Excavation 1866, deposits include at minimum early post-glacial faunal material. Historically important as first site to give evidence for presence of Northern Lynx in Britain. Extensive deposits survive - upstanding section faces are affected by natural erosion. (1)

An extensive rift cave with a maximum length of 93 metres and a depth of 28 metres. During the 1860s a Dr Ransom undertook some exploratory work within the cave, and published an unfortunately brief report. Boyd Dawkins subsequently published further details, particularly with regard to the extensive faunal remains, which includes lynx, wolf, wild pig and fox, representing what is generally assumed to be a predominantly post-glacial assemblage. Jenkinson (1984) notes occasional confusion in published sources between Yew Tree Cave and Yew Tree Shelter, the latter being excavated by Armstrong in the 1930s. However, his attempts to clear up the confusion are not helped by his publication of a completely erroneous grid reference for the cave. (3)

NB OS card SK 56 SW 25 describes flint finds from here, but has confused this cave with Yew Tree Shelter in Derbys - source was Wymer J, 1977.

Jenkinson RDS, 1984, Creswell Crags: Late Pleistocene Sites in the East Midlands (BAR 122), p.124-6 (Serial). SNT6395.

<1> Smith K, Little JH & Bishop MW, n.d., The Prehistoric Heritage of the Creswell Area - a strategy for conservation (Unpublished document). SNT34.

<2> Jenkinson RDS, 1978, The Archaeological Caves and Rock Shelters in the Creswell Crags Area, Creswell Visitor Centre Report, A48 (Serial). SNT17.

<3> Historic England, 2021, National Record of Historic Environment (Digital archive). SNT5271.