More information : 519486 - a rift in the rock at Cook's Hill Wood was
opened up by the Westminster Spelaeological Society in 1950. It
is situated near the Wookey Hole/Priddy road at about the
600 ft contour, and is reached by leaving the road, crossing
the open grass space, negotiating the barbed wire fence, and
descending a rough track for a few yards. Turning right to the
base of a rock bluff the rift is reached. Animal bones and an
iron axe-head of unknown date were found.
Further excavations in 1951 by the Society in conjunction with
the Bristol Folk House Archaeological Club, revealed a crouched
human skeleton together with a few sherds of pottery. The
latter in the opinion of Dr. Hubert Savory, represented a
Middle Bronze Age cinerary urn, and a Late Bronze age urn of
Deverel Rimbury type. The skeleton cannot be considered as
contemporary with the pottery, due to cremation prevailing in
the Bronze Age. It is suggested that this is an Iron Age burial
in a cleft which already contained the urns.
Above the level of the bones a piece of RB olla was found on a
rock. Subsequent examination of the adjoining rock-shelter,
only revealed one or two flint fragments and a Bronze Age or
later scraper from outside the cave. (1)
The rock shelter, known as Hope Wood Hole, is at ST 52164844. (2)
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