SaintFamous
The Hermit's Rock
A cross cut in the sandstone, a lamp in the cave.
See it clearly
- What's there
- Cave houses cut in a red sandstone cliff
- Legend from
- Local tradition; recorded 18th century
- Tone
- Curious
Before the cottagers, the story goes, a hermit prayed in these red caves. Look for the crosses cut in the rock.
Holy Austin Rock is a sandstone outcrop on Kinver Edge, hollowed into rooms that people lived in until the mid-20th century. Tradition says it was first a hermitage, home to a holy man until the Reformation. A study in the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society's Proceedings notes the site is not mentioned before the 18th century, but identifies probable hermit cells and crosses carved into the rock that may be pre-Reformation. Later the caves became cottages, with eleven families recorded in 1861. The rock houses are now cared for by the National Trust.