Wookey Hole EarthCache

This is an Earthcache for a famous showcave called Wookey Hole. Wookey Hole Caves is a show cave and tourist attraction in the village of Wookey Hole on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills near Wells in Somerset, England.

Wookey Hole cave was formed by the action of the River Axe on the limestone hills. Before emerging at Wookey Hole the water enters underground streams and passes through other caves such as Swildon's Hole and St Cuthbert's Swallet. After resurging, the waters of the River Axe are used in a handmade paper mill, the oldest extant in Britain, which began operations circa 1610, although a corn grinding mill operated there as early as 1086.

Wookey Hole was occupied by humans in the Iron Age, while nearby Hyena Cave was occupied by Stone Age hunters. Badger Hole and Rhinoceros Hole are two dry caves on the slopes above the Wookey ravine near the Wookey Hole resurgence and contain in situ cave sediments laid down during the Ice Age.

Archaeological investigations were undertaken from 1859 to 1874 by William Boyd Dawkins, who moved to Somerset to study classics with the vicar of Wookey. On hearing of the discovery of bones by local workmen he led excavations in the area of the hyena den. His work led to the discovery of the first evidence for the use by Palaeolithic man in the Caves of the Mendip Hills.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock. It was formed at the bottom of a tropical sea which covered all of this area. It is made up of millions of dead marine animals whose bones have been compressed due to the massive pressure of the ocean. There are many types of limestone including Carboniferous and Sugar. The limestone here is Carboniferous Limestone. This means that it was formed in the Carboniferous Period of the Earth's Prehistory

Limestone caves are formed when water seeps through the joints and bedding planes in the rock and carves and hollows its way through them. The water dissolves the limestone which is Calcium Carbonate and deposits as another chemical called Calcite. This Calcite is able to form massive flows and features called Stalgmites and Stalactites.

In order to claim this Earthcache take a picture of you or your GPS at the "Welcome" sign where the GPS takes you.

Also please answer the following questions:

1) what was the name of the priest sent to kill the witch who lived in the caves.

2) name 2 divisions of the Carboniferous era.

Please email me all your answers and include photographs in the logs.