Ogof y Daren Cilau
| Ogof y Daren Cilau | |
|---|---|
 Caver crawling into entrance | |
Interactive map of Ogof y Daren Cilau | |
| Location | Llangattock escarpment |
| OS grid | SO20521530 |
| Depth | 192 m (630 ft) |
| Length | 27 km (16.8 mi) |
| Entrances | 2 |
| Difficulty | tortuous entrance series |
| Access | Public access via the Crawl. Via the Ogof Cnwc entrance, the Mynydd Llangatwg Cave Management Advisory Committee |
| Translation | Cave of the outcrop with [many] nooks (Welsh) |
| Cave survey | Chelsea Spelaeological Society |
| Registry | Cambrian Cave Register |
Ogof y Daren Cilau is a cave system in the limestone escarpment on Mynydd Llangatwg (Llangattock Mountain), which is south of Llangattock village and overlooks Crickhowell in south Powys, Mid Wales.[1] The escarpment is the remnant of quarrying that had begun by the mid-18th century and initially provided limestone for building and agriculture as a fertiliser, and subsequently for the blast furnaces of the local ironworks as a flux.[2] The cave system was discovered in 1957 and is one of the longest in the United Kingdom. The system is next to the Ogof Agen Allwedd system.
The cave
Ogof y Daren Cilau is one of the longest cave systems in the United Kingdom (over 26 kilometres/16 miles in total) and the entrance section is long, tight and strenuous, making the trip into the further parts of the cave a serious undertaking.[3] Its awkward 517-metre (1,696 ft) entrance crawl is a natural barrier to any casual visitor and precludes the need for a locked gate to protect it from vandals. Highlights of Daren Cilau include the "Time Machine", the largest cave passage in Britain; the "White Company", a set of pure white stalactites; and the "Bonsai Tree", a branching helictite.[3]
Because of the extent of the passages several kilometres from the entrance which would require trips of up to 20 hours to explore, some permanent underground camps have been established, including the "Restaurant at the End of the Universe", which is some thirteen hours from the entrance.[4]
History
The article by Llangattock Local History Society (1961)[5] is an extremely informative early source of information, see particularly the section entitled 'Llangattock Caves' on pages 126 to 129. The later contribution of a chapter by Smart and Gardener (1989)[6] to the book Limestones and caves in Wales is also informative.
The entrance to the cave was discovered in 1957 by Vic Howells of the British Nylon Spinners Caving Club.[7] Further investigation and the removal of debris showed an entrance in which a pool of water accumulated. In the ensuing period, the water was drained away and a 400-foot (120 m) passage was revealed ending in a boulder choke.[3] The major breakthrough into the system beyond the entrance series occurred in 1984, before which the cave consisted of little more than the entrance series and several uninspiring passages.[4] In 1986 Martyn Farr connected the Terminal Sump to Elm Hole in the next valley by cave diving.[8]
After decades of work and numerous cave digging projects, a connection to the nearby cave Ogof Agen Allwedd has yet to be found, even though they are only 75 metres (246 ft) apart at their closest point.[3]
Notes
- ↑ "Llangattock Escarpment, Brecon Beacons National Park, Powys". uksouthwest.net. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ↑ Eynon 2000, p. 19.
- 1 2 3 4 "Ogof Daren Cilau". Caves of South Wales. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- 1 2 "An Introduction to Daren Cilau". Daren Cilau. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Llangattock Local History Society 1961.
- ↑ Smart & Gardener 1989.
- ↑ British Nylon Spinners was a factory in Mamhilad.
- ↑ "Ogof Daren Cilau". Daren Cilau. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
References
- Eynon, Gavin Thomas (2000). Llanelly Parish, Breconshire: The impact of the iron industry on a rural Welsh parish, 1790-1890 (PDF) (MPhil thesis). The Open University. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- Llangattock Local History Society (1961). Reed, The Rev. Arthur (ed.). "A geographical, historical, and sociological survey of the parish of Llangattock, Crickhowell, Brecs., covering the years 1851 to 1951, carried out by the Llangattock Local History Society, During the years 1958 to 1960 In Two Volumes Volume One". Brycheiniog. VII: 117-157.
- Smart, Peter L.; Gardener, Clive G. (1989). "The Mynydd Llangattwg Cave systems". In Ford, Trevor D. (ed.). Limestones and caves of Wales. ISBN 978-0-521-32438-0. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
Further reading
- Bottrell, Simon H. (1991). "Sulphur isotope evidence for the origin of cave evaporites in Ogof y Daren Cilau, south Wales" (PDF). Mineralogical Magazine. 55 (379): 209-210. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- Onac, Bogdan P.; Forti, Paolo (2011). "Minerogenetic mechanisms occurring in the cave environment: an overview" (PDF). International Journal of Speleology. 40 (2): 79-98. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
See also
External links
- Cave description Archived 29 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- Route description and survey by the Chelsea Spelaeological Society