Ogof Ffynnon Ddu
Encyclopedia
Ogof Ffynnon Ddu is a cave
located under a hillside in the area surrounding Penwyllt
in the Upper Swansea Valley
in South Wales
. At 308 metres (1,010.5 ft) deep and 48 kilometres (29.8 mi) long, it is the deepest cave in the UK
and the second longest in Wales.
OFD was discovered in 1946 through digging by Peter Harvey and Ian Nixon, members of the newly formed South Wales Caving Club. Major extensions were discovered in 1967. The system is famous for its intricate maze-like structure and its impressive main stream passage. It forms the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu National Nature Reserve
.
One of the largest cave systems in Britain, the caves and tunnels of Ogof Ffynnon Ddu weave a long and tortuous path beneath the Tawe Valley. Deep underground, an amazing collection of specialised wildlife has developed, including cave shrimps and the pale blanched trout which haunts underground rivers. Deep cracks in the vast expanse of moorland above provide habitats to a wealth of plant life, including the lily of the valley
and wood anemone
.
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
located under a hillside in the area surrounding Penwyllt
Penwyllt
Penwyllt is a Welsh hamlet located in the upper Swansea Valley, to the east of the Black Mountain.A former quarrying village, quicklime and silica brick production centre, its fortunes rose and fell as a result of the industrial revolution within South Wales...
in the Upper Swansea Valley
Swansea Valley
The Swansea Valley , one of the South Wales Valleys is the name often given to the valley of the River Tawe area in South Wales, UK. It reaches southwest and south from the Brecon Beacons National Park down to the city of Swansea. Today, administration of the area is divided between the City and...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. At 308 metres (1,010.5 ft) deep and 48 kilometres (29.8 mi) long, it is the deepest cave in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the second longest in Wales.
OFD was discovered in 1946 through digging by Peter Harvey and Ian Nixon, members of the newly formed South Wales Caving Club. Major extensions were discovered in 1967. The system is famous for its intricate maze-like structure and its impressive main stream passage. It forms the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
.
One of the largest cave systems in Britain, the caves and tunnels of Ogof Ffynnon Ddu weave a long and tortuous path beneath the Tawe Valley. Deep underground, an amazing collection of specialised wildlife has developed, including cave shrimps and the pale blanched trout which haunts underground rivers. Deep cracks in the vast expanse of moorland above provide habitats to a wealth of plant life, including the lily of the valley
Lily of the Valley
Convallaria majalis , commonly known as the lily-of-the-valley, is a poisonous woodland flowering plant native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia and Europe....
and wood anemone
Wood Anemone
Wood anemone is a common name for three closely related species of woodland anemone.In Europe: Anemone nemorosaIn North America: Anemone quinquefoliaThe Yellow wood anemone is Anemone ranunculoides....
.