As we emerge from the dimly
lit caves into the bright sunshine (well, this is a virtual
visit!) of the tree-lined canal path, we
can look back up the hill and see the escape of the River
Axe as it too arrives above ground, descending in dozens of
little waterfalls.
The canal was dug in 1857, to
bring the waters of the River Axe from the cave mouth to the
papermill. Building the canal dam raised the water level in
the caves by about 1.5 metres - flooding Chambers 4 and 5
in the process.
The water in the canal is so
clear that it appears to be shallow and still. It is in fact
two metres deep and flowing steadily. The clean water is ideal
for papermaking and driving the Victorian papermaking machinery.
Progressing down the canal path,
on our left are the caves known as Hyena Den, Badger Hole
and Rhinoceros Hole. Hyena Den, with its 30cm thick bed of
bones, was discovered by the workmen digging the canal. The
bones of tropical and Ice Age animals, such as rhinoceros,
bear, mammoth and lion, were found here, along with flint
tools.
Archaeologists reckon that the
cave was occupied by hyenas and man alternatively between
35,000 and 25,000 BC.
It seems that packs of hyenas
drove their prey over the cliff edge and then ate the remains.
There is even a theory that early man may have done the same!
Badger Hole and Rhinoceros Hole, the
second and third small caves in the ravine, are also important
prehistoric sites. Their excavation has added to our understanding
of climatic change and the evolution of plant and animal life
in the area.
