Dream Cave

Signs of former lead-mining activity on wooded hillside containing entrance to Dream Cave

Dream Cave formed as a natural karstic cavity along a vein of mineralisation within a series of Lower Carboniferous limestone rocks called the Monsal Dale Formation.[3] The entrance to Dream Cave (known to cavers as Dream Hole) is on a grass-covered mound, on a hillside to the west of the town of Wirksworth, east of Carsington Reservoir, and overlooking woodland. This entrance is a deep and steep-sided natural fissure within the limestone, and is in fields pockmarked by former lead-mining activity.[1][2] Dream Cave lies at an altitude of approximately 240 metres (790 ft) and is about 15 metres (49 ft) deep,[1] with cavities running in a west-north-west to east-south-easterly direction. Although originally completely infilled with loose material, almost all has since been removed, and what little remains is so disturbed that it shows none of the original stratigraphy.[3]^: 110

Cross-section of Dream Cave showing miners in 1822 working towards animal remains. From a sketch by William Buckland.

Dream Cave was discovered by lead miners in December 1822, during work to sink a new shaft 60 feet (18 m) down into a hillside above Wirksworth to reach productive veins of lead ore within Dream Mine. In doing so, the miners unexpectedly penetrated a large natural cavern within the hillside which had become completely infilled with a loose material of argillaceous earth and rock fragments. According to a detailed contemporary account, as they excavated this material to continue their downward progress, the loose infill began to shift and collapse around them. The act of removing this loose material eventually exposed the roof of the cave itself. Close to the centre of the collapsing mass, the miners found numerous bones and what was probably at the time a complete skeleton of a large mammal before the collapsing sediments caused the bones to separate.[4] In removing the infill, the miners had uncovered what, on expert examination, turned out to be the nearly complete skeleton of a rhinoceros.[2][5] This was subsequently confirmed to be a woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis).[6]

Initially, there was no evidence that the cavern had been connected to the surface. As the sinking of the mine shaft progressed, and as collapsing material was removed, a depression began to form in the field above. Eventually, as more collapsing infill was taken away, the connecting void that slowly opened up was found to be approximately 6 feet (1.8 m) broad and 50 feet (15 m) deep.[4]

One month later, in January 1823, the eminent Oxford geologist the Reverend William Buckland arrived to inspect the finds at Dream Cave. By this time many of the bones had been removed on the command of the landowner, Philip Gell. Buckland's detailed account of his inspection of Dream Cave and its remains was subsequently published in his Reliquiæ Diluvianæ, or, Observations on the Organic Remains attesting the Action of a Universal Deluge. He described the rhinoceros skeleton to have included a head, ten molar teeth, one complete half of the lower jaw, and damaged fragments of the other half. Two cervical vertebrae, several dorsal and two caudal vertebrae and various ribs, sacrum and pelvis were also retrieved, as well as the long bones of all four limbs. All were well preserved and from a nearly full-grown animal. No additional rhinoceros bones were found to suggest a second animal had died there, although bones from other large mammal species were also found. These included horse, ox and deer. Mr Gell subsequently donated these specimens to Oxford Museum.[4] Later research has suggested that they first entered Buckland's own private collections at Christchurch College before later being transferred to Oxford Museum after its founding in 1860.[3] By 1861 the larger bones were on display at Oxford Museum, although by 1874 some of the smaller specimens had been moved into storage.[3]

Although the whereabouts of the rhinoceros bones from Dream Cave were still remembered in the 1880s,[7] one hundred and twenty years later they had become forgotten, and believed by some to have been lost to science.[8] Thus, by the end of the 20th century, the precise species of rhinoceros found in Dream Cave was not known with certainty.[9]

The discovery of Dream Cave and its faunal remains is of historical importance as it came just as William Buckland was developing his theories and preparing to publish a major work about cave palaeontology and on the origins of extinct fossil vertebrates and their association with the Biblical flood; the cave was described in considerable detail and illustrated in his 1823 treatise, Reliquiæ Diluvianæ.[3]^: 109[6]

The near-complete woolly rhinoceros from Dream Cave is an unusual example of a species rarely found in the UK,[3]^: 113 especially as it shows no signs of having been eaten by hyaenas.[2]

In 2016 it was reported that Dream Cave had suffered from the dumping of agricultural debris and by partial in-filling. It is not protected by statutory designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, though by 2013 both it and surrounding areas had been formally listed on An Updated Inventory of Important Metal and Gangue Mining Sites in the Peak District.[3]^: 114[10]

• Media related to Dream Cave at Wikimedia Commons