Herbert E. Balch

Herbert Ernest Balch (4 November 1869 – 27 May 1958) MA FSA was an English archaeologist, naturalist, caver and geologist who explored the caves of the Mendip Hills and pioneered many of the techniques used by modern cavers. Born in Wells, he gained a scholarship to The Blue School before leaving school at the age of 14 to become a messenger for Wells Post Office.

Balch became interested in stratigraphy and cave archaeology after attending a talk by William Boyd Dawkins. Balch led much of the exploration through the caves near Wookey Hole village, discovering and mapping many caves. He also made discoveries of artefacts used by the people who lived in the caves during the Iron Age. Balch was a founder member of the Wells Natural History and Archaeology Society and through the society he founded the Wells Museum, largely including his own collection of artefacts.

Early life Herbert Ernest Balch was born in Wells, Somerset on . His parents were William Balch, a brushmaker, and Sarah Ellen Balch. At the age of seven he gained a scholarship to The Blue School in Wells. There he helped George Johnson, Dean of Wells, who had poor eyesight due to his age, by reading texts.

He left school at 14 and became telegraph messenger boy at Wells Post Office. He remained at the post office for his entire working life, working his way up to postmaster. Whilst working as a messenger, he spent a lot of time at the village of Wookey Hole. He began caving with other teenagers from the village in the mid-1880s. After attending a talk by William Boyd Dawkins, he took an interest in cave archaeology and especially in stratigraphy. In the 1890s, Balch was introduced to the caves of the Mendip Hills by Thomas Willcox, manager of the Priddy lead mines. While caving with Willcox at Lamb Leer in 1897, one of Balch's ropes snapped. He saved himself by catching a guide rope, but the fall rendered him unconscious, suffering serious friction burns and back injuries. so the team headed upstream where they discovered Eastwater Cavern, one of Balch's personal favourites.

In 1906, Balch started investigating the Iron Age cave dwellers in Wookey Hole Caves, embarking on a four-year study of the caves along with other members of the Mendip Nature Research Committee. The group mapped the caves, drew illustrations of their finds and took photographs, collecting the information in the 1914 book Wookey Hole: its Caves and Cave-Dwellers.

Balch was a member of caving clubs such as the Wessex Cave Club. He was a serious speleologist and often made ten-hour trips wearing cloth cap, old suit and tie. Balch Cave near Stoke St Michael is named after him. As an authority on the caves under the Mendip Hills, Balch was consulted by water companies who were looking for new water supplies. He remained honorary curator of the Wells Museum throughout his life.

Later life Balch married Ellen Elizabeth Brooks on 28 August 1893 but the marriage ended with her death from cancer in 1896. He married Ellen Elizabeth Seaford, his first wife's cousin, in 1899 and the couple went on to have seven children. The children would regularly help out at the museum and search for archaeological artefacts in fields. He retired as postmaster on 31 March 1931, whilst continuing his caving, working as the curator at the museum and giving lectures on archaeology.

He was a keen gardener and beekeeper.

In 1944, Balch was awarded the freedom of the City of Wells, the achievement he was most proud of. He spent time in retirement as churchwarden for Church of St Cuthbert, Wells. On 27 May 1958, Balch died at his home in Wells.