Swildon's Hole

Location
Grid Reference: ST 5312 5131

Altitude: 250m

Access
See the access section of the Council of Southern Caving Clubs (CSCC) website for latest details.

A Google Map of the CSCC Region also giving access details has been produced by Bill Chadwick of the Bracknell and District Caving Club.

At present (December 2009) the cave is closed, the entrance area having become extremely unstable. It is hoped to reopen the cave in early 2010.

Description
One of Mendips finest caves, a book is currently being written about this cave system.

This project was taken up by a few familiar names on Mendip such as Alison Moody, brian prewer, simon Richardson (nik nak) both Vanderplanks, et al (please add as appropriate)

The task was a huge one and has taken at least 2 years to construct.

It has 12 sumps, the 12th has most recently pushed by Phil Short, unfortunately it never yielded as to what lay bayond it, a short film of this exploration was filmed by Gavin Newman.

It offers a variety of trips that would suit most levels of caver from beginner to advanced.

The short dry way trip to the top of the 20 (a pitch fabelled to be 20ft but isn't)for the beginner, to advanced level trips such as that recently done by Beardy, Alison and Suntan to include a short round, a long round trip, in through priddy green sink, taking in Watergate, and out the main entrance. Mad or what???

A fairly common sunday afternoon trip is the Swildons short round trip, a trip that will take you through 5 ducks, all of which need to be bailed (including mud sump which was recently reopened after being blocked and unbailable for some years, by Mad Phil Rowsell of the BEC et al)

There is a final slide down "the landing" where the caver will plop into Swildons 2 and need to free dive sump 1 (2 foot long max) in order to exit the cave via the main streamway...

Surveys are available from Bat Products in Wells and most Mendip Caving Clubs, such as The Wessex CC in Eastwater Lane.

For those interested in a trip, there is usually someone around most weekends at the Wessex who may oblige if you dont know the way.

If you want to give it a go by yourself, with friends, access involves a good will fee of £1 per person. This is now payable at the house to the left of the changing barn on Priddy Green.