Scouts are an adventurous lot, and All Saint’s Scout group certainly are after heading to Ingleborough in Yorkshire and the largest show cave in England; White Scar.
The cave was first entered by Christopher Long in 1923 when he discovered a fissure on the slopes of Ingleborough.
Being a curious chap he crawled in, with candles stuck to the brim of his hat for light, to see where it led. What he found was a truly wondrous place.
Today the entrance is easily accessible by means of a man-made passageway as the original opening is considered far too dangerous.
Additional parts of the cave system were opened to the public in 1991. Passageways change dramatically from being high open spaces to very narrow and low, ideal for young Beavers. One part is called ‘The Squeeze’ for obvious reasons, and is not so ideal for Scout leaders!
A spokesperson for the Scouts said, “It is a truly magnificent and spectacular wonderland, underground streams and waterfalls, thousands of stalactites and at over 300 feet, the massive ‘Battlefield Cavern’.
“We also enjoyed a short trip to Hawes and the Wensleydale creamery.”
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
