Earl Sterndale – Fox Hole cave is on National Trust property at SK100663 drops 8 ft into a passage leading to a chamber 20 ft long where there is a branch to the right leading to a third chamber and zigzag passages beyond. Excavated remains in Buxton museum.

from National Trust –

Fox Hole Cave is situated on the steep north slope of High Wheeldon Hill, less than 30m below the summit and approximately 100m below the current valley floor. The cave consists of a passage opening out into several chambers (Entrance, First and Main), and a second deeper series including the Bear Chamber. The entrance passage and upper chamber are the main areas of archaeological interest.

(1) An area around the cave entrance was excavated in 1928-29 by the Rev S.G.B. Birks and Mr. B.S. Furneaux after a dog had to be rescued, after going to ground, and the extensive cave system was revealed. The cave was also excavated by D. Bramwell and the Peakland Archaeological Society between 1961 and 1981 (Peakland Archaeological Society Bulletins vols. 15-30 & 32; DAJ 91: p.1-19). The excavations produced Mesolithic, Neolithic, Beaker, Bronze Age and Roman material, but it is the cave’s Palaeolithic context that makes it of particular interest. The Finds Archive is probably held at Buxton Museum.

Later Upper Palaeolithic artefacts of flint and antler have been found in association with charcoal, denoting a hearth, and the bones of bear, horse and red deer, split and therefore indicating human activity. Two recent radiocarbon dates of c.12000BP (Before Present) have been obtained from antler spearpoints from the cave.

Mesolithic occupation was represented by a microlith found on the trip during the course of the Peakland Archaeological Society excavations (the object is now in Buxton Museum). At least one other microlith was found at the entrance to the cave in 1929. Animal bone from this period includes red and roe deer and bird bones.

A number of features and associated sherds of Peterborough ware and grooved ware indicate Neolithic occupation of the cave. Hart (1984:41) mentions the discovery of disarticulated human bones from this period. A small greestone polished axe was also found, which is similar to those from the Great langdale axe factory (see Moore & Cummins, 1974: 69).

The Derbyshire SMR states that fairly extensive Beaker period occupation was in the first chamber of the cave by quantities indicated of flint (including scrapers), Beaker pottery and worked bone (see Vine 1982, figs 372-376). Beaker pottery was also found in the mouth of the cave in 1928-9.

One or two sherds of possibly bronze age date come from the recent excavations. Cereal pollen, though to be of this period, came from a pit in the first chamber.

Evidence for Roman occupation, particularly at the entrance to the cave, was found during the excavations. Roman pottery and a late Roman bronze armlet were recovered.

Many suggest ritual activity rather than habitation. It is not clear if the relatively large numbers of bear bones found with these deposits were associated with rituals, or whether bears lived in the cave.

It is a scheduled monument on Historic England –

Fox Hole Cave is situated on the steep north slope of High Wheeldon Hill, less than 30m below the summit and approximately 100m above the current valley floor. The cave consists of a passage opening out into several chambers (Entrance, First and Main), and a second deeper series including the Bear Chamber. The entrance passage and upper chamber are the main areas of archaeological interest. A number of partial excavations, carried out between 1928 and the early 1980s, have produced Mesolithic, Neolithic, Beaker, Bronze Age and Roman material, but it is the cave’s Palaeolithic context that makes it of particular interest. Later Upper Palaeolithic artefacts of flint and antler have been found in association with charcoal, denoting a hearth, and bones of horse and red deer, split and therefore indicative of human activity. Two recent radiocarbon dates of c.12000BP (Before Present) have been obtained from antler spearpoints from the cave. The monument includes all the deposits within the cave, and includes the flat area outside the cave entrance.