Scheduled Monuments›England›Dowel Cave

Dowel Cave

England
List entry 1011923
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1011923
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.02 hectares
Grid reference
SK 07559 67595
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Dowel Cave is a natural limestone cave situated in Derbyshire that has yielded evidence of human occupation spanning multiple periods from the Palaeolithic through to the Iron Age. The cave's archaeological significance lies in the artefactual and faunal remains recovered from its deposits, which have contributed to understanding of prehistoric settlement patterns and subsistence practices in the Peak District region. The site represents an important record of cave utilisation during the Upper Palaeolithic and later prehistoric periods, with stratigraphic evidence documenting successive phases of human activity. Its designation reflects the archaeological importance of the cave deposits rather than substantial surviving structural remains above ground.

Dowel Cave is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1011923. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Dowel Cave?

Dowel Cave is a natural limestone cave situated in Derbyshire that has yielded evidence of human occupation spanning multiple periods from the Palaeolithic through to the Iron Age. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1011923.

Who is responsible for protecting Dowel Cave?

Dowel Cave is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1011923.

What other scheduled monuments are near Dowel Cave?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Merryton Low bowl barrow (7.4 km), Bowl barrow 350m south-west of Merryton Low (7.8 km), Bowl barrow south of Townend (7.9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Dowel Cave

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Dowel Cave's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Merryton Low bowl barrow
7.4 km
Bowl barrow 350m south-west of Merryton Low
7.8 km
Bowl barrow south of Townend
7.9 km
Blake Low bowl barrow
8.8 km
Bowl barrow on Archford Moor
9.3 km
Two bowl barrows 365m south of Hillside
9.3 km
Brownlow bowl barrow
9.5 km
Bowl barrow 450m south of Hillside
9.5 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Dowel Cave

Dowel Cave stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.

Domesday entry for Soham, Derbyshire →
All Scheduled Monuments