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 dark parts of the cave where the witch was hiding. The blessed water immediately petrifies the witch, and she remains in the cave to this day. A 1000-year-old skeleton of a woman was discovered in the caves by Balch in 1912, and has also traditionally been linked to the legendary witch. The remains have been part of the collection of the Wells and Mendip Museum, which was founded by Balch, since they were excavated, though in 2004 the owner of the caves said that he wanted them to be returned to Wookey Hole. It was partly down to the legend