dan-yr-ogof

[llywela]

I've been off work this week, using up my annual leave while the sun is still shining, and I've mostly been pretty lazy, lounging around the Bay and St Fagans, but on Tuesday I visited Dan-yr-Ogof, the national showcaves centre for Wales, up at the top of the Swansea Valley. As the name might suggest, this is a cave system, discovered in 1912 by a pair of local brothers, potholing with only candles to light the way. How amazing for them to discover these vast caverns beneath the mountain, full of stalactites and stalagmites and underground streams and waterfalls - it's a really magical place to visit. Difficult to take decent pictures underground, though - the lighting is very atmospheric but does not lend itself to photography!



Can you spot the formation known as the angel?


There are three main cave systems - Dan-yr-Ogof, pictured above, the Bone Cave, in which evidence of Bronze Age occupation including 42 human skeletons were found, and the Cathedral Cave, a colossal cave passageway, full of delicate ‘straw’ stalactites and underground lakes and waterfalls (and very orange lighting). You can actually get married in the Cathedral Cave, if you don't mind hiking up a steep hill and under a waterfall in your wedding dress, and only want about 8 guests!





Also at Dan-yr-Ogof, there's this:


Yes, this is one of the largest dinosaur parks in the world, with over 200 life-sized models!



A lovely place to visit!

Comments

[catsdownunder.livejournal.com]

Very beautiful.

With years of drought and the lowering of the underground water level our cave system in my city needs water pumped in to stop irreversible damage being done. At least when I saw them they were in pristine condition. The downside of over population too. Some eco systems are so delicate and fragile.

Journey to the centre of the Earth ;)

Thanks for sharing.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

My eyes and brain were clearly not awake when I saw your post - they translated the title dan-yr-ogof as "Dragon on the roof"! *g* I'm sure it was just the d- and the -f and something misfired and did the rest, having seen the first picture... *vbg*

I do like a good cave (I must visit Wookey Caves before I have to move away) - I didn't even know there were Welsh "showcaves", I shall have to visit them too, now... *g* Isn't it frustrating that they're so gorgeous and atmospheric, and yet it's so hard to get gorgeous atmospheric photos of them... You've done a good job though, and convinced me I want to see them! *g* Also - heeee for the dinosaurs! I think I peered over a fence and saw some littering the area around here too - I guess caves = dinosaurs!