The CNCC holds a small number of formal (written) access agreements with landowners. These are exclusively for non-access land caves where the challenging location (e.g. private shooting estates, quarries or gardens) justifies our direct facilitation of access to preserve some level of consented access for the caving community.
Agreement with James Holt, Lingmoor Farm.
Click HERE to obtain access.
Agreement with Mark Tellwright, Eastgate Quarry.
Click HERE to obtain access.
Agreement with National Trust, Heelis, Kemble Drive, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 2NA
Click HERE to obtain access.
The CNCC hold an access agreement with National Trust dated 2010, revised June 2024, which allows up to eight permits per year to be issued to BCA members, including named individuals and clubs.
Cavers attending the meet must show the permit and proof of BCA insurance to the tenants at the farm.
Parking location will be supplied with the permit, although on occasions, the tenant at Darnbrook Farm may make an alternative request (or invite you to park closer) so it's always worth calling in before changing into caving gear. The landowner and tenant need to be notified in advance of which of the available dates cavers will be turning up, so please try to arrange your permit as much in advance as possible.
Agreement between CNCC and Duchy of Lancaster, Whitewell Estate for access to Whitewell Pot, Hell Hole and others.
Click HERE to obtain access.
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Previously, the major estates of Leck, Casterton, Ingleborough and Penyghent were also subject to formal, written access agreements. From 2018 onwards, CNCC withdrew from these, as most of the caves on those estates are on CRoW Access Land, so permission to visit the caves is not required. We have presented below some non-binding compromises that were implemented to maintain landowner goodwill during this withdrawal process. There is no requirement to adhere to these non-binding arrangements, however, CNCC advises that these very simple arrangements are respected to maintain goodwill with the estates involved.
The CNCC provides the online booking system and encourages cavers to use this to facilitate traffic to caves on Casterton Fell. Use of this system when possible is a polite request of the landowner, but not a requirement, as most of the caves are on access land.
Two bookings are available per day for Lancaster Hole, County Pot and Wretched Rabbit and one booking is available per day for Pool Sink, Cow Pot, Top Sink and Sylvester Pot. Note that the entrances on the south/east side of Ease Gill Beck including Link, Mistral and Boundary Pot are over the Casterton Fell border and were never subject to any previous access restrictions, so these were never moved onto the online booking system. The same is true for Aygill Caverns, Bull Pot of the Witches and caves in the vicinity of these.
Polite requests for visiting cavers will be presented during the booking process.
The CNCC provides the online booking system and encourages cavers to use this to facilitate traffic to caves on Ingleborough. Use of this system when possible is a polite request of the landowner, but not a requirement, as most of the caves are on access land.
One booking per day is available for most entrances.
Polite requests for visiting cavers will be presented during the booking process.
For non-recreational caving queries, notices, permissions etc on Ingleborough Estate land, these should be directed to ‘Trustees of Dr JA Farrer’s Discretionary Will Trust' c/o Hannah Renwick, Knight Frank, Ingleborough Estate Office, Clapham, LA2 8DR (01423 222074). We do hold an email address, please contact us for details if telephone/postal communication is unsuccessful.
The CNCC provides the online booking system and encourages cavers to use this to facilitate traffic to caves on Leck Fell. Use of this system when possible is a polite request of the landowner, but not a requirement, as most of the caves are on access land.
One booking per day is available for most entrances, except Notts II (Committee Pot) and Lost Johns' Cave are two bookings per day.
Polite requests for visiting cavers will be presented during the booking process.
The CNCC previously held an access agreement, and later a Memorandum of Understanding with the Langcliffe Hall Estate for Penyghent and Penyghent Gill area. Following loss of contact with the Estate, CNCC gave notice of withdrawal from this arrangement. There is no longer any formal agreement in this area. Most are on land determined by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, and access is by the rights laid down in that Act and by previous Tax Exempt Heritage Asset status arrangements made with HMRC in this area. Swan Dyke Pot and Snatcher Pot are on private (non-access) land but these are within the Tax Exempt Heritage Asset area.
