The CNCC has been working hard over recent years to improve our engagement with other organisations to benefit northern caving.
A few weeks ago our Access Officer, Tim Allen, was invited to give a presentation to the annual Yorkshire Dales National Park staff forum. Some 140 members of staff attended together with VIP guest Dame Fiona Reynolds OBE, previously the Director General of the National Trust. It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase caving to people who have an influence over our caves.
As well as showing some great photos of one of the special qualities that make up our National Park it was an opportunity to highlight some of the caving resources available to the authority from the CNCC and the wider caving community.
The talk also explained the growth of the cave networks across the area especially the Three Counties and Gaping Gill systems, and looked at future prospects under Kingsdale, Chapel-le-Dale and Great Whernside.
A key point raised was that we will never find another Ingleborough within the National Park, but we may yet discover another cave network to rival the Three Counties system.
Ongoing efforts to improve interpretation, and education of the non-caving public on the caves beneath their feet was also touched upon. This was picked up in a very complementary thank you letter from David Butterworth, Chief Executive of the YDNPA, who commented;
" I could see the heads nodding and sighs of agreement behind me when you were extolling the virtues of more marketing of this special quality so that more people are aware of what is actually there and that they too can come and enjoy it at whatever the level of their experience."
We are very pleased to be able to engage with the National Park in this way and look forward to continuing to build a good relationship on behalf of the caving community.
We are very grateful to Tony Waltham who supplied copies of his wonderful maps from the Caves and Karst of the Yorkshire Dales series and to all the photographers who allow use of their images especially Mark Burkey and Frank Pearson.
Photo: Andy Kay (YDNPA)