Aveline's Hole
Aveline's Hole is a remarkable prehistoric cave and Scheduled Ancient Monument located in the Mendip Hills of Somerset, England, tucked into the limestone gorge at Westhay near the village of Burrington. It holds the distinction of being one of the earliest known cemeteries in Britain, making it a site of extraordinary archaeological and historical significance. The cave was used as a burial site during the Mesolithic period, with human remains discovered within it dating back approximately 10,000 years, placing its use among the oldest formal burial practices yet identified on these islands. This alone elevates Aveline's Hole far beyond a mere geological curiosity and into the realm of a place where the deep human past can be felt in a tangible, intimate way.
The cave's archaeological history is both rich and somewhat troubled. Human bones were first reported from the site in 1821, when workers discovered skeletal remains during quarrying activities. Unfortunately, the excavation practices of the early nineteenth century were rudimentary at best, and a great deal of material was lost, disturbed, or inadequately recorded before more rigorous scientific methods could be applied. Despite this, enough material survived for later analysis, and radiocarbon dating conducted in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries confirmed the extraordinary antiquity of the burials. Research published in the 2000s and 2010s demonstrated that the remains belong to multiple individuals and that the cave was used as a deliberate burial place rather than simply a location where people happened to die. Ochre and other materials associated with ritual practice were also found, suggesting that the Mesolithic people who used this site had developed meaningful ceremonies around death and the afterlife.
Physically, Aveline's Hole is a relatively modest cave entrance set into a cliff face of pale grey Carboniferous limestone on the eastern side of Burrington Combe. The opening is low and somewhat narrow, giving it a secretive, sheltered quality. The cave does not penetrate far into the hillside and is not a complex system requiring specialist equipment to enter; it is essentially a shallow rockshelter and short passage. The limestone around the entrance is weathered and pitted, colonised in places by mosses and ferns that thrive in the damp, sheltered microclimate. The gorge itself channels sound in interesting ways, so that birdsong, the rustle of wind through ash and oak trees, and the occasional passing vehicle on the B3134 road below create an atmospheric layered soundscape around the site.
The surrounding landscape of Burrington Combe is spectacular in its own right. The combe is a dry limestone valley cut through the northern scarp of the Mendip Hills, and its dramatic rocky outcrops and wooded slopes are characteristic of this part of Somerset. The area is popular with walkers and climbers, and the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty encompasses the broader region. Nearby features of interest include the famous Rock of Ages, a large cleft in the limestone cliff face associated with the hymn of the same name written by Augustus Toplady in the eighteenth century, who is said to have sheltered there during a storm. The village of Burrington itself is a short distance away, and the larger town of Cheddar with its world-famous gorge and caves lies to the south. This concentration of geological and archaeological wonders makes Burrington Combe a rewarding destination for anyone interested in natural history, prehistory, or landscape.
Visiting Aveline's Hole is accessible to most people with a moderate level of mobility. The cave sits close to the road that runs through Burrington Combe, and a small car park is available nearby. The path to the cave entrance involves a short walk and a modest ascent over uneven ground, so sturdy footwear is advisable. The cave mouth itself is gated to protect the interior, meaning visitors cannot enter the passage, but the entrance and the context of the site are clearly visible from outside. There is no charge for visiting. The site is managed with sensitivity given its status as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and the gate serves both a protective and a safety function. The best time to visit is during spring or autumn, when the gorge is alive with colour and the light falls attractively across the limestone faces, though the site can be visited year-round without difficulty.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Aveline's Hole is what its existence implies about Mesolithic society in Britain. The deliberate, repeated use of a single location for burial across what may have been generations suggests a degree of social organisation, attachment to place, and spiritual or communal life that challenges older assumptions about Mesolithic people as purely nomadic and unsettled. The individuals buried here were among the first post-glacial inhabitants of Britain, people who had moved into a landscape that was still recovering from the last Ice Age. The cave thus represents not just a burial ground but a statement of belonging, a claim upon a particular place in the world by people who lived over a hundred centuries ago. Standing at the entrance, looking out over the wooded limestone gorge, it is possible to feel something of the weight of that immense span of human time.