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ID:SDV366271
Title:The Caves of Eastern South Devon: From Pengelly to the Present Day
Originator:Proctor, C. J.
Date:2018
Summary:The importance of the South Devon caves has been recognised since the early 19th century. Investigation of the archaeology and palaeontology was placed on a scientific footing by William Pengelly. He developed sophisticated recording techniques at his excavations in Brixham Cavern and Kent’s Cavern, notably the adoption of a three dimensional grid system of recording. His publications covered not only his own excavations, but the work of others in the region. Continued excavations to the present day have shown that Quaternary deposits spanning at least the last 500,000 years exist in the region’s caves. Long sediment records extending well back into the Middle Pleistocene preserve evidence of regional climate change at Kent’s Cavern and sea level change at Berry Head. Fauna and archaeology dating from the late Cromerian is preserved at Kent’s Cavern, and from the Aveley Interglacial at Tornewton Cave and Cow Cave. A rich Ipswichian Interglacial fauna is present at Joint Mitnor Cave and Tornewton Cave has faunas dating from the late last interglacial complex. Kent’s Cavern preserves an outstanding record of Middle Devensian to Holocene fauna and archaeology, and important Late Glacial to Holecene archaeology also occurs in the Torbryan and Chudleigh Caves.

Associated Monuments (10)

MDV9583Ash Hole Cavern, Brixham (Monument)
MDV124141Bench Cavern, Blackball Lane, Brixham (Monument)
MDV8580Broken Cavern, Torbryan (Monument)
MDV14724Cow Cave at Chudleigh Rocks (Monument)
MDV15156Joint Mitnor Cave, Buckfastleigh (Monument)
MDV124153Kent's Cavern, Ilsham Road, Torquay (Monument)
MDV8579Three Holes Cave, Torbryan (Monument)
MDV8576Torbryan Caves, Denbury and Torbryan (Monument)
MDV8577Tornewton Cave, Torbryan (Monument)
MDV123606Windmill Hill Cavern, Windmill Hill, Brixham (Monument)