The Paviland Cave

30,000 years ago, the cliffs of the coast here looked out over a vast plain. You could almost have walked to Devon. Here Paeleolithic people followed the herds of whatever animals lived back then. The caves in the limestone gave them shelter. One individual at least was buried in one, along with copious amounts of red ochre. When found back in the Victorian era, so began the legend of the Red Lady of Paviland. Scientists now estimate the remains to be around 33,000 years old, and the red ochre seems to have been an early funeral custom. It’s humbling because, after all, they were homo sapiens, the same species as us and like us in practically every way. Hard to get to, the easiest time is one hour either side of low tide, otherwise ropes are needed. For most though, the cave remains beyond reach.