Ogof Gofan Sea Cave - Pembrokshire
Located beneath the steep cliffs of saddle head on the Pembrokeshire Coast of south Wales lies a rarely visited natural wonder. The Ogof Gofan sea cave is a hidden gem, rich with pristine elegance in the form of other worldly geology. The cave is located in part of the Ministry of Defence Castlemartin Firing Range and lies part way down formidable cliffs.
The only way to gain access to the cave is by abseiling down the steep rock face, taking extreme caution to protect against the sharp limestone rocks and any potential rope rub.The cave entrance resembles an inverted tear drop and sits around 15m above the sea although the echoing crashes of the waves below would make it seem much closer. Once inside a short slippery climb up will plonk you at the start of this cave's confined crawls and from here SRT kit can be left.
A fairly well decorated chamber full of stalagmites presents itself straightaway, offering a small glimpse of what's to come. After some confined crawling the sea can be heard again, this is due to ‘the window’ being near. This is another opening in the cliffs allowing for a short rest and stunning views of Hollow Caves Bay. There's no way of entering or exiting the cave here hence its name.Great care must be taken when crossing the greasy floor here to the next chamber, as an accidental slip would certainly prove to be fatal.
More constricting passages eventually lead us into the ‘bone chamber’. The cave was first explored in 1966 and In November of 1968 an archaeological report was performed under the direction of MR R. A. Kennedy, curator of the Pembroke county museum where bones and teeth were discovered which belonged to OX and wild boar, Small fragments of pottery dating to around 2000BC were also discovered. There conclusion was that during the neolithic era both entrances would have likely been accessible from the plain below thousands of years ago when the sea was miles away from the cave mouth.
The route on is a tight climb up the stal flow to squeeze through into the Fifth Chamber, the main chamber of the cave and one of the main reasons for our visit. This large chamber is covered with straw formations that fill the ceiling and Stalagmite columns that litter the floor. Of which 3 stand out for their formidable size with the tallest being over 16ft in height.In the centre of the chamber there is a crystal pool that reflects an emerald green water. Throughout this chamber there are formations that would be considered a spectacle in their own regards but to have so many condensed in one area is a privilege to see and due to its remote location one that's seen by few.
Although the system is currently only around 125m in length it offers a glimpse into a geologically awe-inspiring and otherworldly landscape that holds arguably some of the best cave formations in the UK.
