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Death's Head Hole, Lancashire
Death's Head Hole
site name:-   Gragareth
site name:-   Leck Fell
county:-   Lancashire
locality type:-   pothole
locality type:-   cave
coordinates:-   SD668791
1Km square:-   SD6679
10Km square:-   SD67
altitude:-   1120 feet
altitude:-   341m
SummaryText:-   Explored by Yorkshire ramblers Club, 1889; further by the Gritstone Club, 1949 and 1968.
SummaryText:-   Grade IV; permission from Council of Northern Caving Clubs.
references:-   Balderston c1890 map
Brook, D & Davies, G & Long, M H &Sutcliffe, J R: 1975: Northern Caves, vol.4 Whernside and Gragareth: Dalesman Books:: ISBN 0 85206 259 1

evidence:-   descriptive text:- Balderston c1890
placename:-  Death's Head Hole
source data:-   Book, Ingleton, Bygone and Present, by Robert R and Margaret Balderston, published by Simpkin, Marshall and Co, London, and by Edmndson and Co, 24 High Street, Skipton, Yorkshire, about 1890.
image BLD1P072, button  goto source
page 72:-  "..."
"Death's Head Hole."
"Proceeding downwards [in Fenwick's Allotment], but diverging a trifle to the left, a second plot, enclosed by a circular railing, may be observed. Here is another chasm like the Fairies' Workshop, not so richly adorned, but still radiant in its embellishments, yet possessing a most remarkable configuration, indeed, that of the head and jaws of a human skeleton. The main shaft of the hole represents the mouth; a bridge-like bar of rock passes across the eastern verge, but is hollow below, so as to connect the chasm with a more shallow cavity beyond. The most peculiar feature, however, consists in a second bar-like bridge of limestone somewhat more slender than the first, spanning the secondary"
image BLD1P073, button  goto source
page 73:-  "rift in exactly the opposite direction to that assumed by the former, so as to meet the greater bar in the middle of its course and form part of the same trellice bridgework. In this manner two cavities, like those of the orbits in a skull are produced; and the result is wonderfully curious and fine. The mountain ash, ling, hawthorn, willow, shield ferns, polypody, ransoms, hartstongue, and ivy, were the decorations found here. The plummet descended one hundred and ninety-five feet, so that the total depth to the level of the ground around was fully two hundred."

evidence:-   old map:- Balderston c1890 map
placename:-  Death's Head Hole
source data:-   Map, the hills in the Ingleton area, probably by Robert R Balderston, engraved by Goodall and Suddick, Leeds, West Yorkshire, about 1890.
image
BS1SD67U.jpg
"Death's Head Hole"
item:-  private collection : 27.1
Image © see bottom of page

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