Shatter Cave
{{Short description|Cave in Somerset, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Cave
| name = Shatter Cave
| photo = Shatter Cave.jpg
| photo_alt = Potholler standing by pillar in limestone cave
| photo_caption = Pillar Chamber, Shatter Cave
| location = Stoke St Michael, UK
| grid_ref_UK = ST65734753
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| register = Mendip Cave Registry
| discovery =
| geology = Limestone
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Shatter Cave is a cave in Fairy Cave Quarry, near Stoke St Michael in the limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England.{{cite mcra|id=562|name=Shatter Cave}} It falls within the St. Dunstan's Well Catchment Site of Special Scientific Interest.{{cite web|url= http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000377.pdf|title= St. Dunstan's Well Catchment | publisher= English Nature |access-date=2006-07-20}}
The name commemorates the damage, done by blasting in the quarry, to some of the decoration within the cave.{{cite book|last=Witcombe|first=Richard|title=Who was Aveline anyway?: Mendip's Cave Names Explained|year=2009|publisher=Wessex Cave Club|location=Priddy|edition=2nd|page=93|isbn=978-0-9500433-6-4}}
Description
Shatter Cave has been described as being one of the finest decorated caves in Britain in terms of their sheer abundance of pure white and translucent calcite deposits.Moseley, Gina (2005), A Study into the Microclimatology of Shatter Cave, southwest England with comparison to Uamh an Tartair, northwest Scotland, presented to the British Cave Research Association.
The floor of Diesel Chamber includes some fine gours, Helicite Rift contains heligmites and a stalactite curtain, and Pillar Chamber contains a {{convert|3|m|ft|0}} high white pillar as well as one of the finest crystalline gour floors in Great Britain. Tor Chamber, Portcullis Grottoes and Pisa Passage are also highly decorated.{{cite book |last1=Irwin |first1=David John |last2=Knibbs |first2=Anthony J. |title=Mendip Underground: A Cavers Guide |year= 1999 |publisher=Bat Products |isbn=0-9536103-0-6 }} – which also contains a detailed description of the cave.
Access
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{cite mcra |id=562 |name= Shatter Cave}}
{{Mendip Hills}}
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