Bakers Pit

Bakers Pit is a cave system near Buckfastleigh in Devon. It was first exposed in 1847 when quarrying cut into the rock. The cave drops 16 metres straight down from its entrance. Inside, 3.631 kilometres of passages wind through an area of 4 hectares. A small stream flows through the cave and still carves new ways underground. The cave once linked to Reeds Cave but the connection is now blocked by concrete. Between the two world wars local people visited often and some of the calcite formations were damaged. Since then a few formations have grown back naturally. In the early 1960s cavers found an upper level by climbing a narrow vertical crack. This section, called the Plymouth Extension, adds up to half as much cave again. Its tight squeezes and climbs protect some of the finest formations. The cave shelters unusual creatures that live in the damp dark. Blind white springtails and other tiny invertebrates have been recorded here. Staphilinid beetles and cave spiders share the passages. The stream continues to shape the cave and carries water towards the River Dart.