| Mossdale Caverns | |
|---|---|
| Location | Yorkshire Dales |
| Length | 10.5 km (6.5 mi) |
| Discovery | 1941 |
| Geology | Limestone |
| Difficulty | Grade 5 |
Mossdale Caverns is a cave system in the Yorkshire Dales, England. It is located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of Grassington, and east of Conistone, where the Mossdale beck disappears beneath the ground into the caves at Mossdale Scar. It lies at an altitude of 425 metres (1,394 ft) on the eastern flank of Wharfedale, extending southeast underneath Grassington Moor.
The cave system is carved from Yoredale limestone by the flow of the Mossdale beck. It is the largest stream sink in England.
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Exploration of Mossdale Caverns was begun in 1941 by Robert Leakey of the British Speleological Association. It is a very challenging cave system. The 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) system is graded V (super severe) because it involves crawling and squeezing for much of its length. The passages are narrow and often muddy, with many submerged or semi-submerged sections. The system can, and does, flood completely after even a small amount of rainfall.
The cave system is located on private property. Permission to enter the caves is no longer granted due to the tragedy that occurred in 1967 (see below). Exploration does still take place, but on an unofficial basis. It is thought that the cave system may hold the key to breaking into the Great Scar Limestone and the extensive cave that exists behind Black and White Keld.
The cave system is notorious amongst cavers in the United Kingdom for a tragedy that occurred on June 24, 1967. On that day, ten cavers entered the system. Three hours later, four members of the party decided not to continue and exited the cave system. One of these four returned to the entrance shortly afterwards, only to find it completely submerged due to recent rainfall having swollen Mossdale Beck. Realising immediately that the six cavers who remained inside the cave system were in danger, she ran 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) kilometres across the moor to raise the alarm.
Cave Rescue teams arrived at the scene, but the high water levels prevented access to the cave. The waters of Mossdale beck had to be diverted away from the cave entrance by digging a trench. Even then the rescue operation could not be started owing to the high internal water levels.
It was not until the following day that entry was possible. The Cave Rescue teams found the bodies of five of the cavers in the Far Marathon Crawls. The sixth was located the following day. The bodies were left in situ, and in 1971 the dead cavers were buried by their colleagues from the ULSA in "The Sanctuary" – a chamber in "High Level Mud Caverns" – with the agreement of their families. The coroner decided to seal the cave, and concrete was poured down the only safe entrance, but the sealed entrance was later opened up again. Entry remains possible via the stream sink.
This is to date the single most deadly tragedy in British caving. A metal tablet affixed to the rocks at the safe entrance reads:
IN EVERLASTING MEMORY
FROM THE FAMILIES OF
DAVID ADAMSON
AGED 26
GEOFFREY WARREN BOIREAU
AGED 24
WILLIAM FRAKES
AGED 19
JOHN OGDEN
AGED 20
MICHAEL JOHN RYAN
AGED 17
COLIN RICHARD VICKERS
AGED 23
WHO REST HERE IN MOSSDALE CAVERNS
WHERE THEY DIED
24th JUNE 1967
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills
From whence cometh my strength
On the moors above is a memorial cairn. This is on CROW public access land. The plaque on the cairn reads:
Mossdale memorial cairn – over the place in the cave where the bodies were found
There is a rock climbing route "Mossdale Trip" (E6 6b)[1] that was named in remembrance of the tragedy by Pete Livesey.