Recently the MUD Walks group visited Pengelly caves near Buckfastleigh.

These caves were discovered in the 19th century when quarrymen broke into a number of small chambers and passages. They did not understand the significance of the old bones they might have seen and it was not until 1938 that the true value of the cave’s deposits was understood.

One of these caves contains the remains of many species such as elephant, bison and hippopotamus dating from the period between the last two major glaciations (between 120 and 80 thousand years ago).

These caves can only be visited during a limited period in August because of a bat colony.