Guide to the Lakes

Author: Father Thomas West

Publisher: Richardson &amp; Urquhart, London

West's Guide to the Lakes, first published in 1778, heralded the beginning of tourism in the Lake District. The first edition has little of caving interest, but the second edition, published in 1780, has an addendum containing articles by other writers, three of which contain early descriptions of northern caves.

The first such article is two pages long, and is titled "Description of Dunald-mill-hole", by "Mr. A. W.". It was originally written in 1760. The author may well have been the same as he who wrote the second article.

The second article was written by Adam Walker in 1779, and is titled "Description of Natural Curiosities in the Edge of Yorkshire". This is six pages long, and describes Hurtle Pot, Jingling Pot, and Weathercote Pot which he descended.

The third article is a 40 page article entitled "Tour to the Caves in the West Riding of Yorkshire", by John Hutton. An extended version of this was published later in the same year as a work in its own right: A Tour to the Caves in the Environs of Ingleborough and Settle.

A number of editions are available from Google books as below. The third and fourth editions include all three of the caving articles discussed above. Adam Walker's article had disappeared by the arrival of the ninth edition.

External References

 * Shaw T.R., 1971, "John Hutton, 1740?-1806", Studies in Speleology Vol. 2 Parts 3-4, William Pengelly Cave Studies Trust Ltd.