Upper Dentdale Cave System

Also within

Cumbria County YORKSHIRE DALES National Park

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Cave / Cavern, Gorge / Ravine, Rock Outcrop · Rock Type: Limestone

Landscape processes: Fluvial, Glacial, Karst

Description

Description Upper Dentdale Cave System is situated approximately three kilometres east of Dent on the northern flanks of Whernside and extends north and south of the River Dee for a length of approximately 1.7 kilometres along the valley floor and lower slopes of the valley sides. The site comprises an underlying cave system that has its surface expression in a number of cave entrances including influent entrances and resurgences. This group of caves lie in the banks of and beneath, the River Dee where it crosses the outcrop of the great Scar Limestone. The caves are unusual in that they demonstrate progressive development beneath the floor of a glacially eroded trough shaped valley and while some of the caves carry the modem drainage, except during periods of high flow, the others are fossil passages which have been breached by the down cutting of the surface gorge. Further study is required in order to define an absolute chronology for this site. The results of such a study would be most significant at a site close to the Dales ice centre of the Devensian glaciation. Upper Dentdale Cave System is a nationally important site and provides a unique insight into cave formation beneath a major valley floor. Other Information This is a Geological Conservation Review Site. The purpose of this note is to describe the nature and importance of the site, avoiding specialists terms, for the site owner and/or occupier. This note does not form part of the formal notification documents. Upper Dental Cave System, Cumbria This cave system is located on the lower slopes and valley floor of Dentdale about three kilometres east of the village of Dent. The site is approximately 1.7 kilometres long and comprises an underlying cave system that has its surface expression in a number of cave entrances, some of which are occupied by water flowing into, influent, and out of, resurgent, the system. Upper Dentdale Cave System is a superb example of a cave system which has developed beneath the valley floor but which has been "broken into" by the modern River Dee as it progressively erodes its beds. Indeed, along much of the length of the river where it crosses the great Scar Limestone, drainage under normal weather conditions is underground and the river is now progressively modifying the pre existing cave passages. The whole cave system clearly shows the influence of geology on its development. For example, the collapse of weak rocks forming the roof of part of Ibbeth Peril Caves has created one of the largest collapse chambers in Britain spanning 80 x 40 metres and being up to 12 metres high. The case system is very complex and probably only a small part of the caves have so far been discovered. There is considerable potential for further research on how these caves have developed during and since the last Ice Age. Typical cave structure, showing inflating influent and outflowing resurgent water route ways.

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