Wookey Hole – 75 Years of Exploration

Description

Wookey Hole: 75 Years of Exploration tells the story of one of the most important chapters in British cave diving history. The book follows seventy-five years of exploration at Wookey Hole Cave and shares the discoveries, challenges, and achievements of the divers who explored its hidden passages.

The project began in 1985 to celebrate fifty years since the first underwater exploration at Wookey Hole. Between 1985 and 1987, Jim Hanwell collected memories from the divers involved with Wookey Hole Cave, along with photographs, illustrations, and historical material.

The book combines first-hand stories from the divers with Jim’s own accounts, created from his personal knowledge and interviews with those involved.

Preserving the History of Wookey Hole

The original project faced delays before publication. No one came forward to complete the final stages, and the book remained unpublished for many years. Dave Turner later produced thirty-three unillustrated copies of the text, which he carefully bound and shared with the original contributors.

The project gained new momentum after the Wessex Cave Club published Swildon’s Hole: 100 Years of Exploration in 2007. Wookey Hole Cave and Swildon’s Hole share an important connection through the underground River Axe and the development of cave diving on Mendip.

The editors of the Swildon’s Hole book, together with a new generation of cave divers, updated Jim Hanwell’s original work. They prepared the book for publication in time for the seventy-fifth anniversary of the first Wookey Hole dives in 2010.

A Record of Exploration

The editors kept Jim Hanwell’s original chapters largely intact, making only small corrections where needed. The book also remembers many of the early explorers who helped shape Wookey Hole diving, including those who are no longer with us.

New chapters continue the story beyond 1985. They cover later discoveries at Wookey Hole and other connected sites. These include exploration of swallet caves above the resurgence, where divers and cavers continue to investigate links between underground streams and the River Axe.

The book contains two sections. The first covers exploration between 1935 and 1985 through Jim Hanwell’s original chapters. The second section covers developments from the mid-1980s onwards and records the next generation of exploration.

A Collection of Cave Diving Stories

Wookey Hole: 75 Years of Exploration captures the people, challenges, and discoveries behind decades of underground exploration. The book keeps the original terminology, measurements, and writing styles wherever possible to reflect each period accurately.

This creates a unique record of cave diving history. It shows not only the technical progress made over the years but also the determination and teamwork behind each achievement.

Many people helped bring the book to publication. Martin Grass supported the project as commercial manager, while the British Cave Research Association provided printing support through funding from Graham Balcombe’s bequest. Graphic designer and caver Mark “Gonzo” Lumley created the distinctive design and layout.

Through the dedication of countless contributors, Wookey Hole: 75 Years of Exploration preserves the story of one of Britain’s most important cave systems and the explorers who worked to reveal its secrets.