Welsh Journals

In Search of Caves by DAVID EDE When ONE THINKS OF GOWER the word cave usually conjures up a picture of a dwelling place for early man. People tend to forget that there are in Gower caves of interest from the caver's point of view. The formation of caves takes place when carboniferous limestone is dissolved by the action of chemicals or gases (notably carbon dioxide) in solution in rainwater. This can take place along the joint planes, producing potholes, or along the bedding planes, producing caves. This development can, of course, be very complex and a network of passages is thus built up. After the passages and chambers have formed, the water begins to adorn them. There is much research going on into the principles of stalactite formation. The main theory is that water drips from the roof in such a way as to leave crystals of calcite (previously in solution) on the roof. Gradually these crystals are built into a mould and then into a pendant-like formation which is called a stalactite. Stalagmites develop when the drops of water hit the ground, the crystals then developing a mound which grows upwards. I first became interested in the caves of Gower when I visited the bone caves at Bacon Hole and Minchin Hole about three years ago, when I was fourteen. These well-known caves consist of single chambers, both being over 100 feet long. With some of my friends I decided to explore more bone caves and during the next year we visited almost all such caves in the peninsula. Because we did not have the exact location of many of the caves my friends and I spent many days searching for the entrances. About this time we first read about Llethrid Swallet. We found an article by Mr. Clague Taylor on the cave and were sur- prised to learn of the formations in the Great Hall. Somewhat sceptical, we decided to search for the cave. At our first attempt we found what later proved to be the entrance, but the interior looked so different from the bone caves to which we were accus- tomed that w) thought we were mistaken. After checking references we decided that the location was undoubtedly correct so we made a second attempt at entry. It had been raining for most of the week but we were determined at least to attempt an entry. We found someone who had been in the cave and who knew the equipment necessary and the precautions we would have to take. This time we passed the entrance chamber and descended to the stream passage. We reached the Rocking Boulder (so named