We took the Russian students with their group leaders to the West Wycombe Caves (also known as the Hellfire Caves) today! It was absolutely amazing!
Many, many years ago, a Sir Francis Dashwood, after traveling through Europe and the world, returned to his home, and extended a cave system that had been used for chalk excavation.
- Supposedly of very ancient origin these unique caves were extended in the 1740’s by the infamous Sir Francis Dashwood, founder of the notorious Hellfire Club -
- On his return from his travels Sir Francis established the famous Hell-fire Club which subsequently held chapter meetings in the Caves and whose members included Lord Sandwich, John Wilkes and other senior aristocrats and statesmen. Sir Francis later became Chancellor of the Exchequer. Benjamin Franklin was a close friend and visited West Wycombe often. -
It was so creepy, walking through these caves, seeing the pick axe marks on the walls, feeling the air getting colder, the further down we went! There were faces molded into the chalk walls, of people screaming, of cats and birds, and even a skull! In separate caverns barred from the public, there were statues set into the walls from when Sir Dashwood used the caves for his meetings, and even an urn that once contained the heart of the steward - Paul Whitehead - which he left to Sir Dashwood, "The Noble Founder", which is kind of a veeerry unusual gesture!
- On his return from his travels Sir Francis established the famous Hell-fire Club which subsequently held chapter meetings in the Caves and whose members included Lord Sandwich, John Wilkes and other senior aristocrats and statesmen. Sir Francis later became Chancellor of the Exchequer. Benjamin Franklin was a close friend and visited West Wycombe often. -
It was so creepy, walking through these caves, seeing the pick axe marks on the walls, feeling the air getting colder, the further down we went! There were faces molded into the chalk walls, of people screaming, of cats and birds, and even a skull! In separate caverns barred from the public, there were statues set into the walls from when Sir Dashwood used the caves for his meetings, and even an urn that once contained the heart of the steward - Paul Whitehead - which he left to Sir Dashwood, "The Noble Founder", which is kind of a veeerry unusual gesture!
- Paul Whitehead was a minor poet and steward of the Hell-Fire Club. His job was to keep a list of the drink consumed by members by members of the Hell-Fire Club.Whitehead died in 1774 leaving his heart to Sir Francis “as a token of his warm attachment to the noble founder”. He also left £50 with the request that it be used to provide an urn in which his heart was to be deposited, to be placed in the Mausoleum. -
Apparently, before they moved the urn back to the cave, (which is said to be haunted by Whitehead's ghost!) an Australian soldier, or just an Australian tourist is said to have stolen the heart of Paul Whitehead from the urn where it was displayed in the Mausoleum, found on the hill above the caves. Great image for Australians huh - thieves of a human heart from an urn in a Mausoleum!
Other than stolen hearts, ghosts and many graves on the hill over the caves, we saw three witches outside the caves eating cakes, and gorged ourselves silly on sweets from Paul's Sweet Shop found down the lane in the little village of West Wycombe. It was such a lovely day, full of ghost stories and laughter!
Other than stolen hearts, ghosts and many graves on the hill over the caves, we saw three witches outside the caves eating cakes, and gorged ourselves silly on sweets from Paul's Sweet Shop found down the lane in the little village of West Wycombe. It was such a lovely day, full of ghost stories and laughter!
No comments:
Post a Comment