Ogof Craig a Ffynnon
Encyclopedia
Ogof Craig a Ffynnon is a cave
in Wales
. The cave is about 7km in length (but often claimed to be about 13 km in length because someone thought it was 7 miles long and wrongly converted to kilometers without looking at the survey).
The cave is renowned as one of the most well-decorated caves in Britain.
The cave contains some early short crawling sections (and what is known as an arduous and uncomfortable boulder choke) and some wet passages with voluminous quantities of mud before developing into a series of large sections lavishly decorated with mud and calcite
formations
. The most spectacular of these is the Hall of the Mountain King, a large cavern liberally adorned with flowstone
.
Beyond the well-decorated section the cave continues in a long series of low passages. It is thought that the cave will eventually be connected to the theoretical Llangattock System through Ogof y Daren Cilau
.
Since November 2007, access to the cave has been controlled by the Mynydd Llangatwg
Cave Management and Advisory Committee (this means a key must be obtained to gain access through the door).
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The cave is about 7km in length (but often claimed to be about 13 km in length because someone thought it was 7 miles long and wrongly converted to kilometers without looking at the survey).
The cave is renowned as one of the most well-decorated caves in Britain.
The cave contains some early short crawling sections (and what is known as an arduous and uncomfortable boulder choke) and some wet passages with voluminous quantities of mud before developing into a series of large sections lavishly decorated with mud and calcite
Calcite
Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate . The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 380-470°C, and vaterite is even less stable.-Properties:...
formations
Speleothem
A speleothem , commonly known as a cave formation, is a secondary mineral deposit formed in a cave. Speleothems are typically formed in limestone or dolostone solutional caves.-Origin and composition:...
. The most spectacular of these is the Hall of the Mountain King, a large cavern liberally adorned with flowstone
Flowstone
Flowstones are composed of sheetlike deposits of calcite formed where water flows down the walls or along the floors of a cave. They are typically found in "solution", or limestone caves, where they are the most common speleothem. However, they may form in any type of cave where water enters that...
.
Beyond the well-decorated section the cave continues in a long series of low passages. It is thought that the cave will eventually be connected to the theoretical Llangattock System through Ogof y Daren Cilau
Ogof y Daren Cilau
Ogof y Daren Cilau is one of several cave systems in the Llangattock escarpment near Crickhowell in south Powys, Wales.Its awkward 517m entrance crawl is a natural barrier to any casual visitor and precludes the need for a locked gate to protect it from vandals.Highlights of Daren Cilau include the...
.
Since November 2007, access to the cave has been controlled by the Mynydd Llangatwg
Mynydd Llangatwg
Mynydd Llangatwg or Llangattock Mountain is a hill in the Brecon Beacons National Park in the county of Powys, south Wales. It is named from the village of Llangatwg which sits in the valley of the River Usk to the north of it...
Cave Management and Advisory Committee (this means a key must be obtained to gain access through the door).