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Thor's Cave

Cave / Rock Shelter

<b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by bazaImage © baza
Also known as:
  • Thor's House Cavern
  • Thyrsis's Cave
  • Hob Hurst's House

Nearest Town:Ashbourne (11km ESE)
OS Ref (GB):   SK098549 / Sheet: 119
Latitude:53° 5' 27.03" N
Longitude:   1° 51' 13.14" W

Added by davidtic


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<b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by postman <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by postman <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by postman <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by postman <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by postman <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by postman <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by postman <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by postman <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by stubob <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by danieljackson <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by postman <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by postman <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by postman <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by danieljackson <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by stubob <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by stubob <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by Steve Gray <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by Steve Gray <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by baza <b>Thor's Cave</b>Posted by baza

Fieldnotes

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It wasn't easy getting to the car park South of the caves, a diversion took me round Alstonefield, I got all turned round and my mind seemed to melt, getting there was a fairly hit and miss episode, but get there I did, eventually.
I followed the river Manifold for about a mile during one of it's disappearing underground tricks, there's one quite cool thing to see already, then the huge rocky tor comes into view and ones gaze is thrust upwards, it's a long way up.
Crossing a now rather defunct bridge the path goes upwards through the woods, taking a right hand turn I am only guessing which way to go, it's been at least decade since I was last here. Suddenly I realise I'm getting very close, and then I'm there, thankfully I was the only one present.
I carefully scramble up the entrance to the cave and learn early on how slippy it is in there, imagine a cartoon character suddenly finding themselves on ice, how I remained vertical I'll never know, perhaps it's 'cause I'm a big fan of everything Asgardian.
First I go over to the big crack in the right hand wall, it is apparently a serviceable entrance/exit to the cave but you need to have the skills of a snow leopard mountain goat, my skills barely approach those of a long legged bird, or something else totally without balance. I call this crack the suicide exit. Turning 180 degrees the cave splits in two, Thors nostrils Stubob called them, I see no reason not carry on this simile. So I slip and skip off up the left nostril, the simile carries on once inside, the floor is covered in a lubricious muddy clay.
There are gaps in the cave wall where you can see into the other nostril, the feeling is one of being in a cathedral, so I did what I always do in a cathedral, I took all my clothes off and writhed around on the floor speaking in tongues.
No, of course not.
The right nostril was just as slick, but it goes further back and it's got puddles, I really must invest in a big torch, it was most unseemly getting about in the dark using only the flash on my camera.
I find a dry spot on what would be Thor's philtrum and sit round for a while, marveling at all the colours in the cave, reds, greens, browns and all in between, the trees out side the entrance going up the Manifold valley are perfection.
I'm snapped back into reality by voices, I build up the fire rouse my family grab the spears and run off into action, yelling like madmen.
Could have happened, once.
postman Posted by postman
2nd October 2016ce

Approached on foot from the south, on the cycle track, 19 August 2004. The tarmac surface of the track did not please me but it's still worth walking in that way to get that first magic glimpse of the huge limestone bluff looming out of the trees high above the river. That view created a wonderful prehistoric vibe. I could imagine a plume of smoke and the shouts and cries of a paleolithic tribe living around the cave, which nestles high up under the cliff. The walk up to the cave is worth the effort, tremendous views up the valley. A very commanding position. Not a very comfortable cave for a permanent habitation but, because of it's position, it surely must have been occupied by hunting groups. Imagine the post- ice-age scene while your're up there, with herds of elk and maybe a mammoth or two roaming down the valley! Posted by jeby
22nd August 2004ce
Edited 7th March 2006ce

It's a walk of about one mile to Thor's Cave, either down a dry valley from the village of Wetton or along a cyclepath which runs alongside the River Manifold.

I chose to approach the cave from the cyclepath, crossing the river on a footbridge below the cave. The riverbed is usually dry here, apart from in very wet weather, as the river disappears into swallowholes in the limestone bedrock and travels underground through this part of the valley.

Thor's Cave is a popular calling point for visitors to the Dovedale area and the path up to the cave has been provided with many steps. The entrance to the cave can be very slippy on the usually wet floor, made smooth by the passage of many feet. An internal fissure allows light into the cave and a torch is required to explore its inner reaches.

Occupied from the end of the ice age, a Bronze Age burial has been found within.
baza Posted by baza
29th April 2004ce

Folklore

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Thor's cave has obtained a diversity of names. Dr. Plot calls it Thyrsis cavern, Thor's house, Thurshole, and Hobhurst cave, some of which names appear to have originated with the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, who now call it Huzzes Tar, which according to traditions handed down from father to son, was formerly the retreat of a very mysterious being called Hobhurst.

[...] There is a small opening in the rock immediately below Thor's Cave, which is known by the name of Radcliffe's stable, from a person of that name having concealed his horse there when the Scotch rebels were making marauding excursions on marching through the country in 1745.
From Samuel Carrington's 'Account of the Excavations and Discoveries in Thor's Cave, Wetton Dale...' in Reliquary 6, April 1866.
I'm sure Stubob will know which is the latter cave, after his feats of mountaineering, and the likelihood of anyone being able to stable a horse in it.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
31st March 2009ce
Edited 31st March 2009ce

The Fiddling Hobthurse of Thor's Cave in the Manifold Valley, whose "fiddling" or screeching filled the cavern, was however something more than a harmless sprite. One cannot go far wrong in taking him to be the god to whom sacrifice was offered on the altar in the cave. Thor's Cave, as a matter of fact, has nothing to do with Thor. Its old name is Thursehole, the cave of the thurse or fairy..
Notes on Staffordshire Folklore
W. P. Witcutt
Folklore, Vol. 52, No. 3. (Sep., 1941), pp. 236-237.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
2nd October 2006ce

Well here's some weirdness which would certainly have caught the eye and imagination of anyone who could have seen it in prehistory, if that's possible (bear with the first bit, without it the second makes no sense).
To the Editor of the Staffordshire Advertiser.

"Sir,—The extraordinary explosions that issue from a cleft in a rock near Wetton (an account of which lately appeared in the 'Reliquary') are a circumstance extremely puzzling ; so much so that a satisfactory solution appears almost hopeless. The attempt by your correspondent that appeared lately in your valuable paper is certainly very ingenious, and to many may appear a satisfactory one. But residing, as I do, in the immediate vicinity, I am well acquainted with the district and with circumstances that set aside the mere possibility of the reports being caused by pent-up atmospheric air upon the accession of a flood filling the subterranean course.

During the present hot and dry summer a river(except to Darfur bridge, a little below Wetton mill) has had no existence, yet loud explosions were heard by several persons on the 25th of June, and as well attested as any of the previous ones. Besides, no flood, however great and sudden, could produce an explosion or expulsion of air from the fissure in the rock, which is sixty or seventy yards or more above the bed of the river. The subterranean course throughout is directly beneath the upper or surface one, and, owing to the dislocations of the strati, numerous communications exist betwixt them. Not many of these holes or clefts can be seen on walking along the dry bed, owing to their being covered by blocks of limestone, bouldered grit, stones, and pebbles.

Whilst we were clearing out Thor's Cave, which overlooks the bed of the river, a heavy thunderstorm, in the distance, suddenly filled the subterranean passage with water, which also flowed down the previously dry bed at the surface, when I witnessed a novel and pretty sight—numerous small jets of water forced up by pent-up air, which indicated tbe progress of infilling in the underground channel.

Noiselessly the puny fountains continued to advance, and the water from below to rise and mingle with the stream above. It is evident, when the communications are so free and requent, that other causes than pent-up air originate the loud reports that issue from the fissure in the rock. With respect to the flames said to be seen after the reports, we have the united testimony of three men, two of whom were certainly highly terrified at the time, but they still positively adhere to their first relation.
The third person was a cool spectator, who went purposely to a neighbouring eminence, and as near as he durst venture, to witness the occurrence.

It has been suggested that large cavities, connected by strait and intricate passages, may exist, where falls of rock take place occasionally, and that cherty fragments, by producing sparks, would ignite hydrogen gas. However scientific individuals may differ in their attempt to explain the cause, the fact that explosions do occur is too notorious to be ignored, although nothing similar in nature has been recorded.—Yours, &c,
" SAMUEL CARRINGTON."
"Wetton, Aug. 10th, 1870."
The jets of water sound truly strange. And you can't help wondering whether that's why the cave is 'Thor's Cave' - Thor had a hammer and was responsible for lightning (hence the explosions and the flames?). Yep it's another of my speculations but I like it. Yeah I know - it's more likely to do with Thyrs / Thurs cave, and linking back to Hobthrush...

(An unrelated but bizarre fact is that 'The Verve' filmed one of their videos here, apparently.)
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
31st August 2006ce
Edited 3rd April 2009ce

Miscellaneous

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The cave scenes in Ken Russel's film adaptation of Bram Stoker's The Lair of the White Worm were filmed in Thors Cave. stubob Posted by stubob
12th June 2010ce
Edited 12th June 2010ce

This is another Peak cave that has, in its time, been known as Hob Hurst's House.
'Fiddling Hob' was said to occupy the cave, the screeching of his fiddle audible the length of the Manifold Valley.
stubob Posted by stubob
12th February 2005ce
Edited 12th February 2005ce

Samuel Carrington from Wetton excavated the cave in the 1860's. His finds included flint artefacts, a stone adze and bronze brooches. The most interesting of the finds was a Neolithic/Bronze Age skeleton buried in an upright position in the clay of the caves floor.

In the 1920's, a druid from Onecote named Ralph de Tunstall Sneyd, and some of his followers reinstated the Gorsedd ceremony at Thor's Cave.
stubob Posted by stubob
28th November 2004ce
Edited 12th February 2005ce

Links

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Staffordshire Past Track


A romantic pen and wash drawing of the cave from the valley below, from the early 19th century. The website also has a photo of the site from 1909, here.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
21st November 2009ce
Edited 21st November 2009ce