Stump Cross: Cave-dwellers raise cash for underground attraction

Nick Markham and Lisa Bowerman are spending 105 hours in the limestone cave system

A couple have been living underground for four days in a bid to raise funds for a Yorkshire tourist attraction.

Lisa Bowerman and partner Nick Markham own Stump Cross Caverns, near Pateley Bridge, in North Yorkshire.

The couple decided to spend 105 hours in the limestone caves as part of an attempt to raise £200,000 for new lighting at the subterranean site.

Ms Bowerman said it had been a bit like "torture" listening to water constantly dripping in the cave each night.

"The first night was really really hard. It drips constantly and then the acoustics of the caves amplify every sound," she said.

Mr Markham said he had been anxious about spending such a long time underground - and he had been proved right.

"Getting used to the cold and the dampness - you combine the two and you struggle," he said.

Lisa Bowerman said she had stayed in "comfier" hotels

The limestone caves were discovered by lead miners in the 1860s and have been privately owned ever since.

The site is now a popular tourist attraction which Ms Bowerman said was "a natural showcase in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales".

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The couple said they had hired a cave lighting architect to design a scheme which would show off the caves to their full potential while also being environmentally-friendly.

However, the coronavirus pandemic had hit their income, meaning they needed to raise £200,000 to put make the new lighting scheme a reality.

"If we hadn't been closed for 10 months due to the pandemic we would have been able to do it ourselves," Ms Bowerman said.

Lisa Bowerman hopes the publicity will help them reach their fundraising target of £200,0000

Dressed as cavemen, the couple have been live-streaming their underground experiences to draw attention to a crowdfunding appeal.

The couple are due to resurface later on Friday having completed their 105-hour stint below ground.

"We've got used to it now and it's really soothing and calming down here," Ms Bowerman said.

"It's been amazing, but I have stayed in comfier hotels."