The Pengelly Cave Research Centre, which was founded on March 31st, 1962, has now entered its second year and a report of the events leading up to its formation and of what has been achieved since that date is long overdue, This Newsletter is the first of a series intended to provide information about the progress of the Centre.
Unlike most, cave research establishments in other countries, the Pengelly Centre came into being not as the result of lengthy planning, but by fortunate circumstance. Higher Kiln Quarry, Buckfastleigh, S. Devon, where it is situated came up for auction in October 1961, when it was acquired by the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves, whose arrangements to send an agent to bid for it had been completed less than a week beforehand. The property consisted of Higher Kiln quarry (once worked for Devonian Limestone but since disused for probably a century and now overgrown giving access to five caves, the fields overlying the caves, two old stone farm buildings used as cattle shelters, with a fine view along the valley of the River Dart, and a short approach road giving access to the quarry from the main London to Plymouth road, A38, less than 150 yards away.