Preliminary U-series dates from Goyden Pot – towards a chronology for the caves of Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, UK

: The Manchester Hole/Goyden Pot/Nidd Heads cave system has developed beneath a cover of clastic strata with only limited limestone at outcrop, occurring as inliers in the valley bottom. U-series dates obtained from speleothem samples collected in Goyden Pot show that cave development occurred prior to Marine Isotope Stage 3. The presence of detrital thorium in the speleothem samples, probably due to the nature of the catchment, limits dating precision. However, this study confirms that there is a long history of karstification in the area.