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Bakers Pit

Caves of DevonDevon geography stubs
Baker's Pit Cave entrance in 1961
Baker's Pit Cave entrance in 1961

Bakers Pit is a phreatic maze cave system near Buckfastleigh, Devon, England. It was first opened in 1847 by quarrying activities.Bakers Pit is entered via a vertical descent of 16 metres. It has 3.631 kilometres (2.256 mi) of passage contained within an area of 4 hectares (9.9 acres) and a small stream, flowing to the River Dart, that is still actively developing the cave. It was once connected to Reeds cave, however, only "voice" connection is currently possible, and only in a few locations. Connections between the two systems have been filled in with concrete to protect the beautiful formations in the Reeds cave.The cave was much frequented between the wars by local people during which time many of the calcite formations were destroyed, although some formations have now naturally regenerated. In the early 1960s an upper series was discovered significantly extending the known cave by as much as 50 per cent by climbing a vertical slot in the roof. This extension is better known as the Plymouth Extension and this area contains some of the best examples of formations due to its difficult access of squeezes and climbs. This upper series once went up to the surface but for conservation this has been sealed off with an emergency plan in place in case of rescue from this upper series..

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Bakers Pit (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Bakers Pit
Russets Lane, Teignbridge Buckfastleigh

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Wikipedia: Bakers PitContinue reading on Wikipedia

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Latitude Longitude
N 50.484613888889 ° E -3.7745583333333 °
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Bakers Pit

Russets Lane
TQ11 0DY Teignbridge, Buckfastleigh
England, United Kingdom
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Baker's Pit Cave entrance in 1961
Baker's Pit Cave entrance in 1961
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Nearby Places

Hembury Castle, Buckfast
Hembury Castle, Buckfast

Hembury Castle is an Iron Age hillfort about a mile north-west of the village of Buckfast on the south-eastern edge of Dartmoor in Devon, England (grid reference SX726684). The fort is about 178 metres above sea level on a promontory between the River Dart on the east and the Holy Brook, south-west. The slope down to the River Dart is very steep and is covered by Hembury Woods which is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest.The fort is said to cover about seven acres and it is surrounded by a prominent rampart and ditch. It is one of several Iron Age forts on the eastern edge of Dartmoor, others include Holne Chase Castle, Wooston Castle, Cranbrook Castle and Prestonbury Castle. Inside the fort, on the western side, is an 11th- or 12th-century motte with a surrounding narrow inner bailey. The ramparts of the earlier hillfort may have been used as the outer bailey of the castle. The entire site has legal protection as a scheduled monument.The first documentary reference to Hembury Castle is in the 13th-century cartulary of nearby Buckfast Abbey, where it is referred to as vetus castellum quod dicitur Hembire. The name probably derives from Old English hean byrig, "at the high burh".A legend relates that the fort was held by the Danes, but it was taken from them by a stratagem. Some local women allowed themselves to be captured by the Danes and taken into the fort, but in the night when their captors were in a drunken sleep, the women rose, killed them and let in their countrymen.