Shute Shelve Cavern is a natural cave system located in Shute Shelve Hill, Somerset, England, above Axbridge in the Mendip Hills not far from Cheddar.
The phreatic cave contains fossils of speleothems over 350,000 years old.
It was mined for its yellow ochre which was used as a dye in paint making, until the 1920s, which gave it its alternative name of Axbridge Ochre Mine.
Access is controlled by the Axbridge Caving Group via a locked gate and completely closed during the bats' roosting season.
Chamber 1 has taped areas shows scallops to the right and miners supports and a large geode up to the left. Chamber 2 is a large rift with taped off areas for conservation. Further areas are known as Box Tunnel and Elm Street.
Carcass Cave dig is virtually feet away which used a monorail system, ladders and platforms.

List of minerals for each chemical element

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

British and Irish IslesGroup of Islands

Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate

Rheno-Hercynian BeltOrogenic Belt

EuropeContinent

England
- Somerset
  - Mendip HillsGroup of Hills

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References

“British Caver”, no. 21, pp. 65-72

“Mendip Underground, A Caver's Guide”, Irwin D. J. & Jarrett A., 3rd Edn., 1993, pp. 19-20

Farrant, A.R.; Gray, A. (1993). "Shute Shelve Cavern. Exploration, History and Geomorphology". Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeology Society, 19(3), pp. 283–290: http://www.ubss.org.uk/resources/proceedings/vol19/UBSS_Proc_19_3_283-290.pdf

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Axbridge Ochre Mine, Sedgemoor, Somerset, England, UKiRegional Level TypesAxbridge Ochre MineMine SedgemoorDistrict SomersetCounty EnglandConstituent Country UKCountry function showexplain() { $("#locexplain").toggle(); if (typeof movemap === "function") movemap(); }

List of minerals for each chemical element

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References

Axbridge Ochre Mine, Sedgemoor, Somerset, England, UK i
Regional Level Types
Axbridge Ochre Mine Mine
Sedgemoor District
Somerset County
England Constituent Country
UK Country