Ancient caves host first wedding

The couple are the first to be married in the caverns

A couple have tied the knot in what is thought to be Devon's first underground marriage ceremony.

Kents Cavern in Torquay, which was used as a dwelling thousands of years ago, has a licence to hold civil weddings.

Flint axes that date back 450,000 years have been found in Britain's oldest scheduled Ancient Monument.

But for Torquay couple Gilly Woodland and Alan Duckworth it was the perfect place to look to the future as husband and wife.

More than 80 guests went into the cave to take part in the civil ceremony.

Mr Duckworth said: "They thought we were barking mad, that it would be freezing, but it's absolutely lovely.

"It's proved to be a marvellous idea."

Nick Powe of the privately-owned caverns said: "I am sure that ceremonies would have been as important to the first people that lived here as they are now."