Pen Park Hole
| Pen Park Hole | |
|---|---|
Pen Park. The cavern is screened by trees in the background | |
| Location | Southmead, Bristol, UK |
| OS grid | ST 5853 7922 |
| Coordinates | 51°30′38″N 2°35′56″W / 51.510421°N 2.598882°W |
| Depth | 61 metres (200 ft) |
| Length | 250 metres (820 ft) |
| Elevation | 76 metres (249 ft) |
| Discovery | 1669 |
| Geology | Limestone |
| Access | locked, controlled by Bristol City Council |
| Registry | Mendip Cave Registry |
Pen Park Hole is a large cavern situated underground, at the edge of Filton Golf Course. The cavern was discovered accidentally in the 17th century and the first descent was made by Captain Sturmy in 1669. The entrance is adjacent to the Southmead and Brentry housing estates of north Bristol. Access is tightly controlled by Bristol City Council. It was scheduled as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 2016 on account of its geological origins, and its cave invertebrate community including the cave shrimp Niphargus kochianus, which is normally known as a spring seepage or chalk aquifer species.