The British Caving Association

Hypogenic Caves of the North Pennines UNESCO Global Geopark

BCRA Field meeting. Sat/Sun 29/30 June 2019 in Alston, Cumbria

This weekend field meeting is entitled "Hypogenic Caves of the North Pennines UNESCO Global Geopark". This is a joint meeting of British Cave Research Association (BCRA) and The North Pennines UNESCO Global Geopark (NPUGG). It will be based at Nenthead Village Hall, Nenthead, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3PH.

• The attendance fee is £10/day or £15 for the weekend.
• The meeting will comprise a series of talks and field visits.
• Bunkhouse accommodation has been reserved nearby and should be booked in advance. Camping and Camper-Van hookups are also available.

This joint field meeting will be an opportunity for cavers, cave scientists, geologists, mine history specialists, quaternary scientists and local residents to gather and share knowledge and enthusiasm for this special but relatively little-visited location. There are several fine cave systems in the North Pennines but the region is most notable for hosting the longest and most complex maze caves in Britain. In contrast to the majority of British caves which are epigenic (formed by descending waters) the maze caves are of hypogenic origin, that is they were formed by rising waters. As such they have no connection to the present land surface and are only accessible because they were intersected by lead miners.

For further information, please see the attached info sheet and booking form. The documents includes timetable, and information on how to book and pay for your place in advance. For late information, the best place to look is probably our Facebook page at http://bcra.org.uk/facebook . The field meeting is organised by Andrew Hinde.