Caves of the Mendip Hills Caves of the Mendip Hills The caves of the Mendip Hills are formed by the particular geology of the Mendip Hills: large areas of limestone worn away by water makes it a national centre for caving. The hills conceal the largest underground river system in Britain. The hills consist of anticlines of Carboniferous Limestone lying over Devonian Old Red Sandstone, with the sandstone exposed on the summits. When a surface stream running off the sandstone reaches the limestone it sinks below ground through a "swallet", (also known locally as a "slocker"), continuing on its way down towards sea level by
Wookey Hole Caves ""Ogof"" which gave the early names for this cave of ""Ochie"" ""Ochy"". "Hole" is Anglo-Saxon for cave, which is itself of Latin/Norman derivation. Therefore, the name "Wookey Hole Cave" basically means "cave cave cave". Eilert Ekwall gives an alternative derivation of "Wookey" from the Old English ""wocig"" meaning a noose or snare for animals. By the 18th century the caves were commonly known as "Okey Hole". Fossils of a range of animals have been found including the Pleistocene lion ("Felis leo spelæ"), Cave hyena ("Crocuta crocuta spelaea") and Badger ("Meles meles"). Wookey Hole was occupied by humans in the Iron