In Australia, if you dive into a hole in the earth, you’ll most find yourself on the worse end of a mineshaft. If not, you can expect intrude on a trapdoor spider’s den. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll come across a family of perplexed wombats.
Things are different in England, ’cause if you go snooping around rabbit holes near Birmingham, you might just stumble into an elaborate, creepy, and slightly occult-y cave system.
Images of the underground lair have become a bloody international sensation, after photographer Michael Scott decided to shimmy through a teeny-tiny but oh-so-alluring hole in the ground.
Although the Caynton Caves in Shropshire were re-discovered quite some time ago, it was very much an open secret, and his beaut footage has reinvigorated interest in the cave. Just as well, too: despite being quite compact, the structure boasts some pretty damn great columns, archways, and even a font.
Historic England reckons “the grotto seems to be used for black magic rites,” which is juuust about the raddest use of a dope caves you could hope for.
There’s also been speculation the caves were originally used by the Knight’s Templar, a Catholic order who were quite keen on the whole Crusade thing. If true, that’d mean the caves are a solid 700 years old.
Historic England doesn’t have a precise age for the excavation – yet – but speculates the caves may be a lil’ too recent for any Knight’s Templar activity.
Regardless, the imagery is something else. Beats a wombat warren, hey?
Source: BBC / Shropshire Star.
Photo: @donna.2526 / Caters News / Instagram.
Source: BBC / Shropshire Star.
Photo: @donna.2526 / Caters News / Instagram.
