Wookey Hole Caves the water emerging from the underground caverns at Wookey Hole. The lead in the water is believed to have affected the quality of the paper produced. The designation of the water catchment area for Wookey Hole, covering a large area of the Mendip Hills as far away as Priddy Pools as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) during the 1970s and 1980s was controversial because of conflicts of interest between land owners, recreational cavers and cave scientists. Initially proposals were put forward by the Council of Southern Caving Clubs which is part of the British Caving Association was that
Wookey Hole Caves opened as a show cave in 1927 following exploratory work by Herbert E. Balch. As a tourist attraction it has been owned by Madame Tussauds and, most recently, the circus owner Gerry Cottle. The cave is noted for the Witch of Wookey Hole – a roughly human shaped stalagmite that legend says is a witch turned to stone by a monk from Glastonbury. It has also been used as a location for film and television productions. The show cave consists of a dry gallery connecting three large chambers, the first of which contains the Witch of Wookey formation. There are