Caves & Mines
The map of Caves & Mines shows publically accessible underground locations around the UK. The Dolaucothi Gold Mines are a disused site for mining gold, found within the Welsh Dolaucothi Estate in Carmarthenshire, Wales. This is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The area is included in the Lliw Valley and Dolaucothi Commons and is protected by a UK fragile environmental area and Special Area of Conservation status internationally. In the 1960s, archaeological excavations revealed dates from the Late Bronze Age (1300-750 BC) to the Roman period. Excavations of stream deposits suggest site exploitation occurred from the Bronze Age to at least the Iron Age. A significant amount of archaeological evidence shows that this site was exploited for nearly 1,500 years
The Purbeck Mineral & Mining Museum is located near Corfe Castle on the south UK coast. The museum interprets the local mining history and displays tools and equipment from the local area and objects about the history of Purbeck Mineral.
Royston Cave is a natural attraction in Royston, Hertfordshire, England. It is famous for its stalagmite and stalactite formations. The cave can be accessed by the public and is open all year round, except Christmas.
Royston Cave is considered one of the oldest man made caves in England, and it has a very interesting history. The age of the cave and the way it was formed makes it unique. The cave was discovered in 1806 by local people who were looking for a source of well water. It is said that the cave is artificial, although it is a natural wonder. The walls of the cave are smooth, and the floor is covered with sand. It has been explored to a depth of 40 metres, but it is unknown whether it extends beyond this point. In 1951, the cave was declared a site of historical importance. The caves are also of archaeological and geological interest; the fauna found inside is an important indicator of the last glacial period.
The St Cuthbert's Cave is accessible by a short walk from the carpark. The cave is one of the many sites associated with St Cuthbert, a seventh-century monk who lived in the area and is now the patron saint of Northern England. The cave is where St Cuthbert hid from the Anglo-Saxons who were persecuting him at the time. The remains of a wooden cross are said to have been found in the cave by St Cuthbert.
St Cuthbert's Cave is situated near the village of Linton, Northumberland and is one of two Cuthbert's caves in the area. St Cuthbert's cave was mentioned in the 10th century Life of St Cuthbert, which described an incident with a bear in the cave. The cave is also mentioned in the 'Life of Saint Cuthbert' by Turgot, Archbishop of Rouen, written between 1077 and 10 92. Turgot wrote that St Cuthbert visited Lindisfarne, then went to a place 'more secluded' where he left his companions, went into a deep cavern and there spent a week in silence. St Cuthbert is said to have made an appearance here during the 12th century, after his remains were moved from Lindisfarne, with a group of monks reporting that they saw him come out and watch them. A later legend is that a black dog would appear before the death of each British monarch. The cave was first excavated in 1948 by Oliver Davies.
St Cuthbert's Cave main attraction is the magnificent rock formations. The cave was formed around 400 million years ago when the area lay beneath a tropical sea during the Silurian period. The limestone was formed from the remains of marine organisms such as shellfish and coral, which left their impressions in the limestone rock.