ROCK climbing engineers have been scaling the face of Langcliffe Scar in order to carry out further restoration work at Victoria Cave.

The engineers climbed the rock face above the cave entrance, to remove stone that had become prone to rock falls as a result of natural erosion and frost action on the limestone exposures.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has organised the project, which is jointly funded by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.

A spokesman for the national park told the Herald the cave was one of the most well-known and important archaeological sites in the park.

The cave, which is situated two miles to the north of Settle, is part of Langcliffe Scar and is designated as a site of special scientific interest.

The cave itself is noted as being a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and it was extensively excavated in the 19th and 20th century, revealing a collection of archaeological remains from many different eras.

There was also evidence of human activity dating as far back as 400,000 to 10,000 years ago.

Other work at the site has included improvements to footpaths and efforts to explain the history and significance of the site to visitors.

Kate Hilditch, national park field assistant, said: "This is an excellent project encompassing the duties placed on the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to protect and promote the special qualities of the park.

"We will be safeguarding the historical features of Victoria Cave for future generations as well as promoting understanding and respect for the site."

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