The Hell Fire Caves - West Wycombe, BuckinghamshireExtended in 1740 after years of dormancy by Sir F

The Hell Fire Caves - West Wycombe, BuckinghamshireExtended in 1740 after years of dormancy by Sir Francis Dashwood, Hell Fire caves have always been a beacon of scandal and mystery. The caves burrow deep in to the West Wycombe hill, over a quarter of a mile underground. (Cemetery standing on West Wycombe Hill)Sir Francis Dashwood was the founder of the Hellfire Club, whose meetings were held in the central chambers of the caves. The meetings were attended by ‘persons of quality’ from Britain in the 18th century. It is rumoured that Benjamin Franklin also sat in on several of these gatherings during his visits to England. (Sir Francis Dashwood)Nowadays, the caves are open as an attraction for visitors to West Wycombe, and are lit at the entrance by torches. Deeper down in the tunnels it is completely dark, and people are advised to take torches with them, or wear glowsticks around their wrists which can be purchased from the gift shop outside. (Map of the Hell Fire caves)Split in to different chambers, the caves are stone and clay, and the floors are slippery underfoot from the dripping water running down the old walls. Wax models have been placed at various points, down confusing passageways and behind metal bars to give an air of authenticity to the place. The Banqueting Hall, as shown on the above map, is available to rent out for dinner parties. The Caves also hold a variety of different events throughout the year, such as the annual Halloween celebration where a group of people can opt to be taken down to the caves in the dead of the night with only a single candle - and no spare matches - to guide the way; if it blows out, you’re left in the dark. (Inside the cave tunnels)Like all good gothic attractions, the Hell Fire caves has its own haunted past. It is believed that, during the 1800’s, a young girl named Suki became attracted to a nice man from the village. Some boys from the local pub noticed her longing for him, so wrote her a letter claiming to be from him, asking her to meet ‘him’ at the Caves later that night. When Suki arrived, the boys were waiting for her; they jumped out and pelted the crying girl with rocks until she died. It is rumoured that her ghost still haunts the Caves. To go along with these rumours, the walls of the cave are littered with strange carvings and indents that appear to resemble ghostly faces:(Faces carved in to the wall inside the Hell Fire Caves)Many visitors to the caves have walked as far as Paul Whitehead’s Cave, then flatly refused to go any further for no apparent reason. (Image from inside the caves) -- source link
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