Rook's ^oU, 



A Nakrativk of an Ai)Vf:nture made in that Cavei^n i;y 



Mk R. Wihttington, ok Stevenage, Herts., on the 



2STH of August, 1794. 



Communicated by Mrs. Margaret C. Long. 



IjN a tour to the North of England, in August last, in 

 passing through Derbyshire, I made a stay of a day 

 or two at Buxton, and curiosity led me to see Poole's 

 Hole. 

 Poole's Hole, as described by several writers, is a wonderful 

 subterraneous cavern, situated at little more than half a mile from 

 Buxton, at the foot of a large hill, and appears to have had its 

 origin from some dreadlul convulsion of nature. I was accom- 

 panied by the guides, who reside near the entrance of the cavern 

 to be in readiness to attend the curious traveller. The entrance 

 into the cavern is through an aperture in the rocks, so narrow as 

 to admit but one person at a time, and so low, that a middle sized 

 person cannot walk in without stooping, but soon opens into a 

 lofty wide concavity, in comparative resemblance like unto a 

 spacious cathedral, but of great extent ; the air, just within the 

 narrow entrance, is excessively cold and damp, though the moment 

 you enter the wide space, the air is found to be much more mild 

 and temperate ; but, as my object is not to describe what has so 

 often been described by others, I shall content myself with saying, 

 that I advanced with the guides, five in number, and each carry- 

 ing a light, and directing my attention to the various curiosities 

 of the cavern, until we came to a piece of projecting rock 



