Nidderdale Caves

The larger system is the Goyden cave system under the valley of the River Nidd, which flows east from Scar House Reservoir, then south, and shortly after disappears underground down several sinkholes to reappear at the rising just beyond the village of Lofthouse.

At the Nidd Head rising they have dived for over 850 metres with still about 1 km gap left to explore between the two caves.

Water from the moors above Angram and Scar House drains into the reservoirs, which in turn feed the River Nidd.

Below Scar House dam the Nidd flows east then turns south, and shortly after disappears underground through a series of small fissures in the exposed limestone inlier.

A huge section of the mud bank in that chamber collapsed and the flood subsiding refilled the passage.

At the duck the stream makes a sharp right turn almost flowing back on itself through a hands and knees crawl with limited airspace.

Here the river flows into Bridge Hall, where a small inlet on the left enters, probably the water from October Passage but as yet unconfirmed.

The combined waters flow along the huge tunnel to a short flooded section, Middle Sump.

The river shortly afterward is joined by How Stean Beck and flows down Nidderdale to Gouthwaite Reservoir.

The Goyden system floods as a result of excess water overflowing the Scar House dam.

So most of the water flows past the Manchester Hole and onwards to Goyden Pot Main entrance.

This water joins the river flowing from Manchester Hole over the cascades and along the Main Stream passage.

In the most severe floods the River Nidd rises enough to lap into or small flow into Manchester Hole main entrance.

[2][3] Nidderdale is at about the same altitude as Wharfedale and separated by just one ridge including the summit of Great Whernside.

The Great Scar limestone so evident in Wharfedale is nowhere to be seen in Nidderdale as the easterly dip of the Pennine anticline carries it well below the floor of this small valley.

The most southerly inlier of limestone is cut off from any continuation by a fault just north of the head of Gouthwaite Reservoir.

The cave system is contained within the Middle Limestone and chiefly developed along the shale partings of the bedding planes.

Goyden’s is typically about 6m wide and 25m high vadose canyon with small phreatic passage at the top.

Distinctive fossil and chert beds so common a characteristic of the middle limestone are well exposed in the caves and provide some impressive examples.