Location
SJ 189 642
Directions
Park at the top of Pantymwyn by the footpath that leads to Devil’s Gorge and walk down the path, across a stile/gate and follow the path through the woods and down past the bridge over Devil’s Gorge to the river below.
The river (Alyn) is generally dry in summer and running in winter
Access
No known permissions required except for cave #3 which is probably NWCC
Suggested Equipment
None
Length
Cave #1 ~ 30 feet
Cave #2 ~ 400 feet
Cave #3 ~ Unknown
Cave #4 ~ 50-60 feet
Cave #5 ~ 150 feet
Flood risk
Cave #1 ~ None Known
Cave #2 ~ None Known
Cave #3 ~ Very serious risk of flooding
Cave #4 ~ None Known
Cave #5 ~ None Known
Cave Attributes
Cave #1 ~ Phreatically formed with aven
Cave #2 ~ Phreatically formed
Cave #3 ~ River sink hole
Cave #4 ~ Phreatically formed with aven
Cave #5 ~ Phreatically formed and silted
Description
Cave #1
This cave is located in the rock face by the river and is on the left side of the gorge (on the left as you come down to the river).
The entrance is low and requires a decent “duck” to enter but it then opens into a roomy chamber.
At the back of the chamber, on the floor, is evidence of a “fill” which may yield a surprised if removed. It certainly appears that water runs through this scree fill with ease.
Above the chamber is a decent aven which is climbable but which tapers quickly (perhaps 20-30 feet) but which also gives away the secret of the formation of this cave as it is evidence of water flowing downwards and thusly creating the cave many eons ago.
Cave #2
Situated almost next to cave #1, this cave is at ground level and is a very squeezy crawl passage that runs into the rock face around 50 feet where you will encounter a squeezy (small) “U” bend under a rock (usually containing enough water to get you wet).
Beyond this squeeze you are in a roomy chamber at the back of which is another crawl passage (somewhat larger) which is at chest height and which meanders in a snake like manner downwards and towards (and underneath) the river. This passage eventually becomes too tight.
Cave #3
This is a sinkhole located at the very edge of the river in front of Caves #1 and #2. There is a locked, gated entrance which covers a short drop into a passage below. During winter, water flows freely across this and it assumed the whole passage is submerged. In summertime sometimes a small trickle of water makes it to the sink and disappears but in dryer times it is absent.
Cave #4
Situated a little further downstream from cave #3 (the other side of Devil’s Gorge), this cave is easy to miss as its entrance is around 12 foot from the river bed, is narrow and will be half hidden by fauna.
A scramble up and in yields a short passage with an aven which comes to a “T” junction. The passage continues both left and right (phreatic passage) and tapers to a too tight squeeze in both directions.
There are, however, some nice (but small) decorations in here.
Cave #5
Further still downstream from cave #4, this cave is around 50 feet up the bank (on the same side) and is virtually invisible from the riverbed.
The entrance is a roomy chamber with 3 apparent passages running off, two of which become very quickly dead.
The third passage contains glacial sediment/silt and although crawly, does bring you to a completely silted small chamber.
This cave may well yield a surprise if the sediment were to be removed although the passage is squeezy and a dig would be a pain (and would not necessarily yield a bigger passage beyond).
Unexplored Passages
Cave #1 ~ None
Cave #2 ~ None
Cave #3 ~ It remains unexplored
Cave #4 ~ None
Cave #5 ~ Beyond the silted area remains impassable
Digs
None Known
Links
None Known
Subject: Devil''s Gorge (Caves) 
Sun 17 May 2009, 6:18 am
