The Stalactite Cave was discovered in 1757 by local miners and the Bone Cave was located by chance in 1824 whilst attempting to find another entrance to the original cave.
The Bishop of Bath and Wells, George Henry Law, owned the site and had a small cottage built on the side of the hill. The cottage was gradually enlarged and various follies were built in the grounds including the Osteoicon where the choicest bones were displayed for visitors to view.
The Bishop thought that the discovery of so many animal bones was proof of Noah’s flood and he encouraged visitors to the site to inspect his finds.
Some of the money raised in this way was donated to various charities in Banwell. Visitors continued to come to The Caves after the Bishop’s death up until 1865 when it was closed to the public.
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