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County Indexes Yorkshire Attractions White Scar Cave
County Indexes Yorkshire Attractions White Scar Cave 
White Scar Cave |
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 White Scar Cave, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, is the longest show cave in Britain. There are underground waterfalls and streams, and thousands of stalactites. The curious cave formations include the Devil’s Tongue, the Arum Lily, and the remarkably lifelike Judge’s Head. Guides lead visitors along the well-lit paths and explain the features. The highlight of the tour is the 200,000 year old Battlefield Cavern. Over 330 feet long, with its roof soaring in places to 100 feet, this is one of the largest caverns in Britain. Also shown on the tour are fine examples of the geological feature known as flowstone, and a display of fluorescing stalactites. Until 1923 these underground wonders remained a secret of nature. In August that year two young men, Christopher Francis Drake Long and J.H.Churchill, took a holiday in the Yorkshire Dales. They were students at Cambridge University, where both had taken up the study of geology as a hobby. Their enthusiasm for this science prompted them to follow up a discovery they made of a slight fissure in the ground. This, they reasoned, might be a former outlet of the underground stream that supplied the nearby village of Ingleton with water. Christopher Long decided to investigate. Wearing only his summer walking clothes of shirt and shorts, and lighting his way with candles stuck in the brim of his hat, he crawled into the low passage. Spurred on by the distant roar of water, he struggled over jagged rocks and through pools, until eventually he found himself at the foot of a waterfall. White Scar Cave had been discovered. The cave takes its name from the outcrops of white rock above the entrance. To complement the show cave, a new visitor centre was built to mark the millennium. The centrepiece is a large pavilion covered in turf - literally a living roof. It is believed that this is the first turf roof in the Yorkshire Dales since the Stone Age. This is an environmentally friendly structure, as the large expanse of green roof binds the new complex visually into the wild and dramatic landscape. There is also a shop, and a café which enjoys splendid views over the dales (and, on clear days, glimpses of the sea). A broad stone staircase leads from the car park to the complex. On winter afternoons the hi-tech blue lighting in the pavilion shines as a beacon on the mountainside, guiding visitors to the cave. The overall result has been to endow this popular attraction with stylish 21st century facilities and a contemporary feel. It is worth remembering that the cave stays a constant 8°C (46°F) throughout the year, so it feels warm in winter and refreshingly cool in summer. Ingleton, North Yorkshire LA6 3AW. Telephone 01524 241244 |
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The Guildhall Shopping Centre is set in the heart of Stafford. The Centre offers a safe, bright and modern shopping environment and is home to 40 retail outlets including popular national names complemented by established local traders.
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