Cave Descriptions

YORDAS POT & CAVE

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Yordas Pot through trip to Yordas Cave

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Yordas Cave

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Yordas Cave is a former show-cave which can be accessed only 100m from the road with a helmet, torch and wellies for an interesting, family-friendly afternoon. It is an impressive river chamber. The more experienced cavers will, of course, ask where the water comes from. A return to the surface and a walk uphill will lead to the middle entrance half way up the hill, which allows a short but quite technical SRT through trip into Yordas Cave. When combined with Heron Pot on the opposite side of the valley, this makes for an excellent and fairly easy day underground.

Parking:

Park in some laybys on the side of the Kingsdale Road near the gates below Yordas wood (a walled wooded area on the left as you approach the head of the valley) (grid reference SD 7070 7913)

Location:

The walk-in entrance to Yordas Cave is found only 100m from the road in the wooded gully. This can be reached through either of the gates next to the parking area. 50m from the road, another gate leads into a deep limestone valley with the cave entrance on the left.

The middle entrance of Yordas Pot is found by climbing part way up the hill above the cave (not all the way to the top). The middle entrance is found half way up the steep streambed. In wet weather water will be sinking here however in dry weather all the water will be sinking at the top entrance.

Navigation:

The middle entrance involves two consecutive 5m pitches leading to a 1m step down into a small chamber. In wet weather when water is sinking at the middle entrance this is a very dramatic place! Just beyond this chamber, the water coming from the top entrance is met at a T-junction. Following the water downstream (left) starts as crawling/stooping but soon enlarges at the top of the pitches leading down into Yordas Cave.

Despite their short length, these pitches are surprisingly techical and have been rigged to allow a descent even in fairly wet weather. An exposed traverse leads to a short (5m) hang, followed by another exposed traverse with few footholds to the final hang. A tricky deviation 1m down the final hang keeps the rope clear of the falling water. At the bottom you can enjoy a walk out of the Yordas Cave entrance.

This is a very short but quite exciting adventure!

Additional reading:

Northern Caving (page 73)

Location Map: