Discover the fascinating history of The Hellfire Caves, a network of chalk and flint tunnels that extend 500 meters underground. There are visual info boards here, a cafe, and amazing views over the surrounding countryside.

Chris

August 30, 2018

The excavation of these caves was commissioned by Francis Dashwood and work was completed around 1752. They extend a quarter of a mile into the chalk hills and were for meetings of the debaucherous and rakish Hellfire Club that Francis Dashwood co-founded.

After using the local George and Vulture Inn as a meeting place in the 1730s, the club's activities were moved to the caves soon after their excavation. The club was frequented by men of wealth and featured strong tones of paganism with the worship of Baccus, the god of winemaking and Venus, the god all things love.

It's thought that the meetings were rife with womanising, drinking, pranks and mock rituals.

Nowadays it's a much more family-friendly affair. They are open from 11.30am until 5.30pm seven days a week most of the year. In winter they cut this down to 11.30 am unit 'dusk' on Saturdays and Sundays.

Edvard

April 25, 2018

The Hellfire Caves (also known as the West Wycombe Caves) are a network of man-made chalk and flint caverns which extend a quarter of a mile (500 metres) underground. They are situated above the village of West Wycombe, at the southern edge of the Chiltern Hills near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, Southeast England.

They were excavated between 1748 and 1752 for Francis Dashwood, 11th Baron le Despencer (2nd Baronet), founder of the Dilettanti Society and co-founder of the Hellfire Club, whose meetings were held in the caves. The caves have been operating as a tourist attraction since 1951.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellfire_Caves
hellfirecaves.co.uk/explore/explore-caves

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Elevation 150 m

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Location: West Wycombe, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, South East England, England, United Kingdom

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