Hellfire Caves
Today West Wycombe caves are a major tourist attraction, but are still surrounded by mystery and legend of the notorious brotherhood.
But the caves we see today are not the caves that the brotherhood would have known, for instance the entrance was hidden by willow trees and there were no iron railing s or courtyard, these have all been added at a later date.
In fact, if the Richardson’s map of 1767 is studied in detail the gothic structure today does not appear to be shown in its present form and would suggest it has been significantly altered over later years.
In fact, if the Richardson’s map of 1767 is studied in detail the gothic structure today does not appear to be shown in its present form and would suggest it has been significantly altered over later years.
According to legend after the breakup of the Brotherhood at Medmenham Abbey, the club then met in the Caves at West Wycombe.
Along with the cryptic clues from the book of Days and the visit from Mrs by Mrs Philip Lybbe, the caves were being used for some form of worship but most of the legends of the Hellfire caves so called myths and hearsay make no sense.
What we do know is the caves were completed in 1754 and the brotherhoods were resident at Medmenham well into the 1770’s. So, the first question is, what were the caves being used for during the time the brotherhood were using Medmenham?
Along with the cryptic clues from the book of Days and the visit from Mrs by Mrs Philip Lybbe, the caves were being used for some form of worship but most of the legends of the Hellfire caves so called myths and hearsay make no sense.
What we do know is the caves were completed in 1754 and the brotherhoods were resident at Medmenham well into the 1770’s. So, the first question is, what were the caves being used for during the time the brotherhood were using Medmenham?
In fact, the caves were being used regularly throughout the period the brotherhood worshiped at Medmenham Abbey, and were being used for exactly what Francis Dashwood had designed them for. We know Francis Dashwood he had plans for the caves with totally different plans for Medmenham Abbey, with the works on both the caves and the Abbey being carried out around the same time. The first of the celebrations at the caves was the ceremony celebrating the completion of the cave during the summer of 1754.
There are many conflicting ideas about the caves; some suggest that it was influenced by the occult and black magic. One theory is that the caves were dug in the form of a woman, suggesting that the Banqueting Hall is a symbol of the womb with the Triangle symbolising the vagina.
In effect the brothers would pass from the womb through the vagina as a process of rebirth, before being baptised in the river Styx before being eligible to enjoy the pleasures of the Inner temple.
There are many conflicting ideas about the caves; some suggest that it was influenced by the occult and black magic. One theory is that the caves were dug in the form of a woman, suggesting that the Banqueting Hall is a symbol of the womb with the Triangle symbolising the vagina.
In effect the brothers would pass from the womb through the vagina as a process of rebirth, before being baptised in the river Styx before being eligible to enjoy the pleasures of the Inner temple.
