Three Counties System, Cave network in Yorkshire Dales National Park, United Kingdom
The Three Counties System is a cave network formed in limestone beneath the Yorkshire Dales, spanning parts of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cumbria. It has more than 40 entrances connected by underground passages, chambers, and active streams.
Cavers began linking separate cave systems in the 1960s through careful exploration and mapping of the underground passages. The last connection was made in 2011, completing decades of work by many different teams.
Bull Pot of the Witches and Lancaster Hole are two of the named entrances, each with a name rooted in local tradition and the landscape above. Walking near the surface entrances, you can see how the moorland and the underground world feel closely connected.
Access to this cave network is only possible with experienced guides and proper caving equipment, as many passages involve water and tight sections. Anyone planning a visit should contact a local caving club in advance to arrange a safe trip.
A caver can enter the system in one county, travel underground beneath a second, and emerge in a third county entirely. This is possible because the underground streams follow natural folds in the limestone rather than the county boundaries above.
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