagmites and unique crystal pom-poms that can match the decorations in the rest of the caverns.
It's also full of muck and waste material that render it inaccessible – for now.
What do we mean by waste material? It largely consists of "spoil" – material removed and discarded over half a century of caving expeditions.
If you're excavating a tunnel, the mud and rocks you dig up have to go somewhere. Much of it has been dumped in C Chamber, sometimes piled up in walls – a practice known as "dead walling".
This waste material is blocking the way through C Chamber. Before it can be opened to the public, it all has to be removed.
Then there's the mud and sediments that make C Chamber, in its current state, a destination for cavers only. The excavation will involve digging through sediments that have been lying there for thousands of years.
As Oliver says, this is a massive undertaking – one that could take years. But it should all be worth it in the end.
What's the point in doing all this digging?
Imagine finding a gold coin buried in a field. It's caked in soil, and the engraving is stained. It's not something you want on your mantlepiece. But clean off the muck and buff it up, and the coin will shine again.
This is a bit like what's happening at C Chamber. The cave is full of sparkling, gleaming, glimmering rock formations. But they're lost in a wilderness of mud and detritus.
Once the excavation is complete, the chamber will take its place as a jewel in the Stump Cross crown.
But there's another reason why opening C Chamber is a big deal for Stump Cross. It will offer a new way out of the caves.
For the first time, visitors will be able to experience the caverns as a circular route rather than doubling back on themselves. We believe this will enhance your experience, whether you're a first-time visitor or coming back for more.
We're confident that C Chamber will be a worthy addition to the caverns. But it could offer even more. As Tom Thompson, a caver from the Craven Pothole Club, says, "You never know what you might find".
Other caves at Stump Cross Caverns were the site of prehistoric fossils, including reindeer and wolverines. Could C Chamber be home to more fascinating fossils? Could there be a bison buried in that glacial mud? We can't wait to find out and show you.
What is the timeline?
The truth is that we don't how long the process of excavating and digging out the chamber will take. However, work started on 6 January 2025, so we should know more very soon.
It's going to be wet, muddy, arduous work – so who better to help us than the
Craven Pothole Club? No amount of mud will deter these passionate local cavers.
At Stump Cross Caverns, we see ourselves as custodians of the caves. That's why we're so excited to be able to add a new show-cave to our network. We'll let you know how we get on.
Stump Cross Caverns is an ancient underground network of caves in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. Looking for a fun and educational
family day out in Yorkshire? Take advantage of special offers when you
book tickets online.
