Oxlow Cavern

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Oxlow Cavern, Castleton, Derbyshire, England

Grid Ref: SK 12412 82186 (GPS), Alt: 425m.

Length: 1.4km (4.75km including Maskill Mine & Giants Hole)

Depth: 140m to West Chamber.

Oxlow Cavern is situated on the right hand side of the road running from Perryfoot to Castleton almost opposite Giant's Hole on the other side of the road and a few yards away from Maskill Mine. The cavern is part natural and part mine. It is a fine "vertical" cave which is dry, deep, and mostly in big passage formed within a mineral vein. Entering via a 17.5m deep mine shaft of small dimensions which leads down past a mined level the explorer emerges at the top of a slope in a natural vein cavity. Two further pitches lead down to a coll 70m below the entrance where there are two ways on. To the East, a descent continues down into the very large East Chamber, and to the west, the impressive West Swirl Passage leads down at 45° to the base of the fourth pitch and the massive West Chamber. A passage at the far end of West Chamber links through to the bottom of Maskhill Mine. The fourth pitch, which is a climb up, in the West Antechamber wall reaches a crawl heading north away from the vein into the New Oxlow Series and the long, very tight and wet connection to Giant's Hole.