Three Counties System [3 Counties]
Ireby Fell Cavern
54.190730,-2.501703
Location
Ireby Fell Cavern is a cave system on Ireby Fell, Lancashire, England, near the border with North Yorkshire, close to Masongill village (around 2.5 km) and Ireby (around 3 km). Source : * Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, in English, > article "Ireby Fell Cavern" : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireby_Fell_Cavern
No permission is required. Please be courtous to land owners and follow an reasonable requests they make. Park with respect and don't block gateways etc. No prior permission required, but for enquiries please call on the landowner, Mr. Peter Burton at Over Hall, Ireby (01524 241312). Source : * Council of Northern Caving Club ("CNCC") > Ireby Fell Cavern (Masongill) : cncc.org.uk/cave/ireby-fell-cavern and cncc.org.uk/caving/download-guide/?uid=e364bbaf-06…
Description
General description
It is a segment of the Three Counties System, linking the Rift Pot system to the south with Notts Pot to the north.[3] This popular cave starts with a pitch series that eventually opens out into a very large series of dry sandy passages. The entrance is a vertical concrete pipe at the bottom of a shakehole that was last shored up in 2006. The traditional route is down three pitches (Ding, Dong, and Bell), but there are several alternative routes. All may become impassable in wet weather. After many metres of rift passage is Well Pitch which accesses the main lower sandy passages known as Duke Street. At the far end of Duke Street is Whirlpool chamber where a short sump (not free-diveable) gave access to cave divers into further passages known as Ireby II. Source : * Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, in English, > article "Ireby Fell Cavern" : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireby_Fell_Cavern
Rigging topo (December 2025)
Rigging
Ireby Fell Cavern is equipped with resin bonded anchors installed as part of the the BCA Anchor Scheme.
| Obstacle | Rope | Anchor | Observation |
|---|
History
The prominent depression of Ireby Fell was marked as "The Cavern" on the first (1847) issue of the Ordnance Survey maps, though the early explorers could see little justification for the name. Various digs were undertaken from 1932 onwards until in 1949 a small scar on the NW side of the shakehole gave access to a passage that reached the first pitch. Much of the cave was explored and surveyed down to the sump at the end of Duke Street. The cave entrance then became blocked in 1953 until it was reopened in 1963. Source : * Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, in English, > article "Ireby Fell Cavern" : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireby_Fell_Cavern
Other entrances in this network
| Distance (km) | Name |
|---|---|
| 0.5 | Notts Pot |
| 0.7 | Low Douk Cave |
| 1.0 | Large Pot |
| 1.2 | Notts 2 [Notts II] |
| 1.3 | Lost Johns' Cave |
| 1.6 | Short Drop Cave |
| 1.8 | Rumbling Hole |
| 1.9 | Long Drop Cave |
| 1.9 | Death's Head Hole |
| 1.9 | Gavel Pot |
| 2.8 | Pippikin Pot |
| 2.9 | Witches Cave |
| 3.0 | Link Pot |
| 3.1 | Mistral Hole |
| 3.2 | County Pot |
| 3.2 | Cow Dubs II |
| 3.3 | Wretched Rabbit |
| 3.3 | Corner Sink |
| 3.4 | Pool Sink |
| 3.4 | Borehole (The) |
| 3.4 | Slit Sinks |
| 3.5 | Lancaster Hole |
| 3.6 | Cow Pot |
| 3.8 | Top Sink |
| 4.1 | Bull Pot of the Witches |
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3 | Lost Johns' Cave | 90000 | 253 |
| 1.8 | Rumbling Hole | 90000 | 253 |
| 1.9 | Long Drop Cave | 90000 | 253 |
| 1.9 | Death's Head Hole | 90000 | 253 |
| 3.0 | Link Pot | 90000 | 253 |
| 3.1 | Mistral Hole | 90000 | 253 |
| 3.2 | Cow Dubs II | 90000 | 253 |
| 3.2 | County Pot | 90000 | 253 |
| 3.3 | Corner Sink | 90000 | 253 |