Stoke Lane Slocker

Stoke Lane Slocker is a cave in the Mendip Hills of Somerset, formed in Carboniferous Limestone. Its entrance lies near an old quarry, where an underground stream flows out to feed St Dunstan’s Well. The cave reaches 30 metres deep and stretches 2.18 kilometres underground. Locally it has long been called Slocker, though the word’s meaning is unclear. The name may come from an old word meaning to lure away, or from a Gaelic term for a swallow hole. Exploration began in 1905 when a local man first entered the cave. Serious mapping started in 1947 when explorers reached and passed the first sump. Over the next decades they pushed through seven sumps and discovered decorated chambers. In 1971 they found the Bailey-Ward series, including high-roofed passages and crystal pools with ancient snail shells. Inside, low tunnels lead to vast chambers like Bernard’s Rift, 20 metres high. The Throne Room holds a 3-metre stalactite called The King and a 2-metre one named The Queen. Other chambers show damaged formations and bones left long ago. The stream continues beyond the second sump through more sumps and passages. The cave is recognised for its scientific importance and shelters rare wildlife.