Gaping Gill, North Yorkshire
N 54° 08.971 W 002° 22.949
30U E 540332 N 6000333
Gaping Gill is where Fell Beck drops 105 meter underground into a massive chamber. Normally unseen this spectacular void is only available to dedicated potholers. For 2 weeks a year a winched chair lowers waymarkers to the chamber floor for a fee.
Waymark Code: WM3WTH
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 05/27/2008
Views: 93
The water entering here emerges at Ingleborough Cave (
visit link) . It is about a 2 hour easy walk from free on street parking at Clapham village. The sink hole is at the bottom of natural amphitheatre with the bedrock stream leading to the large horizontal aperture. The underground chamber has been visited for over 100 years, and was Britain's largest until 1999. It is still the tallest waterfall. During winch meets it is illuminated.
The two caving clubs that operate their winches are Craven Pothole Club in August (
visit link) and Bradford Pothole Club in May (
visit link) If going down on the winched chair arrive early to reduce queuing time. The chair takes on average 3½ minutes down and back up, and the queue can be up to 3 hours to get down and 45 minutes back up. Further information from club websites. Whilst waiting visit nearby Geocaches to keep warm.
For cavers not using the winch, entrance is free, but you will need SRT kit. Gaping Gill is part of a cave system and is one of England's longest and most complex cave systems. As well as the Main Shaft, the system has six other principal entrances; Bar Pot, Flood Entrance Pot, Stream Passage Pot, Disappointment Pot, Henslers Pot and Corky's Pot.
Even during winch meets it is free to peer over the edge from the gantry. Just ask. Outside winch meets it is free to anyone to visit.