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Lesser Garth Cave, Ogof Tynant


NGR: ST 12540 82120
160 m.asl

Cardiff , South East Wales
 map using leaflet map:
Cave
Access The quarry gated this cave in May 2007. At Morganstown, just off the A470 near Taff's Well, a footpath behind the Tynant Inn leads past allotments to Garth Wood. Climb straight up the hill and the entrance is near the top in a shallow depression about 7 metres below the top, but not easy to spot until you are right on top of it. Current Access arrangements at http://www.cambriancavingcouncil.org.uk/restricted access caves.html
Description An interesting and well decorated cave which lies very close to the active quarry. A wide entrance leads to a ledge. There are three places to climb down from this ledge to the lower passage, which contains a short oxbow at the end. The cave may be lost due to quarrying.
History Entrance excavated 1912, 1963 (entrance enlarged); cave explored further by ISCA CC in 1986, connected to Ogof Ffynnon Taf
Hydrology
Conservation NPRN: 307799 SSSI: 1011 Garth Wood (Biological) Biological records
Gallery

Brendan Marris
2012
Keith Edwards
2012
Martin Laverty
2021
Survey
Williams, A.M. & Benson, Evans, K - CRG. Num. Publ. 8. Grade 1 plan only
Duffryn High School Caving Club (or Speleological Society), M.Statham, in 1968.
Paul R.Davis, Cave Science, 1983
Descent 84
Descent 88
Descent 139
Isca Jl.9, pp.28,29, Keith Jones, John Breakspear, 1988
References
Mem. Geol.Survey, S.Wales Coalfield, Pt.1, The Country around Newport, 2nd edition, 1909., Strahan, A., Roman mines, coins found.
A Study of the Bronze Age Pottery of Great Britain and Ireland, Abercromby, J, 1912, Discusses finds in the Cave
Bulletin of Board of Celtic Studies 1, 68, 1921-23. A note on the cave and the excavations
Prehistoric and Roman Wales, Cardiff. Wheeler, R.E.M. 1925. Pottery.
Bulletin of Board of Celtic Studies 4, Nash Williams, M.A. pp.246-271, 1927-29. A list of archaeological finds.
Trans.Cardiff Naturalists Society, 61, North, F.J., pp.12-54, 1928. Mention
Glamorgan, Its History & Topography, Evans, C.J.O., 1938 Extract in British Caver, 4, 13-19, 1939. Mentions several caves including Lesser Garth
Wessex Cave Club Circular No.47/ Supp., 3, 1939. Hill, D.C. Account of visit to the cave
British Caver. 6, Platten, G. pp.53-73, 1940. Cave Scrapbook No.2.
British Caver. 7, Platten, G. pp.13-19 & 99-104, 1941.
British Caver. 9, Platten, G. pp.71-76, 1942. Mention.
British Caver. 16, Hill, A. pp.78-81, 1947. S.Wales C.C. discoveries..
Prehistoric Gower, Welsh Guides, Swansea, Rutter, J.C. 90pp, 1948. Mention
Cullingford, C.H.D. (1951) Exploring Caves,pp.59-60
SWCC N.L. 20, Jenkins, D.W. pp.5-6, 1957. Rescue callout false alarm. Also in British Caver 29, 38-40, 1958
CRG. Num. Publ. 8, Williams, A.M. 70pp, 1958. Bacterial and botanical flora.
Arch. Camb.,107, Savory, H.N. pp.3-63, 1958. Mention of archaeological finds.
Bulletin of Board of Celtic Studies. 18, 221-227, Alcock, L., 1959. Dark age objects of Irish origin found in the cave.
The Cardiff region - a survey. University of Wales Press, pp.222, Rees, F.J. (ed.), 1960. Report compiled for the Brit. Ass. Meeting in Cardiff, 1960. Describes the archaeology of the cave.
British Caving (Routledge, Kegan Paul) Cullingford,C.H.D., 2nd Ed. 1962. Archaeology.
Caves in Wales and the Marches (Dalesman), Jenkins, D.W. & Williams, A.M., 1st Ed.1963 and 2nd Ed.1967. Location, description and brief details.
SWCC N.L. 45, Hussey, M.S. pp.17-18, 1963. Archaeological dig at the Lesser Garth Cave, Radyr - Interim Report
Trans.Cardiff Naturalists Society, 93, Hussey, M.S., pp.18-36, 1966. Final Excavations at the Lesser Garth Cave
BCRA Trans. 10(1) (1983), Davis, P.R., The Lesser Garth Caves, near Cardiff, South Wales. pp.40-45
Isca Jl.9, pp.27-29, Keith Jones, Lesser Garth developments, 1988
Cwmbran CC nl.17, pp.22-25 1988, Keith Jones, Taff's Well
Caves of South Wales, Stratford, T., 1995
Descent 179, p.11, Chris Howes, Quarrying near Lesser Garth
Descent 188, p.19, A gate on Lesser Garth
Archaeology in Wales 48 (2009), Mark Redknap, Richard Madgwick, Brian Davies, Adam Gwilt and Monica Cox, pp.75-76, The Lesser Garth cave human remains: an interim statement 75
Descent 208, p.19, Activity at the Garth
Cave and Karst Science (2010), J.Carter, A.Fowles, C.Angele, Monitoring the population of the linyphid spider Porrhomma rosenhaueri (L. Koch, 1872)(Araneae: Linyphiidae) in Lesser Garth Cave, Cardiff, UK
Natur Cymru, Autumn, p.44 (2011), J.Carter, The Cave Spider Hunt
CSS nl 54(7/8) pp.60-62, 2012, Tim Watts, The Caves of the Lesser Garth
Gazetteer of Human Remains in Caves
Brendan Marris Caves of South Wales
Archaeologia Cambrensis 165 (2016), Richard Madgwick, Mark Redknap, Brian Davies, pp.201-229, Illustrating Lesser Garth Cave Cardiff: the human remains and post-Roman archaeology in context
BGS Archives: BCRA/201W/B/21, 1937,1968
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Cambrian Cave Registry entry 1196
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