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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.
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