Rhino Rift

Rhino Rift
Location	Charterhouse, Somerset, UK
OS grid	ST48475557
Coordinates	51°17′49″N2°44′25″W / 51.296958°N 2.740387°W / 51.296958; -2.740387
Depth	147 metres (482 ft)
Length	253 metres (830 ft)
Discovery	1971
Geology	Limestone
Entrances	1
Hazards	Loose boulders
Access	Restricted
Registry	Mendip Cave Registry [1]

Rhino Rift is a cave near Charterhouse, in the Carboniferous Limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. The cave is part of the Cheddar Complex SSSI.

It is 253 m in length and reaches a depth of 147 m. ^[2]

The cave was discovered in 1971 after a successful dig by members of the Wessex Cave Club. ^[3] Previous digging by the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society had unearthed remains of extinct animals, hence the cave's name. ^[4]

The cave is locked and access is controlled by the Charterhouse Caving Company.

Further reading

• D. T. Donovan, R. D. Stride & A. M. Ap Simon, Rhino Rift Log: A record of the excavations from 9 Nov 1947 to 13 June 1948 (Excavation log including plans & sections, MS in 19 cm 8vo notebook), library of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society ^[5]

See also

• Caves of the Mendip Hills

References

1. "Rhino Rift". Mendip Cave Registry & Archive. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
2. "Mendip". UK and Ireland Cave Lengths and Depths. Retrieved 18 February 2007.
3. Audsley, A., 1971. The history of the present dig at Rhino Rift. WCC Jnl 11 (134) pp236-240.
4. Donovan, D.T., 1951. Report on Rhino Rift. UBSS Proceedings, 6(2), pp 213-0
5. Transactions of the Cave Research Group of Great Britain, vol. 14 (1972), p. 191