Caving Locations Yorkshire Dales

Caving Courses and Pot Holing Experience Days

There are a rich variety of caving experiences on offer in the Yorkshire Dales to suit many abilities. However for those that want to push themselves, in each cave we visit there are a variety of optional challenges to test your skills. From the intricate passageways of Long Churn Cave to the exciting chambers of Goyden Pot, we’ll navigate our way through tight squeezes, small pools and chutes as we pass by a staggering array of cave formations such as stalagmites and stalactites.

Runscar and Thistle

Your perfect first caving experience in the heart of the Dales. Suitable for all abilities with optional challenges for even the most hardy! This is an excellent trip for school groups, team building days and families. This is actually a group of several caves we will visit and can be visited in almost all weather conditions. Have a go at navigating the underground landscape below Ribbleshead Viaduct.

The half day caters for all confidence levels to help you feel at ease in the underground environment as we will come back to the surface regularly between caves. Learn about cave formations as you follow underground rivers with stalagmites and stalactites. Test out your new skills in the worm tunnel and try out the squeeze and slide!

This can be combined with Long Churns or Great Douk into a full day of adventure!

Long Churns and Wilsons Cave

One of the best caving experiences in the Yorkshire Dales. This is suitable for beginners to intermediates. Climb waterfalls, traverse pools of water and follow stream-ways past fantastic features such as Dr Banister’s Hand Basin and squeeze through the infamous ‘cheese press’. The trip is flexible to cater for the needs of all the group. Still want more? Head underground again to take on Wilson’s Cave and put your newly learned cave skills to the test. An experience not to be missed!

Goyden Pot and Manchester Hole

Goyden is a large cave system with many unique features. From Goyden’s impressive entrance, descend through passageways and abseil into the main chamber. Follow an underground stream way, clamber over boulders and wade through crystal clear water as you travel back in geological time. Learn how caves are created and where the water goes as you witness a ‘sump’.

From there it is time for an exciting series of challenges, first through the Blue Tubes, next scale Mud Hall and finally take on a 10 Foot Climb as you return to the stream-way, high above, looking down on your earlier adventure. This cave provides many options and additional challenges for all abilities, beginners to advanced.

Once back on the surface, for those eager for more we have the option of a second exciting trip! Expect to get very wet and muddy following Manchester Hole. But it’s worth it to see some of the biggest marine fossils in England!

These caves can be combined with New Goyden for those who would like to learn vertical caving skills and see ‘The Planetarium’ or why not combine with our canyoning activity at our nearby canyoning venue for the ultimate adventure day out?

Dow Cave

Nestled deep into the Yorkshire Dales is the weathered cotton and lead mining village of Kettlewell. We will explore a nearby cave hidden in a valley outside the village. This cave holds historical value for its mine workings inside. We enter to the main streamway, a large open passage complete with stream-side beaches! Upstream leads to the site of old mine workings likely used as early as the late eighteenth century. Continuing along the main passage we can then enter Gloop and Sloop, a fun adventurous climb and crawl that brings our group to the Old Final Chamber, a mighty impressive chamber! After an explore we will make our way back down river to complete our circuit and reach daylight.

Browgill, Calf Holes, Old Ing and Birkwith

Our expert guides will assist you safely through this diverse cave which houses a variety of challenges, breathtaking sights and interesting cave formations. Head upstream into the impressive entrance of Browgill. The cave becomes much larger as we enter an aven. We will then ascend ‘The Staircase’ by an underground waterfall. Now it’s time for the challenges! Squeeze and squirm through ‘The Contortionist’ and ‘The Letterbox’ into phreatic passageways. We witness stalactites and stalagmites that have taken thousands of years to develop, then follow underground passages deeper under the hills of Yorkshire. Listen carefully to hear the eerie sounds of the cave. Eventually we will reach Calf Holes, were the cave is illuminated by sunlight from the surface above, and the waterfall and pool beside you will take your breath away. We can really see how water has shaped the limestone at this point. Finally we will return back through the passageways, sights and challenges in reverse back to our starting point and out into the open countryside!

Yordas and Kingsdale Master Cave, Valley Entrance

Our trip visits two cave systems. We combine Yordas and Kingsdale Master Cave to provide maximum activity and variety.

Yordas is a 19th century show cave and it is easy to see why. Descend carved steps and through an archway into the impressive main chamber. This is 60 metres in length and 15 metres wide. A small passage leads to Chapel House, a chamber where you can see and feel the force of a waterfall that feeds the main chamber.

From here we have an optional challenge as an alternative way back out. Prepare to get muddy and physical as we work our way through small passageways. You will feel reborn as you emerge to the surface. A great mini adventure!

Kingsdale Master Cave is a huge cave network. We will squeeze and slide into the cave through a man sized tube into the first chamber. From there we can explore the phreatic passageways working our way to a view of the main stream way. A large and impressive passageway.

Great Douk

Close to Ribbleshead is an exciting through trip underground. Here we will learn about the formation of caves and the karst formations above ground. Once entering the world below we navigate twisting passageways and crawl spaces. We will find ourselves climbing cascades and squeezing through fissures in the bedrock. After a thorough exploration of the cave we exit via a challenging crawl that just when you think it cannot get any smaller we pop out back into the open countryside!

Vertical Caving in the Yorkshire Dales

Want more adventure? Try our vertical caving experience! This is one of our favourite activities, it’s a genuinely unforgettable experience.

You’ll abseil into huge chambers and traverse above waterfalls deep underground. The caves we use go deep underground.

As you descend, you’ll feel like you’re exploring a lost world. It’s not for the faint of heart.

The session is tailored to you whether you want to learn new techniques or simply want to explore these vast spaces.

Find out more about vertical caving opportunities.

Map of Yorkshire Dales Caving Locations

Distances to Cave Venues in the Yorkshire Dales

Long Churns, Alum Pot, Runscar and Thistle, Great Douk, Sell Gill, Calf Hole, Birkwith and Old Ing, Yordas, Kingsdale Master Cave, Upper Yordas and Bull Pot of the Witches
These caves are close to Settle, Ingleton, Skipton and the M6. Manchester, Bradford and Leeds.

Goyden Pot, Manchester Hole, New Goyden, Goyden Pot Upper
The caves of Goyden are close to Pateley Bridge, York, Leeds, Harrogate, Ripon and the A1. Leeds and Bradford are approximately 1 hour 15 minutes away.

Dow Cave
Dow Cave is next to Kettlewell, nestled in the centre of the Dales. It is in close proximity to Skipton (25 minutes), allowing access from Leeds, Bradford and Manchester, as well as the A1 and M6.