Rowten Pot is one of several hill top entrances into the West Kingsdale System in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It connects into the Kingsdale Master Cave through a sump which is possible, though not recommended, to free-dive.

The cave is a popular site for practicing Single Rope Technique

Single Rope Technique

Single Rope Technique is a set of methods used to descend and ascend on the same single rope. SRT is used in caving, potholing, rock climbing, canyoning, roped access for building maintenance and by arborists for tree climbing.-Historical Developments:...

, being spacious and relatively complex to rig for a surface shaft. Most of the cave is within sight of daylight with relatively little horizontal development.

The water which falls down Rowten Pot sinks into the ground 150 m to the west of the pot on the other side of Turbary Road. This minor horizontal stream system, known as Rowten Cave, is "safe for children to play in", according to Alfred Wainwright

Alfred Wainwright

Alfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the...

.

In 1939 a fatal accident had prompted BBC Radio to broadcast a request for help from all potholers. The first fatality for the Cave Rescue Organisation

Cave Rescue Organisation

The Cave Rescue Organisation is based in the caving area of the Yorkshire Dales in northern England and was founded in 1935. Although it is staffed by volunteers and funded by donations, it is integrated into the emergency services and will be called out if the police are notified that there has...

 on a rescue occurred here in 1986. An accident involving a threaded and worn out anchor in 1990 resulting in a broken back hastened the development of eco hangers

Other nearby caves include Swinsto Hole, Simpson's Pot

Simpson's Pot

Simpson's Pot is one of two popular pull-through trips into the West Kingsdale System whose exit is Valley Entrance at the base of the hill at the side of the road...

, Jingling Pot, Aquamole Pot

Aquamole Pot

Aquamole Pot is a cave on West Kingsdale, North Yorkshire, England wih which was first discovered from the bottom by cave diving through 550 feet of sump from Rowten Pot in 1974.-History:...

 and Valley Entrance.