UBSS Proceedings 30(1), pp 37-51
A Recent Geospatial Survey of Church Hole cave, Creswell Crags, Nottinghamshire
2025
Church Hole Cave is one of nine caves situated within the Creswell Crags Gorge, located along the boundary between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. This gorge has been a focal point of archaeological research for over 160 years. The cave itself was first subjected to scientific exploration in the summer of 1875. Following this initial investigation, extensive excavations were conducted, during which significant quantities of faunal remains and lithics, as well as significant geological deposits beneath a calcite floor, were removed.
In 2003, an Anglo-Spanish research team uncovered engraved figurative rock art within the cave, contributing to its scholarly importance. Additional discoveries were made by one of the authors (GHN) in 2022 and 2023, during which potential painted imagery was identified in the rear section of the cave. At the time of these discoveries, the cave lacked a detailed survey plan, thereby restricting the accurate plotting of these new discoveries. In early 2024, a team from Terra Measurement Ltd, commissioned by the Creswell Crags Museum & Heritage Centre, undertook a detailed topographic survey of the cave.
This paper outlines the methodologies employed during the survey, presents the findings obtained, and explores the broader implications of such surveys for the study and interpretation of other caves within the gorge.
