Ash Hole Cavern

Ash Hole Cavern is a limestone cave system in Brixham, Devon, England. There is evidence of human habitation since Neolithic times, and archaeological excavations have been conducted, with several artefacts found. It has been a scheduled monument since 1966.

Ash Hole Cavern is reached by an approximately 50-metre walk from the Berry Head Road, through an area of woodland and undergrowth. The cave, which is situated in the limestone rock of the Devonian age, consists of an east–west-orientated main chamber and several other fissures and smaller chambers. There are two entrances into the cave: the naturally formed entrance is at the bottom of a sinkhole at the eastern end of the main chamber, and a larger entrance, created by a breach during quarrying in the 19th century, is on the northern side. Apart from the large main chamber, there are several smaller chambers, which extend downwards into the rock. One has a large quantity of loose rock within it, and this chamber also extends upwards to a smaller chamber, underneath which a ladder helps gain access. This chamber has a number of inscriptions of the flowstone covering its walls, with some dating back to at least the 1920s. The cave is situated close to Shoalstone Beach and the Berry Head Hotel.

There is evidence that the cave has been used for shelter by humans since the Bronze Age, and several pottery fragments of that era have been found just inside the natural entrance. There is also evidence of Roman burials in the cavern. Several fragments of urns have been found, in which have been found ashes and around those have been found bone fragments. These have been dated to be from Roman times. Also found were several Roman coins including those of Claudius and Nero which were discovered in 1831.

Cave data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).