Kitley caves originally discovered by quarrying, it used to be open to the public as a show cave, but is now closed.
The Kitley Cave Guide indicates that the main cave was entered about 1800 when quarry blasting exposed the entrance, although a more contemporaneous account claims that it was first entered in 1834 in similar circumstances. When it was opened it was reported as being "beautifully decorated with stalactites and stalagmites", and that the owner ordered a path be dug through the stalagmitic floor, which exposed the bones of a large animal. By 1905 it had been gated. In 1971 it was opened up as a self-guided show cave, with informational boards, within a nature reserve area. Over the next thirty years the show cave was closed and reopened twice, before being finally closed in 2000. During this time exploration work was undertaken by the Plymouth Caving Group and others, who extended Yealmpton Passage to the west to open up a 15-metre (49 ft) high sloping chamber.
The Kitley Cave Guide indicates that the main cave was entered about 1800 when quarry blasting exposed the entrance, although a more contemporaneous account claims that it was first entered in 1834 in similar circumstances. When it was opened it was reported as being "beautifully decorated with stalactites and stalagmites", and that the owner ordered a path be dug through the stalagmitic floor, which exposed the bones of a large animal. By 1905 it had been gated. In 1971 it was opened up as a self-guided show cave, with informational boards, within a nature reserve area. Over the next thirty years the show cave was closed and reopened twice, before being finally closed in 2000. During this time exploration work was undertaken by the Plymouth Caving Group and others, who extended Yealmpton Passage to the west to open up a 15-metre (49 ft) high sloping chamber.
