Banwell Ochre Caves

The Banwell Ochre Caves lie near the village of Banwell in North Somerset. They cover 12.46 hectares and were recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1983. Five caves run through the Mendip Hills, holding the most extensive and accessible yellow ochre workings in the area. Visitors can see a wide variety of ochre types and iron hydroxides still in place. The caves also show how these deposits formed as leftover ore-bodies in Ice Age sediments. Horseshoe bats, a protected species, nest inside the caves. Ochre mining began in the 1930s and continued until 1948. Cave one stretches 62 metres, cave two reaches 154 metres, cave three is 92 metres long, cave four is 62 metres, and cave five measures 31 metres. A sixth cave is blocked by rocks 4 metres down. The ochre here is unusual because it can be studied where it formed, not just in museums. A walk through the caves lets visitors examine the ochre walls up close. The different shades of yellow and brown mark where iron settled over thousands of years. The caves stay cool and quiet, ideal for spotting bats at dusk. Above ground, the Mendip Hills offer open fields and quiet lanes to explore. The site shows how geology and industry once shaped this corner of Somerset.