Did you know that we have a whole host of caverns to explore around and about this area? The reason is that 360 million years ago the Peak District was covered with tropical seas which left behind the rich limestone which formed spectacular cave systems deep underground.
The first is Poole’s Cavern near Buxton, one of the finest we have in Derbyshire. Nestled in the heart of Buxton Country Park Poole’s Cavern is famous for its stalactites and stalagmites and is known as one of the “Wonders of the Peak.”
We also have the Great Masson and Great Rutland Caverns in Matlock Bath which are part of the attractions at the wonderful Heights of Abraham. A tour of Great Rutland Cavern goes back in time to the seventeenth century and what life was like for a hard-working mining family. At Great Masson a new sound and light show reveals the formation of these great underground geological formations in dramatic fashion.
Then in Castleton we have four more Caverns:
Treak Cliff Cavern is the Home of Blue John Stone, which has been mined at Treak Cliff for over 300 years. Blue John is a very rare semi-precious mineral found only one one hillside near Mam Tor and its name is derived from the French for Blue and Yellow, the primary colours found in the mineral. This highly prized stone is displayed as fabulous ornaments and jewellery in many of the Great Houses including Windsor Castle and Chatsworth in the UK and the Vatican and the White House abroad. You can buy your own souvenir fashioned by local craftspeople in one of the many shops in Castleton.
Blue John is also the name of another cavern in Castleton, actually a series of caverns considered by many to be the finest range in Great Britain! It is a great place to learn about how the caverns were first formed, and before that, how the limestone was created by the fossilised remains of the creatures that inhabited that ancient ocean.
Peak Cavern is at the end of a fabulous riverside walk past centuries old miners cottages and then through a fabulous limestone gorge with 280ft high vertical cliffs supporting the ruins of Peveril Castle, built by William the Conqueror’s illegitimate son. Peak Cavern has the largest natural cave entrance in the British Isles, the chamber of which housed an ancient village. Further into the tour you can hear the amazing acoustics of the Orchestral Gallery in the Great Cave and then the source of the River Styx. Also known affectionately as The Devil’s Arse, Peak Cavern is so huge that Christmas Carol concerts are held inside each year featuring local silver and brass bands.
Finally high above Castleton we have Speedwell Cavern, which can only be seen by boat! Located at the bottom of the spectacular Winnats Pass and down 106 steps deep underground an underground canal awaits the brave who then travel by boat through a 200 year old lead mine as a guide reveals the secrets of the network of natural caverns and underground rivers all around, leading to an enormous cathedral-like cavern which houses the Bottomless Pit – a huge subterranean lake. Speedwell is part of the same cave system as Peak Cavern and this whole area is still being developed. In 1999 the tallest cave in Britain was discovered here and named “Titan”
Finally, but by no means least we have Cresswell Crags – home to our Ice Age Ancestors. A cave tour will uncover the secrets of our ancient ancestors who more than 12,000 years ago carved art into the rocks here that can still be seen today! There are several tours to choose from at Cresswell, including archaeology tours of the caves and museum, tours focusing on the superstition and legends of the place and tours focusing on the prehistoric art. Cresswell is also a wonderful gorge full of nature just waiting to be explored.
When the weather’s not the greatest above ground a cave tour is often a great way to spend the day!!
