Ogof y Daren Cilau is one of several

cave system A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea c ...

s in the Llangattock

escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''esca ...

near

Crickhowell Crickhowell (; cy, Crucywel , non-standard spelling ') is a town and community in southeastern Powys, Wales, near Abergavenny, and is in the historic county of Brecknockshire. Location The town lies on the River Usk, on the southern edge ...

in south

Powys Powys (; ) is a county and preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. Geog ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. The cave was discovered in 1957 and is one of the longest cave systems in the country.

The cave

It is one of the longest systems in the country (over 26 km) and the entrance section is long, tight and strenuous, making the trip into the further parts of the cave a serious undertaking. Its awkward entrance crawl is a natural barrier to any casual visitor and precludes the need for a locked gate to protect it from vandals. Highlights of Daren Cilau include the ''Time Machine'', the largest cave passage in Britain; the ''White Company'', a set of pure white

stalactite A stalactite (, ; from the Greek 'stalaktos' ('dripping') via ''stalassein'' ('to drip') is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble ...

s; and the ''Bonsai Tree'', a branching

helictite A helictite is a speleothem (cave-formed mineral) found in a limestone cave that changes its axis from the vertical at one or more stages during its growth. Helictites have a curving or angular form that looks as if they were grown in zero gra ...

. Due to the extent of the passages several kilometres from the entrance which would require trips of up to 20 hours to explore, some permanent underground camps have been established, including the ''Restaurant at the End of the Universe'', which is some thirteen hours from the entrance.

History

The entrance to the cave was discovered in 1957 by Vic Howells. Further investigation and the removal of debris showed an entrance in which a pool of water accumulated. In the ensuing period, the water was drained away and a passage was revealed ending in a boulder choke. The major breakthrough into the system beyond the entrance series occurred in 1984, before which the cave consisted of little more than the entrance series and several uninspiring passages. In 1986

Martyn Farr Martyn Farr (born Crickhowell, Wales, March 3, 1951) is a leading exploratory cave diver and caver, known for his record-breaking cave dives and the exploration of many miles of previously undiscovered underground passages (e.g. in Ogof y Daren ...

connected the Terminal Sump to Elm Hole in the next valley by

cave diving Cave-diving is underwater diving in water-filled caves. It may be done as an extreme sport, a way of exploring flooded caves for scientific investigation, or for the search for and recovery of divers or, as in the 2018 Thai cave rescue, other ...

. After decades of work and numerous

cave digging Cave digging is the practice of enlarging undiscovered cave openings to allow entry. Cave digging usually follows a search of mountains and valleys in karst topography for new caves. Often it takes place underground in places where a large passa ...

projects, a connection to the nearby cave

Ogof Agen Allwedd Ogof Agen Allwedd or Agen Allwedd, is, at , one of the longest cave systems in Wales, and the longest cave system on the Llangattock escarpment. History The cave was first investigated by Brian Price and party in 1949 and 1950, but it was not ...

has yet to be found, even though they are only away at their closest point.

References

External links

Cave description
{{coord, 51.83064, -3.15479, type:landmark_region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(SO20521530), display=title Caves of Powys Brecon Beacons