Tom Bell's Cave, Heptonstall, West Yorkshire
Nestled within the woods in Hardcastle Craggs near Heptonstall/ Hebden Bridge the caves are described as a fissure/boulder cave formed in gritstone.The caves are named after a local outlaw Tom Bell who was reputed to have lived in a cave above the Hebden Hey hostels, otherwise the Scout Centre. Tom Bell was supposed to have been a desperate outlaw who lived in the cave.
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Tom Bell Cave Exterior |
The Legend
At night, he would leave his cave to plunder nearby local farms and villages and lay up in his cave during the day eating and sleeping. The results of his ill-gotten loot produced large quantities of valuables and food, which he stored in his den. He is said to have worn a clanking iron mail suit, and boots with the heels at the front and toes at the back to mislead anyone who tried to follow his footsteps. These provided Tom with secret access to a wide area.
This outlaw was Joseph Bailey a journeyman blacksmith and
the cave was found to contain stolen goods from Rochdale Parish Church. It was
also well stocked with cured meats to satisfy the needs of a long concealment. An
incident happened on 8 September 1779 when a man walking by Hathershelf Scout,
an escarpment near Mytholmroyd not far from Hardcastle Crags, watched his dog
run into a narrow cave. Thinking that the dog was chasing a fox, he followed it
into the aperture, which expanded into a small cavern. Instead of finding a fox
he came face to face with a ragged outlaw hiding out and defending his cave
with his pistol.An excavation in 1899 by the local antiquarian society
found: Animal bones: rhinoceros skull and hare vertebra, the date of the
artifacts was unknown, however a human skull was also found…parts of the caves have an 80-foot drop
Tom Bells Caves Near Entrance
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Skull? |
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Inside the fissure |
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