Thrupe Lane Swallet

Thrupe Lane Swallet is a small cave system in the Mendip Hills of Somerset. It covers half a hectare and was made a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1992. The name comes from the nearby hamlet of Thrupe, which once meant dairy farm in Anglo-Saxon. The cave has deep vertical passages that follow fault lines and mineral veins. Atlas Pot inside is the tallest vertical shaft on the Mendip Hills at sixty metres. A stream inside feeds St Andrew’s Wells in the grounds of the Bishop’s Palace in Wells.

The cave is worth visiting because it shows a form of cave development not found elsewhere in the Mendips. It was first entered in 1974 after three caving groups dug open the entrance shaft. The passages follow natural joints in the rock and mineral veins underground. The deepest parts reach one hundred and seventeen metres below the surface. The site is also recognised by the Geological Conservation Review for its special features.

Visitors find a single pothole cave with a blasted-open entrance shaft. Deep vertical passages and tall shafts dominate the system. A flowing stream runs through the cave, adding to the geological interest. The surroundings are quiet farmland near the hamlet of Thrupe. The cave’s unusual development and tallest shaft make it a notable site for geologists and cavers.