Banwell Caves

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Banwell Caves
Area of Search	Avon
Grid Reference	ST383588
Interest	Biological & Geological
Area	1.7 hectares
Notification	1963
Location Map	English Nature

Banwell Caves (grid reference ST383588) are a 1.7 hectare geological and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Banwell, North Somerset, notified in 1963. The site comprises two caves, called 'Banwell Bone Cave' and 'Stalactite Caverns', which lie within the grounds of a large house, at the western end of Banwell Hill.

Contents 1 Geological Interest 2 Biological interest 3 See also 4 Source

[edit] Geological Interest

The caves contain barite deposits, which are found in greater abundance and variety here than at any other site in the Mendip Hills.

Banwell Bone Cave contains an assemblage of bones from Pleistocene mammals (mainly bison and reindeer). The cave has a large hole in the roof and is believed to have been used as a pitfall trap.

[edit] Biological interest

The caves are used as a hibernation site by Greater Horseshoe Bats.

[edit] See also

• Banwell Ochre Caves
• Caves of the Mendip Hills
• Quaternary Mammal Project

[edit] Source

• English Nature citation sheet for the site (accessed 9 July 2006)

Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Avon

Ashton Court • Avon Gorge • Banwell Caves • Biddle Street, Yatton • Bishop's Hill Wood • Blagdon Lake • Bodkin Hazel Wood • Brockley Hall Stables • Brown's Folly • Burledge Sidelands and Meadows • Burrington Combe • Chew Valley Lake • Cleaves Wood • Cleeve Wood, Hanham • Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines • Compton Martin Ochre Mine • Congrove Field and The Tumps • Dolebury Warren • Ellenborough Park West • Folly Farm • Goblin Combe • Gordano Valley • Harptree Combe • Hawkesbury Meadow • Hinton Charterhouse Field • Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton • Iford Manor • King's Wood and Urchin Wood • Long Dole Wood and Meadows • Lower Woods • Max Bog • Middle Hope • Midger • Monkswood Valley • Plaster's Green Meadows • Purn Hill • Puxton Moor • Severn Estuary • Shiplate Slait • St. Catherine's Valley • Steep Holm • Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn Moors • Uphill Cliff • Upton Coombe • Walton Common • Weston Big Wood  • Yanal Bog Neighbouring areas: Gloucestershire • Somerset • Wiltshire

Geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Avon

Aust Cliff • Avon Gorge • Banwell Caves  • Banwell Ochre Caves  • Barnhill Quarry  • Barns Batch Spinney  • Bickley Wood  • Bleadon Hill  • Bourne • Bowlditch Quarry  • Brinkmarsh Quarry  • Brown's Folly  • Buckover Road Cutting  • Burrington Combe  • Cattybrook Brickpit  • Clevedon Shore  • Compton Martin Ochre Mine  • Court Hill  • Cullimore's Quarry  • Damery Road Section  • Dundry Main Road South Quarry  • Gordano Valley  • Ham Green • Hampton Rocks Cutting  • Hartcliff Rocks Quarry • Hawkesbury Quarry  • Hinton Charterhouse Pit  • Hinton Hill, Wellow  • Holly Lane  • Huish Colliery Quarry  • Kenn Church, Kenn Pier & Yew Tree Farm • Kilmersdon Road Quarry  • Lower Woods  • Lulsgate Quarry  • Middle Hope  • Newton St. Loe  • Nightingale Valley  • North Road Quarry, Bath  • Portishead Pier to Black Nore • Quarry Steps, Durdham Down  • Severn Estuary • Slickstones Quarry, Cromhall  • Spring Cove Cliffs  • Stidham Farm  • Tytherington Quarry  • Weston-in-Gordano • Winterbourne Railway Cutting  • Writhlington Neighbouring areas: Gloucestershire • Somerset • Wiltshire

Coordinates: 51.32494° N 2.88687° W