Hell Fire Caves

These mysterious caves were originally excavated in the 1750's on the site of an ancient quarry by Sir Francis Dashwood (who later became Lord le Despencer) in order to provide work for unemployed farm workers following a succession of harvest failures.

It is thought that his inspiration for the design of the Caves came from his grand tour of Europe and the Ottoman Empire. On his return Sir Francis Dashwood founded the Hellfire Club and became a leading member of the Dilettanti Society and the Divan Club.

28 March 2004