Banwell Bone Cave
For just four special days during each year, a local place of interest opens its doors to allow the public a rare glimpse into an amazing past age. Banwell Bone Cave was discovered in 1824, on land then owned by George Henry Law, Bishop of Bath and Wells. His estate nestled on the shoulder of the Mendip Hills, looking over the outskirts of the village of Banwell. (It’s now part of Western Fields Farm.) Here are the Google Earth Placemarks: the Bone Cave Entrance, looking towards Bishop Law’s Tower (also known as Banwell Tower) in the wood on the hillside (see below) and the village of Banwell in the near distance.
The discovery of this amazing cave was accidental. A stalactite cave had been found by mineral miners in 1757 and in 1824, in order to make an easier entrance for the public (Dr. Randolph, vicar of Banwell, wanted to open it as a show cave to raise money for a charity school in Banwell) a tunnel was driven into the hill at a lower level, but instead of connecting with the Stalactite Cave, it broke into a hitherto unsuspected cave containing large quantities of prehistoric animal bones. Bishop Law became very excited by this discovery. In the early 19th century, the scientific understanding of geology was in its infancy. While geologists were beginning to question the Biblical account of the Creation, the Bishop regarded the bones as being the remains of animals drowned in Noah’s flood and he hoped to show his visitors that the Bible story was true.
Bishop Law planted the wood, laid out paths, built summerhouses and sham ancient monuments to remind his visitors of a wicked world drowned in the flood. Many of these follies had stone or wooden tablets with verses in keeping with the Bishop’s beliefs. Here you see the Druid’s Grotto (or Druid’s Temple); at the entrance to the Stalactite Cave (now only accessible to properly equipped cavers) his inscription declared it was the entrance to the abyss of endless misery; above an alcove seat looking out over the magnificent view, he wrote: And while I feel by fast degrees / My sluggish blood wax chill and freeze.
It was a beautifully sunny day (though breezy) when we visited and as the site was only open for four hours during this particular afternoon, interest amongst locals and holidaymakers was high. We joined the patient queue and slowly shuffled towards the Bone Cave entrance. We’d been once before, in 2006, so we had an idea of what to expect — but I still felt a frisson of excitement as we approached the entrance with its steep damp steps, low stone roof and the murky darkness beyond.
It’s cool, damp and dark down in the cave. The bones, the remains of animals that fell into the cave via a hidden “chimney” while grazing on the hillside above, have been identified by the British Museum of Natural History as belonging to creatures that lived during the Ice Age some 70,000 years ago — including bison, reindeer, very large brown bears, wolf, wolverine, arctic hare, otter, arctic fox and red fox. They’re now tidily stacked in great piles by the walls, but when first discovered they carpeted the floor of the cave and must have presented the unsuspecting miners with an incredible sight. The caves and grounds are now designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), but in the Bishop’s day they were managed for him by William Beard, who kept the caves open until 1865 when he was 93 years old! The Bishop’s family eventually sold the property in 1902.
A short walk through the woodland brings you to Banwell Tower (also known as Bishop Law Tower), another of the Bishop’s follies. This animation shows the view as the tower is approached, the view from the bottom — and some views from the top: looking down at the grounds (that’s Marcy down there, looking up at me hanging on to the railing for dear life in the stiff breeze), looking out over Banwell (our house roof is one of those you can see) and in the opposite direction over south Somerset. The circular stone staircase, I promise you, is quite tricky to navigate — especially on the way down! (But if I can do it, with my dodgy head for heights, I reckon anyone can.)
Banwell Caves Heritage Group and the Bishop Law Tower Restoration Committee organise Open Days, help raise funds and manage the conservation and restoration work. There’s no admission charge, but it’s polite to donate some money at the cave entrance — and you can also enjoy a marvellous cream tea after your trek to and from the tower.
Update 18th May 2010: The open days for 2010 are:
Sunday 30th May 2010 2.00pm – 4.30pm (with tea and cakes)
Saturday 11th September 2010 10.30am – 4.30pm (with Caveman’s lunches and cream teas)
Sunday 12th September 2010 10.30am – 4.30pm (with lunches and cream teas)
The September Open Days are part of the National Heritage Open Days.
– Information provided by banwellcaves.org.
To see all my photos from our visit, go to my Flickr account.
SF Girl says:
August 26th, 2007
6:30 am
Very cool site, Bob! Thanks for the neat description…By the way, you’ve been tagged…see my Saturday post over at The Alien Next Door…
I dare you…
meeyauw says:
August 27th, 2007
2:23 am
wow
There is a wealth of info and materials here. this is really fascinating. It’s a shame they piled the bones up. And bears! I never knew you had/once had those.
I’m going to get the files and play. I like how I can see that ridge in the first Earth photo. You tilted that a bit? Is that what they call it: tilting?
great great post!
Somerset Bob says:
August 27th, 2007
8:12 am
SF Girl: Thanks for your comments, and your tag — I’ve been a bit tied up getting my PC back to normal after the crash and have fallen behind in doing my regular rounds of my favourite blogs, but I’m getting there! I’ll catch up with you asap
Meeyauw: I had you in mind when I posted this item — I knew you’d really appreciate it!
Yes, you can tilt Google Earth images by using the top slider in the navigation controls in the top-right corner — put your mouse over the controls so they become larger, then click and hold the right-hand end of the top slider and the image on the screen will tilt. Click and hold the other end to un-tilt it. To associate a tilted image with a placemarker, right-click the placemarker’s name in the info bar on the left of the screen, select “Take snapshot view”, and whatever image is on the screen will then be the image displayed when you go to that placemarker the next time. Have fun! 
Haddock says:
August 28th, 2007
5:25 am
That was a really interesting piece. Shame the caves are only open for such a limited time as I am sure lots more people would like to visit them.
Somerset Bob says:
August 28th, 2007
4:07 pm
Thanks for your comment, Haddock — yes, I’m sure they’d have plenty of visitors if they opened it more regularly, but on the other hand the rarity of the open days makes it a more valuable experience for those that can make it on those special days.
ruth says:
September 16th, 2007
12:57 pm
Fascinating reading….meeyauw was right when she said to take a look
)
Somerset Bob says:
September 17th, 2007
8:08 am
Hi there Ruth,
Glad you liked it! Tell your friends
brian horsman says:
May 1st, 2008
7:48 am
Hi, Could not find any indication of the “opening” days, would love to visit. I live in W-S-M and never knew this place existed. Yours, Brian.
Somerset Bob says:
May 6th, 2008
11:38 am
Hi Brian,
Thanks for dropping by. After a quick search on Google for “Banwell Bone Caves Open Days”, I found this information at venue.co.uk:
Open days for 2008 are:
25 May, 2-4.30pm
22 June, 2-4.30pm
3 Aug, 2-4.30pm and
Sat 13 & Sun 14 Sept, 10.30am-4.30pm
I hope you pop back in and find this information useful!
kids-rus says:
September 1st, 2008
11:25 pm
Nice site Bob, great pics too! As a family we always enjoy a visit to the caves at least once a year — hopefully twice this year, came along in June and hope to come in Sept too! The children love the wooded walk and the climb up the tower too.
Somerset Bob says:
September 2nd, 2008
7:06 am
Thanks for dropping in, kids-rus. Hope you managed to find a non-rainy June day to enjoy your visit, and that September will give us one or two dry days too!
MuffinTop3 says:
September 10th, 2008
4:29 pm
Can somebody give me some directions to the bone caves never knew they existed until the other day
Somerset Bob says:
September 10th, 2008
4:55 pm
MuffinTop3,
if approaching Banwell from Weston-super-Mare on the A371: shortly after crossing the M5 via the bridge, look for a turning on the right (there’s a filter lane marked on the road surface). Turn right, then left almost immediately.
**This road bears right and climbs a hill. Go straight on past High Street (on the left) — where the road bears right once more; keep climbing the hill and the entrance to the grounds and caves is a little further up on the left.
If approaching from the other way (i.e. leaving Banwell in the direction of Weston on the A371): look for a country supplies shop called Boulters on the left (on the outskirts of the village); shortly afterwards, the turning is on the left. Turn there, then left almost immediately. Follow the above instructions from **.
On the open days, there are usually some makeshift signs displayed near the turning on the A371.
Please note that the property containing the grounds and caves is a private residence and is only open to the public on the specially designated days.
Update 12th September: when I first wrote these directions, I used Google Maps to help me, and it indicated the turning off the A371 was called Well Lane, which I used here to describe it. However, on reading the item in the Banwell Parish News today, and which I’ve discussed in a comment below, the turning is referred to by one of the Banwell Caves Heritage Group as Christon Road. Well, they should know and I’m sure they’re correct, but to avoid confusion I’ve removed reference to Well Lane and not referred to the road by a name at all.
MuffinTop3 says:
September 10th, 2008
5:05 pm
Thanks Bob Thats very helpfull hope to get there this weekend
Somerset Bob says:
September 10th, 2008
5:13 pm
You’re welcome, MuffinTop3 — let me know what you think after your visit!
Somerset Bob says:
September 12th, 2008
5:02 pm
Update — Friday 12th September 2008: from the Banwell Parish News magazine comes this news:
After many years of fund-raising, work has finally started on the restoration of the Pebble Summerhouse, one of the follies in the grounds of The Caves. This work will involve the re-pointing and rebuilding of the walls and coping stones and reconstruction of the roof. Work is expected to take up to two months, ensuring the summerhouse is weatherproof for the winter. Andy Griffin, a stonemason from Bristol, is undertaking the work, being overseen by North Somerset’s Conservation Officer, Nina Paternoster.
The summerhouse originally had a decorative ceiling, but it’s not planned to replace it at this stage as they’re unsure of its original appearance.
In tidying up the fallen stones around the summerhouse, they uncovered the broken remains of two small apparently religious statues as well as exposing six internal seats where it was previously assumed there were only four.
MuffinTop3 says:
September 13th, 2008
8:31 pm
Well worth the trip, very interesting — great views from the tower too.
Somerset Bob says:
September 14th, 2008
8:23 am
Glad you enjoyed it, MuffinTop3. I drove past the turning yesterday, and thought of you
From the top of the tower, you can just about see the roof of our bungalow!
Sam from J13 says:
September 15th, 2008
11:55 am
Thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the caves on Saturday 13th. Missed the turning first time, then got directions from Banwell library. Saw Banwell for first time since March 2002 when I was diverted off the M5 which was closed. The M5 was a breeze today, even the Avonmouth bridge, so I arrived quite early. Loved the damp and dark bone cave with the collection of bones, and climbed the tower, from which I could see Crook Peak which I have climbed in the past. Also good view of the M5 and WSM, though couldn’t see the pier.
Somerset Bob says:
September 15th, 2008
2:56 pm
Hi Sam — Thanks for taking the trouble to let me know about your visit. Glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t walked up Crook Peak yet, but I’ve promised myself I’ll do it one day before too long!
Kim & Ian says:
October 9th, 2008
5:43 pm
Can we ask you to update the ‘Banwell Caves’ blog by adding next year’s open dates?
Sunday 24th May 2009 2.00pm – 4.30pm. (with tea & cakes)
Sunday 21st June 2009 2.00pm – 4.30pm. (with cream teas)
Sunday 2nd August 2009 2.00pm – 4.30pm. (with cream teas)
Saturday 12th September & Sunday 13th September as part of Heritage Open Days (Caveman’s lunches and cream teas).
Somerset Bob says:
October 11th, 2008
5:32 pm
Hi Kim & Ian,
Yes, I’m happy to do that, and thank you for letting me know.
Sam from J13 says:
May 25th, 2009
10:18 pm
Went back to the bone cave yesterday (Sunday 24th May) and enjoyed it again. Both motorway journeys were OK, and I only hit traffic on the A370 from M5 junction 21 heading towards Weston-S-M. Once I joined the A371 towards Banwell the traffic was OK.
I arrived fairly early and walked up to the tower, where I saw two men dusting inside the tower just after they had opened the door (I could see the dust coming out through the front door). The weather was gorgeous and the view from the top of the tower was clear.
Went inside the bone cave and it took time to get used to the low light level inside the cave after being in the bright sunlight outside. Signed the visitor book and most of the other people there on that day seemed to come from Bristol, and a few from the local villages. Did anyone else visit from further afield?
Sam
Somerset Bob says:
May 27th, 2009
11:32 am
Hey Sam — glad you had a good day there. It’s always a pleasure to visit the Bone Caves, even if you’ve been before. I missed it this time, hope to go later in the year!
Ruth Welch says:
May 31st, 2009
10:21 pm
Caves sound fascinating. Do you open to private groups other than on heritage open days? I organise visits for Friends of Bristol’s Museums, Galleries and Archives, and know this is something that would interest our members.
Ruth Welch
Somerset Bob says:
June 1st, 2009
7:41 am
Hi Ruth — I’m not involved with the administration of the Bone Caves, I’m just an occasional visitor, but the following phone number has been published at venue.co.uk in relation to the Bone Caves, so I see no harm in reprinting it here:
01934 820516 (Please dial carefully.)
Someone on the other end should be able to help with your query.
gill Cato says:
July 23rd, 2009
9:31 pm
Hi! Have just heard about the caves in Axbridge today and am very keen to come and see them on 2nd August. Will signs be out to point the way? Is there a charge?
gill Cato says:
July 23rd, 2009
9:37 pm
have just re-read site :0 will he happy to make donation at entrance!
carole says:
March 14th, 2010
2:53 pm
when are the open days in 2010
Somerset Bob says:
March 18th, 2010
12:55 pm
Hi Carole — the open days for 2010 are:
Sunday 30th May, 2.00pm to 4.30pm
(Tea and Cakes)
Saturday 11th Sept, 10.30am to 4.30pm
(Caveman`s Lunches & Cream Teas)
Sunday 12th Sept, 10.30am to 4.30pm
(Lunches and Cream Teas)
(Information from banwellcaves.org)