God’s own country is home to one of the largest underground cave chambers in Britain. Gaping Gill, or Gaping Ghyll, is so huge it is said that it is big enough to hold a cathedral – which is like fitting the York Minster inside (how incredible is that?).
Found on the southern slopes of Ingleborough. This unique landmark is a real testament to the force of nature and Yorkshire’s beauty. Deep in the Yorkshire Dales, the 98-metre deep pothole in which the Fell Beck river flows was the biggest in Britain until the Titan (141.5 metres) in Derbyshire was found in 1999.
Although it is no longer the largest underground cave, it does hold the record for the largest unbroken waterfall in England – as well as the largest underground chamber naturally open to the surface. The cave system is one of the longest in the UK.
Research done by automotive marque MINI identified over 100 nature-based locations across Britain and gauged them on wildness and popularity to find the UK’s best-hidden gems. The underground cave was voted number four on the list.
When is Gaping Gill open to the public?
The cave is an extensive cave system, which, with properly equipped explorers, you can explore all the way underneath the Yorkshire Dales.
Gaping Gill cave in the Yorkshire Dales is closed to the public except for when it opens twice a year for a week in May and August. Each time of year, Bradford and Craven pothole clubs set up a winch over the main shaft entrance. Unfortunately, tickets sell out fast, and slots for this years, so you’ll have to keep an eye out for next year.
How do I get to the Yorkshire Dales cave?
If you’ve managed to get a ticket: to reach the entrance, which is at the top of the main shaft, you have to walk from the village of Clapham, following signs for Ingleborough Cave. Usually, you will see others walking as it can get quite busy on sunny dry days. You may want to get a map, though, as at times of the year it can be hard to find.
You reach Gaping Gill by following the footpath through the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail past Ingleborough Cave through Trow Gill and onto the moorland below Ingleborough.
Watch this video of a descent into Gaping Gill below:
Keep an eye on the website here for information on when you can visit Gaping Gill.
Read More: This Yorkshire Dales Waterfall Is The Highest Unbroken Waterfall In England
Feature Image Credit: cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Wojciech Rozanski – geograph.org.uk/p/2578133
