14.4 miles away TQ1 2JF
People have been venturing into Kents Cavern (or Kent’s Hole as it was called before 1865) for over 2,000 years. Scientific recordings of archaeology and geology has taken place for 200 years. Over 50,000 artefacts have been recovered from the caves. The secret to such a rich treasure trove of archaeology is the calcite or stalagmite that formed underground, creating thick floors concealing animal and human occupation, preserving a history of Ice Age life underneath. Stalagmite forms during warm interglacial periods. Each Ice Age cycle leaves an occupational layer in the cave as life seeks shelter from the cold underground. This becomes perfectly protected by the stalagmite floors accumulating over the top. There are two known stalagmite floors in the cave, the upper floor is about 12,500 years old and the second 400,000. A third floor from the end of a much earlier Ice Age has yet to be discovered.