The “Geo Dales” project – headed by the Clapham-based Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust – will create trails using rights of way around Settle, Greenhow Hill and Upper Nidderdale, focusing on geological and archaeological points of interest.
The project will also assist in the creation of a youth “Rockhound Club” based at the Greenhow Quarry, which will have a specific focus on geology, and support an exhibition to mark the 175th anniversary of the discovery of Victoria Cave at Langcliffe.
The exhibition will be staged at the Museum of North Craven Life at The Folly in Settle from July to October.
Victoria Cave was first excavated in 1837 with large-scale excavations in the 1870s, giving rise to the present entrance. The site has huge scientific and historic importance, revealing how life and climate has changed in the Dales over the past 600,000 years.
Urgent practical works and further research at Victoria Cave will also be supported by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Natural England, Winskill Farm visitor centre, caving club volunteers and universities.
In addition, local archaeologists will research ancient settlements around the Plantlife Reserve at Winskill and restore a historic limekiln.
This project is being funded through grants from a variety of sources, including Leader, the park authority’s sustainable-development fund, Lafarge Aggregates and Concrete UK through the Landfill Communities Fund, Hansons Greenhow Landscape and Biodiversity Enhancement Fund and Nidderdale AONB Sustainable Development Fund.
“We were delighted to hear that our funding applications for this exciting new geodiversity project had been successful,” said Dave Tayler, deputy director at the Millennium Trust. “Thanks to the vital support from these organisations, our shared passion for the rich geology and archaeology of the Yorkshire Dales will be brought to the forefront for everyone to enjoy.
“The project is also working on involving local school pupils who will discover more of their rich local environment.”
Victoria Cave
Victoria Cave was discovered by chance in 1837 and since then has been completely excavated. Within the cave’s thick clay deposits, scientists found an amazing record of climate change in the Dales over thousands of years.
Victorian excavators were particularly fascinated by ‘bone caves’ where there might be a possibility of finding evidence for the earliest humans along with long extinct animals. Victoria Cave certainly had plenty of animal bones. The earliest, at 130,000 years old, included those of hippos, narrow-nosed rhino, elephants and spotted hyenas. They date to an Upper Pleistocene interglacial when the climate was much warmer than today. It seems as if at that time, the hyenas were using the cave as a den and dragging scavenged bones back to it. No evidence was found for human activity during this period.
The glaciers then returned and from 120,000 to around 12,000 years ago the cave gradually filled with layer upon layer of clay deposited as the glaciers periodically melted.
After the last Ice Age the cave was used by hibernating brown bear. In amongst the animal bones of reindeer was an 11,000 year old antler harpoon point, the first evidence for people in the Yorkshire Dales.
For archaeologists, the Roman layers were even more interesting. Here a collection of unusual bronze and bone artefacts were found, including brooches and coins. The unusual nature of some of the finds has led archaeologists to believe that the cave was being used as more than just a storage place or shelter for craft workers. It may even have been some sort of shrine.
Victorian excavators were particularly fascinated by ‘bone caves’ where there might be a possibility of finding evidence for the earliest humans along with long extinct animals. Victoria Cave certainly had plenty of animal bones. The earliest, at 130,000 years old, included those of hippos, narrow-nosed rhino, elephants and spotted hyenas. They date to an Upper Pleistocene interglacial when the climate was much warmer than today. It seems as if at that time, the hyenas were using the cave as a den and dragging scavenged bones back to it. No evidence was found for human activity during this period.
The glaciers then returned and from 120,000 to around 12,000 years ago the cave gradually filled with layer upon layer of clay deposited as the glaciers periodically melted.
After the last Ice Age the cave was used by hibernating brown bear. In amongst the animal bones of reindeer was an 11,000 year old antler harpoon point, the first evidence for people in the Yorkshire Dales.
For archaeologists, the Roman layers were even more interesting. Here a collection of unusual bronze and bone artefacts were found, including brooches and coins. The unusual nature of some of the finds has led archaeologists to believe that the cave was being used as more than just a storage place or shelter for craft workers. It may even have been some sort of shrine.
Source:
Dearne, Martin J & Lord, Thomas C (1998) The Romano-British Archaeology of Victoria Cave, Settle. Oxford: BAR British Series 273
King, Alan (1970) Early Pennine Settlement. Clapham:Dalesman
Dearne, Martin J & Lord, Thomas C (1998) The Romano-British Archaeology of Victoria Cave, Settle. Oxford: BAR British Series 273
King, Alan (1970) Early Pennine Settlement. Clapham:Dalesman