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Kirkhead Cave is a limestone cave located near Silverdale in Lancashire, England, which has yielded archaeological evidence of human occupation dating to the Mesolithic period. The cave contains stratified deposits that have provided significant insights into early post-glacial settlement patterns and subsistence practices in north-west England. Excavations have recovered artefacts and faunal remains indicating that the site was used seasonally by hunter-gatherer communities during the early Holocene. The cave remains an important archaeological resource for understanding the transition from the Palaeolithic to Neolithic periods in the region.
Kirkhead Cave is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1012117. View the official record →
Kirkhead Cave is a limestone cave located near Silverdale in Lancashire, England, which has yielded archaeological evidence of human occupation dating to the Mesolithic period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1012117.
Kirkhead 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 1012117.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wraysholme Tower (0.8 km), World War II fighter pens and other airfield remains and defences of the former airfield of RAF Cark (1.7 km), Peter Hill, Cark (2.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Kirkhead Cave's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Kirkhead Cave stands on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.