The upper passages follow bedding planes dipping gently towards the north until an area of joints is intercepted, where the cave descends rapidly down a series of shafts.

At a level of about −65 metres (−213 ft) the passage intercepts an older phreatic system, within which the stream has incised a vadose canyon.

[5][6] The first mention of the cave is by Balderstone in Ingleton Bygone and Present, published in 1890, where he accurately describes how it is possible to traverse the cave for 33 yards before encountering "a deep wide hole, with high vaulted roof, fine cone-like stalactites, and waterfall thirty feet high".

[7] In 1908 a party from the Yorkshire Ramblers Club descended the pitch and explored the way on for about 90 metres (300 ft) before turning back when the route ahead became low and wet.

[11] The route to Kingsdale Master Cave was first entered in November 1965 when a party from ULSA dug out a choke in Final Chamber, into what became known as Philosopher's Crawl.