Kingsdale and Jingling Pot

This is a rare chance for ordinary walkers to taste the esoteric delights of caving, in reasonable comfort and safety. However, there are also some deep and manifestly hazardous holes on this walk. None of them is fenced, and they should be approached with caution. The edges may be sloping or crumbly. Dogs should be on leads, and children kept under close supervision. But don’t let this put you off. These dangers are obvious and all that’s needed is a modicum of common sense. There’s also a simple passage, just below the surface, with a safe entry and exit. In fact, if you take the first exit, you won’t even need a torch. Tall people will need to stoop a bit, but that’s about all.

The Turbary Road

The walk begins near Yordas Cave (see While You’re There), before climbing up onto a broad shelf on the hillside. This roughly marks the upper boundary of the limestone strata – the ridges which rise above are mostly composed of shale and gritstone rocks. As you reach the shelf you meet a good track, known as the Turbary Road. Turbary is an ancient word which can mean either the right to cut turf or peat, or an area of land where such cutting occurs – a practice which still survives in parts of Ireland and Scotland. The area where cutting took place is still shown on the Ordnance Survey map as the Turbary Pasture, though it isn’t actually visited on this walk.

Going underground

Rowten Pot and Jingling Pot are deep and obvious holes, for cavers only, but a smaller passage at Point 3 is inviting to intrepid walkers. Scramble down beside the stream and look into the main passage where the stream runs into the darkness. Turn right and you’ll see another passage, with a smaller stream emerging from it (sometimes dry). Enter this (tall people will need to stoop), and follow for about 30ft (9m) to another opening, where you can scramble out. There’s enough light filtering in for this to be possible without a torch. If you have torches you can continue for about another 60ft (18m) to a final exit.

There’s another short passage indicated at Jingling Cave. This is also safe, but it’s low – adults will have to crouch, if not crawl – and it’s usually wet. Of course low, wet passages are a common experience for cavers, and at least this one is light. Do not enter any other passages.

Nearby Jingling Pot is the most alarming and potentially dangerous hole on this walk. The name almost certainly derives from the sound of water falling on stones in the depths: the bottom is 150ft (46m) down. All of these caves and potholes are part of the West Kinsgdale System, itself part of the Three Counties System, in which cavers have now charted over 70 miles (113km) of passages.

Walk south down the road (towards Ingleton) for about 600yds (550m) to a gate on the right. Directly above is a crag (Shout Scar) with some trees growing from it. Walk up a green track, aiming left of this crag to an obvious gap through the band of rocks. Above this bear left to meet a wall where it crosses another low band of rocks. Follow the wall up to meet a clear track.

Turn left through a gate and follow the track beside a wall to some sheep pens. Go through the pens. Just beyond the gate, a few strides away to the left, is an obvious large hole in the ground, Rowten Pot.

Near the far end of the Pot a sort of natural bridge separates the main opening from a smaller but even deeper hole. Turn your back on the ‘bridge’ and walk straight back towards the track. Just beside it is a slit in the ground where an underground stream can be seen. Go straight across the track to a narrow path and follow this across the moor for about 90yds (82m) to a place where the stream spills over rocky steps and disappears into the ground. You can venture underground here (see Walk Description).

Return to the main track and turn left. Retrace your steps through the sheep pens, and continue for 150yds (137m) until a fainter track bears away left across the moor. Follow this towards a substantial, isolated rowan tree. On the left as you approach the tree is another short passage with two entrances, part of Jingling Cave.

The tree grows from a deep shaft, Jingling Pot. From here return straight across the moor to the main track and turn left. From the gate at Point 2, instead of retracing your steps down the hill, continue along the track. This soon bears left and climbs gently to reach another gate. Continue along the now rougher track, beside a wall, to a gate on the right. Several large boulders restrict its opening.

Follow an indistinct green track downhill from this gate, heading towards some trees. Just above them the track swings right and down, then back left to a gate onto the road near the parking places. Before heading home, however, it's worth turning uphill just above the gate, into the trees, to find the entrance to Yordas Cave.