Caves in Derbyshire & The Peak District

England
Derbyshire

The "Flitch of Bacon" stalactite

Poole's Cavern

Located just outside the spa town of Buxton, these caves where named after an infamous outlaw John Poole, who, rumour has it, used them as a hideout during the early years of the 15th century. For many years the existence of Poole was in doubt, but a recent stash of coins dating from the early 1400s found within the caves does tend to lend credence to the tales.

As for the caves themselves, they show some quite remarkable limestone deposits reminiscent of mushrooms, and some much larger calcite deposits that glitter like ice in the low light. Neoloithic and Roman remans have been found in the caves, and these are displayed in the visitor centre at the cave entrance.

Notable features of Poole's Cavern include:

• The Flitch of Bacon - a distinctive stalactite, given its unusual name because Victorians thought that was what it looked like! For many years it was assumed that the tip of the stalactite had been lost to early vandals, but by sheer chance it was discovered lying in the bushes at the cave mouth, and is now displayed in the museum at the cavern entrance.
• Small stalagmites with brown tops, resembliing mushrooms (see photo). These grow remarkably quickly in the damp environment
• Mary Queen of Scots stone - the ill-fated queen was one of the first tourists to visit Poole's Cavern. The story goes that she was so overcome by the grandeur of the stone that bears her name that she embraced and kissed it in awe. Had she known that a colony of bats lives directly above the stone and make regular, er, deposits on the stone surface, she might not have been so free with her favours!

Here are a few photos from a recent visit to Poole's Cavern
click on an image to see a larger version

The roof of a cavern chamber	Looking down the cavern pathway
"Mushroom" stalagmites	The fanciful flowing curves of a large calcite deposit

Details
Poole's Cavern
Green Lane
Buxton
Derbyshire
England
SK17 9DH
Location: at the SW edge of Buxton
Website: Poole's Cavern
Email: info@poolescavern.co.uk
Phone: 01298 26978
Fax: 01298 73563
map
OS SK050 726