Editing Shepton Mallet (section)

===Nearby cave systems===
To the north of the town are several [[caves of the Mendip Hills]], including [[Thrupe Lane Swallet]], a [[geological Site of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSI),<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/Special/sssi/sssi_details.cfm?sssi_id=1000152 |title=Thrupe Swallet SSSI |work=Natural England |access-date=3 January 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525100219/http://www.english-nature.org.uk/Special/sssi/sssi_details.cfm?sssi_id=1000152 |archive-date=25 May 2011 }}</ref> and the [[St. Dunstan's Well Catchment]], a cave system with a series of spectacularly-decorated caves totalling about {{convert|4|mi|km}} of mapped passage.<ref name="stdunstans"/> The caves at [[Fairy Cave Quarry]] were formed mainly by the erosive action of water beneath the water-table at considerable pressure ("[[phreatic]]" development), but as the water table has fallen, many now lie well above it and the system contains a variety of cave formations ([[stalagmite]]s, [[stalactites]] and [[calcite]] curtains) which in extent and preservation are among the best in Britain. [[Shatter Cave]] and Withyhill Cave are generally seen to be among the finest decorated caves in Britain in terms of sheer abundance of pure white and translucent calcite deposits.<ref>Moseley, Gina (2005), ''A Study into the Microclimatology of Shatter Cave, southwest England with comparison to Uamh an Tartair, northwest Scotland'', presented to the British Cave Research Association.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000377.pdf |title=St. Dunstan's Well Catchment |publisher=English Nature |access-date=20 July 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090319223422/http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000377.pdf |archive-date=19 March 2009}}</ref> Small numbers of [[greater horseshoe bat]] (''Rhinolophus ferrumequinum''), [[lesser horseshoe bat]] (''R. hipposideros'') and [[Natterer's bat]] (''Myotis nattereri'') hibernate in the cave system. An area of nationally rare species-rich, unimproved calcareous grassland of the [[British NVC community CG2|Sheep's-fescue-Meadow Oat-grass type]] lies in a field to the east of Stoke Lane Quarry.<ref name="stdunstans">{{Cite web |title=St. Dunstan's Well Catchment |work=English Nature |url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000377.pdf |access-date=20 July 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090319223422/http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000377.pdf |archive-date=19 March 2009}}</ref>