| Cox's Cave | |
|---|---|
Stalagmites and Stalactites in Cox's cave shown in a reflecting pool |
|
| Location | Cheddar |
| Depth | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Length | 100 m (330 ft) |
| Cave survey | Mendip Cave Registry and Archive |
| Geology | Limestone |
Cox's Cave (grid reference ST46465390) is in Cheddar Gorge on the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. It is open to the public as a show cave.
The cave is named after mill owner George Cox who discovered it in 1837, while quarrying limestone for a new building.[1][2] Cox immediately opened it as a show cave and ran it as a private enterprise until landowner, Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath, took it over at the beginning of the 20th century.[3]
The cave consists of seven small grottoes, joined by low archways. One section of the cave is known as the Home of the Rainbow, where traces of minerals have been brought in from the surface, and have given the stalagmites a wide range of colour, from nearly black, green, and orange to pure white. The famous French speleologist, Édouard-Alfred Martel, visited this cave and declared that "out of 600 caves, Cox's was admired the most".[4]