Read's Cavern
Cave in Somerset, England
title: "Read's Cavern" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["caves-of-the-mendip-hills", "limestone-caves"] description: "Cave in Somerset, England" topic_path: "general/caves-of-the-mendip-hills" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read's_Cavern" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Cave in Somerset, England ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox cave"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Read's Cavern |
| photo | Reads cavern.jpg |
| caption | Read's Cavern entrance |
| location | Burrington Combe, Somerset, UK |
| depth | 62 m |
| elevation | 151 m |
| length | 1224 m |
| geology | Limestone |
| entrance_count | 2 |
| bcra_grade | DC |
| registry | Mendip Cave Registry |
| discovery | 13 1919 UBSS |
| map | Somerset |
| grid_ref_UK | ST 4682 5844 |
| coordinates | |
| access | Free |
| hazards | loose boulders |
| :: |
| name = Read's Cavern | photo = Reads cavern.jpg | caption = Read's Cavern entrance | location = Burrington Combe, Somerset, UK | depth = 62 m | elevation = 151 m | length = 1224 m | geology = Limestone | entrance_count = 2 | bcra_grade = DC | registry = Mendip Cave Registry | discovery = 13 1919 UBSS | map = Somerset | map_width = | grid_ref_UK = ST 4682 5844 | coordinates = | access = Free | hazards = loose boulders
Read's Cavern is a cave at Burrington Combe, Somerset, England, in which traces of Iron Age occupation have been found. It lies under Dolebury Hill. Its large main chamber has a boulder ruckle floor and is parallel to a cliff face. The cave was excavated by the University of Bristol Spelæological Society (UBSS) in the 1920s, when relics of Iron Age occupation were found.
The UBSS excavation followed the removal of 21 tonnes of limestone material below a cliff where a stream sinks. Among the finds were ironwork described as slave shackles.Palmer, Lionel Stanley (1959). Man's journey through time: a first step in physical and cultural anthropochronology, p. 77 (Figure 31: Iron slave shackles from Read's Cavern, Somerset)
After its discovery, the cave was first known as Keltic or Celtic Cavern until the Ordnance Survey decided that it should be known as Read's Cavern, after Mr. R. F. Read, the discoverer. It has also been called "Gough's Cave".
References
References
- {{cite mcra
- (1977). "Mendip: The complete caves". Cheddar Valley Press.
- L.S. Palmer. (1920). "The Keltic Cavern (Read's Cavern)". UBSS.
- L.S. Palmer. (1921). "Second report on the Keltic Cavern (Read's Cavern)". UBSS.
- Neff, Hector (1992). ''Chemical characterization of ceramic pastes in archaeology'', p. 282: "Gough's Cave or Read's Cavern"
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