The Manifold Valley Caves Project, initiated in 2024 by Dr. George Nash, initially focused on identifying and recording previously undocumented prehistoric art in the Manifold Valley, Staffordshire. The project has expanded to use the latest geospatial recording techniques together with geological investigation to gain insight into the context of the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP) and Mesolithic behaviour in the Manifold Valley.
The Manifold Valley Caves Project has so far concentrated on developing a deeper understanding of Thor's Cave, Thor's Fissure, Elderbrush Cave, 7 Ways Cave and Radcliffe's Stables. The study has thus far visually investigated the sites and documented any evidence of prehistoric symbolic behaviour in the caves. The massif forming Thor's cave, Elderbrush cave and Thor's fissure has been modelled using photogrammetry to aid in understanding of cave usage, alignments and symbolic representation within the wider valley landscape.
Inside Thor's cave, extensive recording has been completed that details the cave and possible artwork panels in detail. Andy Beardsley MRICS of Terra Measurement gives an overview of the geospatial surveying:
On 1 May 2026, three complementary three-dimensional surveys were undertaken at Thor’s Cave. Each addressed a different scale: aerial photogrammetry recorded the cave entrance, limestone outcrop and surrounding topography; mobile SLAM laser scanning recorded the accessible cave interior; and high-resolution structured-light surface scanning documented a rock surface bearing a possible figurative motif. The surveys were planned, acquired, processed and quality-checked independently by the project Andy Beardsley MRICS. Together, the datasets form a nested digital record extending from the surrounding landscape to the detailed form of a single rock surface. The project-specific methods and accuracy information presented below are drawn from the field and processing records.
The preliminary findings will be presented at BIRAG on Sept. 5th 2026 in Cromford, Derbyshire. Work on the project is ongoing, with publications coming out March 2027.