Longwood Swallet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Longwood Swallet
LongwoodSwallet.jpg
Map showing the location of Longwood Swallet
Map showing the location of Longwood Swallet
LocationCharterhouse, Somerset, UK
OS gridST48615571
Coordinates51°17′54″N 2°44′18″W / 51.298229°N 2.7384°W / 51.298229; -2.7384Coordinates: 51°17′54″N 2°44′18″W / 51.298229°N 2.7384°W / 51.298229; -2.7384
Depth175 metres (574 ft)
Length1.65 kilometres (1.03 mi)
Elevation213 metres (699 ft)
Discovery1944
GeologyLimestone
Entrances1
HazardsFrequent flooding
AccessRestricted
Cave surveyGeological Conservation Review/UBSS
RegistryMendip Cave Registry[1]

The Longwood Swallet is a cave near Charterhouse, in the Carboniferous Limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. The cave is part of the Cheddar Complex SSSI and is connected to .

It is 1.65 km in length and reaches a depth of 175m.[2]

The cave was discovered in September 1944 by boys from Sidcot School.[3]

The picture shown is not the Longwood Swallet, it is Longwood Valley Sink. Longwood Swallet's entrance is a lidded concrete block construction. A (non-free) picture of Longwood Swallet entrance is available here

The cave is locked and access is controlled by the Charterhouse Caving Company. There is a warning sign posted at the entrance to the cave about flooding. This has always been a problem, but is more pronounced due to the extraction of water from the spring at Charterhouse. When the pumps owned by Bristol Water stop this can cause a flood wave to travel down the stream and into the cave.[4]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Longwood Swallet". Mendip Cave Registry & Archive. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  2. ^ "Mendip". UK and Ireland Cave Lengths and Depths. Retrieved 18 February 2007.
  3. ^ Johnson, Peter (1967). The History of Mendip Caving. Newton Abbot: David & Charles.
  4. ^ "Charterhouse Area". Council of Southern Caving Clubs. Archived from the original on 14 August 2007. Retrieved 18 February 2007.


Retrieved from ""