The Tratman Award is presented annually in memory of UBSS member Professor E.K. ‘Trat’ Tratman and goes to the best caving-related, paper-based publication. Chris Howes, on behalf of the judges, announced this year’s winner at Hidden Earth. The Tratman Award recognises excellence in caving publications, so the judges have an annual task to read as…
Join the BCRA Cave Archaeology Group at the British Cave Science Centre at Poole’s Cavern, Buxton on the 9th/10th May 2026 for a programme of talks, practical sessions and field visits exploring the cave archaeology of the region. This event is available to anyone with an interest in cave archaeology. To sign up, please visit…
The Tratman Award is presented annually to the best caving-related, paper-based publication in memory of UBSS member Professor E.K. ‘Trat’ Tratman. Chris Howes, on behalf of the judges, announced this year’s winner at Hidden Earth. British caving publications are among the best to be found anywhere in the world, a fact that is acknowledged annually…
Symposium – Saturday 11th October 202 Field trips – Sunday 12th October 2025 School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol Register here at the eventbrite page SECOND CIRCULAR The British Cave Research Association are pleased to announce details of the 36th Annual Cave Science Symposium and associated field trips. The symposium will be hosted by…
Symposium – Saturday 11th October 2025 Field trips – Sunday 12th October 2025 School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol FIRST CIRCULAR The British Cave Research Association are pleased to announce details of the 36th Annual Cave Science Symposium and associated field trips. The symposium will be hosted by Professor David Richards, Linda Wilson and…
The latest edition of the BCRA’s Cave and Karst Science contains five main papers, and a photo feature. It begins, however, with tributes to David St. Pierre, John Wilcock and David William Gill. The editors write that, yet again, it is their sad privilege to introduce and present words of tribute and celebration dedicated to…
The latest edition of the BCRA’s Cave and Karst Science contains six main papers, some shorter forum pieces, including meeting reports and photo features; it begins with a retrospective appreciation of Gerald Wilford. Many will not have heard of Dr Wilford, but the effects of his work reverberate throughout the work of the BCRA. Without…
The BCRA Cave Science Symposium and AGM is taking place on 21st and 22nd October 2023 in Leeds.
The publications of 2021 were particularly fine, both in quality and quantity, causing the shortlist for the Tratman Award to be much longer than usual. The award is made annually to the author or editor of the best caving book, journal or article in a journal, the criteria including not only the quality of…
There are five main papers, two short Forum pieces and a Photo Feature in the latest edition of the BCRA’s Cave and Karst Science, but it begins with an extensive tribute to the late Alexander Klimchouk. Alexander Klimchouk was undeniably one of the most influential cave researchers in the world and this well-deserved appreciation of…
There are five main papers in the latest issue of Cave and Karst Science, looking at aspects of cave biology, archaeology and karst science. There is also, in a new departure a photo feature on corals in Wookey Hole. Terry Reeve has been looking at available details of archaeological and Pleistocene palaeontological sites associated with…
BCRA Cave Science Symposium 2022 hosted jointly with the Manchester Geological Association Symposium – Saturday 8th October, 2022 Field-trip – Sunday 9th October, 2022 Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Manchester SECOND CIRCULAR The British Cave Research Association and Manchester Geological Association are pleased to announce details of the 33rd Annual Cave Science…
BCRA Council has awarded Honorary Membership of the Association to Dr David J ‘Deej’ Lowe. The award is in recognition of his outstanding service to the science of speleology and his service to BCRA. The former is evidenced by his many publications including contributions to papers on the hydrogeology of the Peak District and most…
The 33rd BCRA Cave Science Symposium, hosted jointly with the Manchester Geological Association Symposium – Saturday 8th October, 2022 Field-trip – Sunday 9th October, 2022 Venue – Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Manchester First Circular and Call for Abstracts The British Cave Research Association (BCRA) and Manchester Geological Association (MGA) are pleased…
There are four major papers in the latest issue of Cave and Karst Science, two looking at different aspects of invertebrate fauna in caves, one studying mixing corrosion in indurated limestones and the last showing an unusual result from the monitoring stations at Pooles Cavern. Lee Knight and colleagues have carried out a descriptive survey…
The BCRA Cave Archaeology Group is holding a weekend field meeting on Recording Historic Graffiti & other markings in the Yorkshire Dales, based at Lower Winskill Farm, Settle on the weekend of 4th/5th June 2022. Friday An informal evening get-together for any early arrivals. Saturday Morning session: Introductions and information, talks and presentations. Lunch: 1200hrs…
The British Caving Association (BCA) and the British Cave Research Association (BCRA) have issued their own open letters after widespread condemnation of the statement by the International Union of Speleology (UIS) on the Russian war against Ukraine. And Ukrainian cave explorer and cave scientist Dr Alexander Klimchouk has been made an honorary member of the…
An introduction to the geology, hydrology and landforms of the upper Dove Valley. This is one of the best places in the country to examine the influence of geology on the evolution of the landscape and the formation of karst features. The field trip will start at the British Caving Library, Glutton Bridge at 10:30am…
) The latest issue of Cave and Karst Science opens with a study of the impact of tourists on air flow in Poole’s Cavern. Later papers include a review of karstification of Permian limestones in northeastern England and a pictorial overview of travertine cascades from around the world. John Gunn, Matt Rowberry and Andrew Smith…
On the afternoon of 15th January 2022, the BCRA is hosting their 32rd Cave Science Symposium, a series of online talks postponed from November 2021 due to extreme weathers. The afternoon of talks on conservation, biofilms, speleothems, water tracing and speleogenis, includes presentations from Jo White on biofilms of British caves and mines, Bethany Fox…
In this newsletter: BCRA Cave Science Symposium. Saturday 27 November 2021, BCRA AGM. Saturday 27 November 2021, BCRA Annual Review for 2020, December Seminar, BCRA Council Officers for 2021. BCRA Cave Science Symposium. Saturday 27 Nov 2021 If you have registered to attend the Science Symposium, you should have received a copy of the programme….
In this newsletter: British Cave Research Association Cave Science Symposium. Saturday 27 Nov 2021, BCRA AGM. Saturday 27 Nov 2021, Volunteer needed to help with publications mailings, Cave & Karst Science mailings, back issues of C&KS and the CREG journal, The Karst and Caves of Morecambe Bay by Phillip MURPHY (ed.). BCRA Cave Science Symposium….
The latest issue of Cave and Karst Science is dominated (the editors’ word!) by karst and caves within the English chalk. There are also, though papers on aspects of cave archaeology, including historic graffiti in an underground stone quarry and the excavated remains of domesticated dogs from a cave on the Gower peninsula. An informative…
Covid continues to create certainty for events organisers, with some cancelled and others moving online, but there might be light at the end of the tunnel … unless it’s a caver coming the other way. Hidden Earth: the National Caving Conference The following announcement has been made by the Hidden Earth team: “We are sorry…
A BCRA field trip to the karst of the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will be held on Saturday 17th July, led by Phil Murphy. The striking landscape around Arnside and Silverdale in north west England consists of a series of partially-wooded limestone hills (knolls) separated by areas of water-logged low-lying ground,…
The latest issue of Cave and Karst Science opens with a comparison of straw stalactites in caves and those beneath bridges and buildings. Later papers include work on conservation in the tropics, bears in late-glacial Yorkshire and an account of early speleobiological work. The issue contains four major papers. in the first, Garry K. Smith…
The latest issue of Cave and Karst Science kicks off with two detailed biological papers, detailing work in Meghalaya and the Caucasus. Other papers are based on work in the UK and include LiDAR survey, fracture displacement monitoring and Palaeoenvironmental studies. This issue contains six major papers. The first two are concerned with biological studies….
In this newsletter: BCRA Caves and Karst online seminars, Publications, Membership Renewals, AGM Report, Cave Studies Booklets, BCRA’s Facebook page. BCRA Caves and Karst online seminars BCRA is arranging a series of monthly online seminars for 2021 in support of the International Year of Caves and Karst (IYCK). IYCK is an initiative of the International…
Delegates from more than 30 countries came together virtually to take part in the 31st Cave Science Symposium of the British Cave Research Association on 14th November 2020. Peter Burgess reports from the comfort of his armchair … The meeting was arranged and hosted online jointly by Northumbria University and the British Geological Survey. Mike…
The BCRA Cave Science Symposium is being held by Zoom on Saturday 14th November. You can still register for free. BCRA Newsletter In this newsletter: Cave Science Symposium – how to register, Annual General Meeting – how to register, BCRA Review 2019 – now published. Cave Science Symposium Our annual cave science symposium will be…
In this newsletter: Cave Science Symposium, Annual General Meeting, BCRA Review 2019 now in press. Cave Science Symposium Our annual cave science symposium will be an online event this year, taking place via Zoom on Saturday 14 November. Details are being finalised and will be posted to our social media outlets as soon as possible….
In this newsletter: online event, Connecting with Cave Research – Advice for Student Researchers, BCRA Review 2019 available for pre-order now, and details of the Annual General Meeting. Connecting with Cave Research – Advice for Student Researchers ONLINE WEBINAR: Monday 19 October, 19:00 to 21:30 BST This is an online webinar, hosted…
To sign up for this event, please follow the link here, and please pass details of this to your club and any students you know.
The next BCRA Cave Science Symposium will take place on Saturday November 14th 2020 using an online portal. The meeting will be hosted by Professor Mike Rogerson at the University of Northumbria. BCRA would very much enjoy contributions that discuss how caves have behaved during the lockdown period and are also open to abstracts on…
The latest edition of the BCRA’s journal Cave and Karst Science is wholly dedicated to the reports from the 2019 Greenland Caves Project 2019 expedition. This was the latest and largest of a series of expeditions which started in 2015. It involved an interdisciplinary team, with members specialising in geology, glacial geomorphology, palaeoclimatology and…
In this newsletter… Covid-19 and Caving Periodicals BCRA Science Symposium Cave Biology SIG Cave Studies Booklets 2021: International Year of Caves and Karst BCRA’s Facebook page British Cave Science Centre Research Fund Annual General Meeting For news and information, go to… Facebook Our Calendar Our News Forum UKcaving Covid-19 and Caving It seems that…
A guidebook on Irish caves has won the prestigious Tratman Award for 2019. The Caves of Mid-West Ireland, edited by Graham Mullan on behalf of UBSS, was the unanimous choice of the judges for the award in memory of EK Tratman, an influential figure in British and Irish caving, who died in 1978. The SWCC…
Descent 274 has now arrived! This is the second copy to appear since lockdown so as can be imagined recent exploration doesn’t figure highly but nevertheless Chris and Judith have put together a readable and informative issue. Newsdesk has had to go to Mars to speculate on new cave discoveries – otherwise it is largely…
A report on the big river caves of Papua New Guinea in the Nakanai Mountains and one on harvesting swiftlet nests in Sarawak by David Gill form a large part of this issue of Cave and Karst Science, along with reports on subjects as diverse as Northern Pennine maze caves and the hydrological significance of…
Reports on large cave fish from Meghalaya, archaeological sites in Scotland and Derbyshire, ice caves in Yorkshire and carbon dioxide – historically and geologically – are amongst the features in the new edition of Cave and Karst Science. There are ten main articles in volume 46 no. 3 as well as some shorter pieces in…
Introducing guidelines and a standing recording method is one of the aims of next May’s BCRA cave archaeology field meeting. It will take place from 8th May – 10th May at Lower Winskill Farm, Settle, in the Yorkshire Dales and will include the recording of historic graffiti and other markings. Details will be announced closer to the…
In this newsletter … Latest periodicals now online: CREG Journal 107 is now available online and can be viewed and downloaded by members. This has also now been mailed to members. Cave & Karst Science 46(3) is now available online and should be mailed shortly. Diary Dates for 2020: 28th – 29th March 2020 –…
In this newsletter … Caves and Karst of the Yorkshire Dales – volume 2 This book has now been reduced in price to £25. It can be ordered online, along with volume 1. There is a 20% discount for BCRA members, and postage is free. Cave & Karst Science 46(3) and CREGJ 108 These publications…
The BCRA’s 30th annual science symposium took place at Keyworth,hosted by the British Geological Survey. I attended the Saturday session and was impressed by the depth and variety of scientific work being undertaken by British cavers. The morning session kicked off with a description of palaeokarst features found in the Pielkhlieng Pouk-Krem Sakwa system in…
The British Cave Research Association is pleased to announce details of the 30th Annual Cave Science Symposium. The Symposium will be hosted by Dr. Andy Farrant of the British Geological Survey (BGS), Keyworth, Nottingham, on Saturday 19th October, 2019. The symposium will feature a keynote lecture by Dr. Peter Wynn (University of Lancaster) dedicated to…
Reports on huge closed depressions in China, maze caves and bones from a site in the north of England are among the features in the latest edition of Cave and Karst Science. There are six main articles in the volume 46 number 2, as well as some shorter pieces in the Forum section. The first…
In this newsletter… Cave Karst Science Cave & Karst Science 46(2) has now been mailed and should be with UK subscribers by now. It is also available online. Hidden Earth After some problems finding a venue, Hidden Earth is being held on 27 – 29 September 2019 in Wrexham in North Wales. Details can be…
Mike Bedford talks about cave radios, cave communications and much more in the annual report of the BCRA’s Cave Radio and Electronics Group. Our decision, a few years ago, to broaden our remit to cover other areas of cave technology than our initial emphasis on communications and electronics has been evident during 2018. In one…
The British Cave Research Association (BCRA) recently held its Spring Field Meeting at the British Cave Monitoring Centre, Poole’s Cavern, Buxton in Derbyshire. This was an interesting day looking at cave data logging and graphical analysis of a variety of data. Andy Hall talks about what went on during the day. The data collected during…
Reports on amphibians and reptiles in caves, 3-D cave mapping, and racial segregation in a South African cave are among the features in the April issue of Cave and Karst Science. There are five main articles in Volume 46, Number 1, as well as some shorter pieces in the Forum section. The first is a…
In this newsletter… BCRA Field meeting. Saturday/Sunday 29/30 June 2019 in Alston, Cumbria This weekend field meeting is entitled “Hypogenic Caves of the North Pennines UNESCO Global Geopark”. This is a joint meeting of the British Cave Research Association (BCRA) and The North Pennines UNESCO Global Geopark (NPUGG). It will be based at Nenthead Village…
A one-day British Cave Research Association field meeting will be held at the British Cave Monitoring Centre, Poole’s Cavern and Buxton Country Park on Saturday 27 April. The event is courtesy of the Buxton Civic Association, who own the site. It will be led by Professor John Gunn and Dr Andi Smith, with assistance from…
Students interested in undertaking a cave-related dissertation will get the chance to talk to experts on in-cave monitoring next month. The BCRA (British Cave Research Association), in conjunction with CHECC (Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs), are holding a workshop on in-cave monitoring on 16th February 2019 at the British Cave Monitoring Centre, Poole’s Cavern,…
The December 2018 issue of Caves and Karst Science is now available. Volume 45, Number 3 carries six articles. The first is a report on the distribution of deposits of cool freshwater tufa, which are ubiquitous on the calcareous island of Lismore in Loch Linnhe, Argyll. Tufa deposits are rare in Scotland but at this…
Linda Wilson picked up some intriguing tips at the British Cave Research Association’s 29th cave science symposium as well as drinking plenty of tea … If you wanted to find out how to annoy our cross-channel neighbours, which caves you might want to avoid if spiders aren’t your thing and why you might soon be…
In this newsletter … * Annual General Meeting * Notice: Ghar Parau Foundation * BCRA Annual Review 2017 * Keeping in touch with BCRA Annual General Meeting Notice is hereby given that the 2018 Annual General Meeting of the British Cave Research Association will be held on Saturday 13 Oct 2018 at 12:00 during the…
In this newsletter … * British Caving Library Updates * BCRA Publicity Officer * AGM Notice * 29th Annual BCRA Cave Science Symposium * BCRA Stock of Back-Issues * CREG Journal 102 – now online * Hidden Earth 2018 * Hidden Earth Cave Science Photo Competition News can also be found on the forum and…
Dr Gina Moseley from the Innsbruck Quaternary Research Group will receive one of this year’s prestigious Austrian Science Foundation (FWF) START prizes. The START programme is an Austrian initiative to support and strengthen outstanding research projects in science and humanities. Gina, a member of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society and current Symposium Lecture Secretary…
