Speleologists in South Wales

Abstract

THE fourth annual conference of the British Speleological Association will be held at Swansea on August 5–9. In the preliminary programme it is announced that the meetings and administrative organization will be housed in the buildings of the University College of Swansea, while the students’ hostel has been placed at the disposal of visitors. The Conference will meet under the presidency of Dr. R. R. Marett, rector of Exeter College, Oxford, whose work in the exploration of the Moustenan cave of St. Brelade, Jersey, is familiar to all students of palæolithic man. August 6 will be devoted to cave exploration, when the members of the Association will be divided into two bodies, one, the archæological section, visiting such famous archæological sites as Bacon's Hole, Paviland Cave, in which was found the well-known Paviland skeleton, and many years ago the late Prof. Sollas claimed to have discovered palæolithic painting, the Long Hole and others. Visits to the museum of the Royal Institution of South Wales and the Caermarthen Museum have also been arranged. The second section on this and succeeding days will engage in pot-holing, visiting Dan-yr-Ogof, Craig-yr-Nos, Penwyll, Porth-yr-Ogof, Wills caves, and others, all of noted difficulty of access. In addition to Dr. Marett's presidential address, a lecture will be given by Prof. T. Neville George, professor of geology in University College, Swansea, and a number of papers on speleological subjects have been arranged. The conference will be preceded by a camp at Lamb's Leer in the Mendips, where a camp held at Easter last discovered a new rift chasm, descending to a depth of 260 ft. below ground. This and other discoveries here of the south regional members of the Association will be reported at the Conference.