| Summary : A small fissure cave with a narrow, high entrance, and known variously as Redhurst Cave and Old Hannah's Hole. It was dug in circa 1898 by Sir Thomas Wardle, who reported finding the bones of at least four adults and one child. Other finds included animal bones, charcoal, and a flint flake. A pottery vessel has been described as Romano-British, but is now lost and this attribution cannot be confirmed. Branigan and Dearne suggest a Neolithic/Bronze Age date is more likely for the pottery, and state that an inspection of the sole surviving skull casts doubt on a Romano-British date for it (though they do not explain why). The cave was visited by RCHME and Trent and Peak Archaeological Trust in 1989 as part of the Manifold Valley Caves Project. Significant deposits appear to have been left undisturbed by the early excavations. |
More information : (SK 09979 55694) The Redhurst Cave.
Dug c.1898 by Sir Thomas Wardle. Burials comprising the bones of at
least four adults and one child were found, as well as a large urn,
animal bones, charcoal and a flint flake (not of chert) of 'Neolithic
or later' date.
One of the skulls was sent to Mr Newton of the Museum of Practical
Geology, Jermyn St, London, who declared it to be that of an old man
"probably Celtic of Romano-British age, or possibly somewhat older".
The urn was submitted to F N Rudler, curator of the same museum `who
tentatively dated it as Romano-British'.
The prevalence of charcoal throughout the cave, points to occupation
perhaps before the burials took place. (1)
The south end of Wetton-far-hill terminates in a high rugged pile,
which makes a new approach to the River Manifold and the Wetton
Wettonmill road runs between it and the river. 'Old Hannah's Hole' is
a small conspicuous cave towards the base of the hill, opposite the
road where it and the river make a sharp turn. Above the cave, in the
face of a steep crag, is a small vent in which natural explosions
occur. (2)
(SK 09995570) A fissure cave. The entrance is narrow but high - 1.6m
wide and 3.5m high. The fissure extends c 8m with a maximum height
over 5m. (3)
Old Hannah's Hole. (4)
No change. Published survey (1:2500) correct. (5)
(SK 09985570) Old Hannah's Hole(NR) (6)
The site was visited during the RCHME/Trent and Peak Archaeological
Trust: Manifold Caves Project in 1989. The surveyors found that the
previous excavations had left significant deposits undisturbed,
although there are significant signs of excavation (eg. old
sections/pits). The cave does not appear to have been emptied to the
bedrock, the lower part of the fissure being covered with an
undulating red clay deposit. The surveyors felt that further
information could yet be yielded from these surviving deposits, a
bone was found protruding from a hole left by the excavations. The
site was also re-mapped to SK 09979 55694 (7)
|