Reservoir Hole

Reservoir Hole is a cave beneath Cheddar Gorge in Somerset. It lies under the Mendip Hills, a limestone ridge that stretches across southwest England. The cave was first opened up in 1951 by cavers from Wessex Cave Club. Later, in 1965, they reached Moonmilk Chamber with controlled blasting. Grand Gallery followed in 1969, Topless Aven in 1970, and Golgotha Rift in 1973. The cave is worth visiting because it holds the largest underground chamber yet found beneath the Mendips. In 2012, after clearing a 100-metre passage, cavers broke into a new void called The Frozen Deep. This chamber rises 30 metres and runs 60 metres long, far exceeding the previous largest void in GB Cave. The Frozen Deep contains tall white pillars and many stalagmites and stalactites. Visitors who enter Reservoir Hole find a sequence of large chambers linked by narrow passages. Moonmilk Chamber shows soft white deposits on its walls. Grand Gallery stretches wide and high, while Topless Aven opens into a tall shaft. Golgotha Rift drops steeply and leads onward toward Gough’s Cave nearby. A small stream flows through the cave and emerges at the gorge floor below.