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St. Dunstan's Well Cave

St. Dunstan's Well, Stoke St.Michael.

This small fossil cave, located immediately above the double rising of Saint Dunstan's Well, comprises a series of attractive but very narrow passages and extremely tight squeezes ending in a relatively roomy chamber containing a deep sump pool. The pool has been dived to a depth of 6m with no apparent way on. Above the chamber, an aven complex can be ascended for almost 30m. The presence of roots indicates its proximity to the surface.

Alternate Names: St.Dunstan's Cave

Notes: The cave lies close to the lost village of Stoke Bottom and it has been suggested that medieval remains found in the entrance passage lent credence to the theory that it may once have been used as a Black Death burial pit. However, there is little evidence to support plague as the reason behind the decline of the village, and the presence of the adjacent well - an important local water source - would seem to negate the suggestion.