HELLFIRE CAVES: THE CHALK FACES AND CARVINGS

As you wander deeper in the caves you’ll suddenly notice that there are strange faces, skulls and imps carved into the stones and chalk of the walls.  Once you realise that they are there you start to see them everywhere.  The origin of these carvings is a mystery.  One story claims that every person to take part in the debauchery of the caves had to carve a face to as a representation before they were allowed to become members.  In a sense it may have represented a communion with the old Gods or it may have just been a way of saying ... “Sir Francis was here.”

The truth is that nobody really knows what took place both at the caves and at Medmenham Abbey and it is now widely believed that all the records were burnt by Paul Whitehead (along with his own works) three days before he died.  If you read authors such as Daniel Mannix (and other sensationalist websites) then these caves were a hotbed of devil worship, human sacrifice and the seduction of virgins.   If you read other sources then you will perceive a different picture but one that doesn’t sell books quite so well.  Libertines and radical liberalism amongst the upper-classes were all part of the rich tapestry of life in the 1700’s.  Secret societies were all the rage and the “must-have” accessory of the time.  In addition, prostitution and mistress-keeping was a far more accepted activity then than it is today.

There is a record that the faces were carved by the original miners but this is unlikely. The reality is that life was pretty harsh for the common folk back in 1751 and after a back-breaking day of shovelling and hauling chalk to the surface the last thing on your mind is to carve some random faces. (But ... who knows for sure.) It's also worth noting that carvings such as these do not exist in other such quarries.

There is also the possibility that the carvings were made at a later by people who visited the caves when they were just a little known local curiosity.

If anyone reading this has specific information about these carvings we would appreciate it if you could send us an e-mail.

• In 1953 a certain Mr Brooks of High Wycombe allegedly found a lump of chalk with coins embedded in it that dated from as early as 1720.  Some people have used this to suggest that the caves were excavated much earlier than the historical record suggests.  Of course, this may be true but it is worth noting that coins last a long time.  (Have a look at the change in your purse or pocket and you may be surprised by how old some of them actually are.)  So ... not conclusive proof at all.
  
  
• The Banqueting Hall is said to be the place where most paranormal experiences occur.
  

• Paranormal investigators often mention that the Banqueting Hall usually measures a few degrees colder than the rest of the caves.  They get quite excited about this.  We’d like to remind them that it’s a big cave with a very high ceiling.  Hot air rises when it can!  We bet they’ve never measured the temperature at the apex of the dome.

• Since the caves were opened to the public the Banqueting Hall has been hired for events as diverse as pagan reunions and scout camps. (3rd Aylesbury Scouts – to be precise)

The truth is that nobody knows for certain what took place in this hall or these caves.  They may have been nothing more than an exotic gentleman’s private drinking club or they may be the seat of dark satanic rituals and unspeakable abuse. 
This is what we do know.  They were used at least several times by the Knights of Sir Francis.  They took considerable human effort to create and were designed to a geometric principle.  The Banqueting Hall and the Inner Temple are the key to the geometric design.  Over the years renovations, repairs and renaming has hidden the true story of the caves.  Names of the caves have been altered over the years but it would seem that the Banqueting Hall has always had this title.

One last piece of the Hellfire Caves legend is this:  Only the true inner circle of the Friars of St. Francis were permitted to venture beyond the Banqueting Hall ...