Little Orme Caves

Subject: Little Orme Caves Tue 24 Mar 2009, 1:20 pm

Location
SH 815 825

Directions
Go to the Little Orme and park on the main road in front of it. Take the only public footpath up it (dead centre).

Access
None Known

Suggested Equipment
None

Length
Unknown

Flood risk
All the sea caves flood at high tide
The non-sea caves are not thought to capture any water

Cave Attributes
A number of caves, some undiscovered and some nothing more than grottos

Description
There are many caves on the Little Orme, this description lists only some of them. The ones so far listed here are on TOP of the Little Orme and do not include the sea caves lower down.

Cave #1
½ way up the face of the Little Orme, this is little more than a crack and is small and short. Looking inside you can see that this is actually phreatically formed although it is impassable virtually immediately.

Cave #2
Going higher up (almost to the top plateau) and staying on the front, there is another short cave which is a formed tube. Not more than 30 feet in length, it passes through a rock face and comes clean out the other side.

Cave #3
The next cave is very close to the “tube”, in fact, just around the corner and halfway up a short rockface.

This is nothing more than a rock shelter or grotto.

Cave #4
Over the top and around to the sea-faceing side, still high up, is another cave which requires a very low and flat crawl to get in (map above).

This is a phreatic cave and is relatively short. However, it boasts a rather nice aven which has a passageway leading off at the top. To date, this is not known to have been entered.

Sea Cave #1
Found in the bay which can only be approached from the Penrhyn Bay side and only at low tide (you must pass over the lower quarry and drop down into the secluded bay).

This cave is on the far edge of the bay and although it’s entrance is a typical cave form, it is little more than a grotto extending backwards around 15 feet. It does, however, have some wonderful red mineral impregnated rock inside.

Sea Cave #2
Located around 50 feet away from Sea Cave #1 and on the same cliff face. This cave resembles a typical water formed cave. It extends back only around 15 feet but is accessible all the time except at high tide.

Sea Cave #3
Located on the opposite side of the bay to Sea Caves #1 and #2, this cave is concealed by large chunks of rock which have fallen onto the beach. To find it you must follow the shore at low tide to the point before you would otherwise be going around the headland. The rock here is dolomite and the cave form is splendid. A very tall entrance which extends back around 25 feet.

Unexplored Passages
The Aven in Cave #4 and the passage leading off therefrom.

There are other caves on the Little Orme.

Digs
None known.

Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Orme

http://www.greatorme.org.uk/littleorme.html