**

A visit to Cathedral Cavern from Tilberthwaite

A cavern deep in the woods, hewn out of the rock during the search for slate. A sloping pillar, rather like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, holds the roof of the cavern up. A pool of water that's cold as ice even on a warm summer's day, lies to one side. A window high on the side provides a little soft light, and gives a view down onto a largely historic industry. This is Cathedral Cavern.

The most dramatic way into the cavern is as the miners would have done, via a 100m (110 yards) long dark and damp tunnel. After the tunnel and a little scrambling over rock debris you find yourself in an open to the sky pit. Over to the right is the window into the main cavern. Scrambling down a short smooth rock step brings you to another much shorter tunnel which then takes you into the Cathedral itself.

Bring a torch, preferably a head-torch, you will not be able to walk through the tunnel without one.

Cathedral Quarry partial closure, NY314028

On 3rd July Coniston MRT reported that:

There has been a large rockfall at Cathedral Quarry, and the National Trust has consequently closed the upper parts of the quarry and the tunnels until the area has been inspected. A boulder the size of a large car had collapsed. The bottom main chamber (the Cathedral) remains open at this time. Visitors and climbers need to be aware that access is restricted, and comply with posted signs on-site.

So at the moment you will not be able to do this walk exactly as described here but there is still access to Cathedral Cavern. Please rely on local signage.

This walk starts at the small parking area at Tilberthwaite just north of Coniston village.