The Derbyshire
Peaks offer a staggering number of enjoyable opportunities to delve underground
and explore the wonders of the world where the sun doesn't shine. Three of the
caves are clustered around Castleton, in the Hope Valley, where an interpretive
centre offers visitors a chance to learn about the unique geology of the region.
Blue
John Cavern - (marked 1 on the
map) Home of 8 of the 14 known varieties of fluor-spar, including
its namesake Blue John Stone. Visitors can view old mining equipment and visit
the Waterfall Cavern and Grand Crystallized Cavern on regular guided tours.
Details
Blue John Cavern
Castleton
Hope Valley
Derbyshire
England
S33 8WP Location: on the A625 W of Castleton
Website:Blue John Cavern map OSSK179 824
Heights of Abraham
- (marked 6 on the map)
Certainly the most dramatic way to approach any of the Derbyshire caves - a cable
car ride from Matlock Bath takes visitors high across the valley to the Heights
of Abraham, so named because a British army officer thought they looked like the
famous cliffs outside Montreal, where he had fought against the French. The views
across the Derwent river valley are wonderful, but further sights await underground.
For once you alight from your cable car, you can visit not one, but two showcaves.
There are also children's play areas and educational exhibits to learn about the
geology of the region and the formation of the caves, as well as showcasing some
of the fossils that have been found here. A Victorian Tower offers excellent views,
and there are walking trails across the hillside.
Peak
Cavern - (marked 4 on the
map) Located just west of Peveril
Castle, Peak Cavern is accessed by a short walk from a car park off Castleton
High Street. The mouth of the cave is the largest in Britain. Inside the cave
mouth you can clearly see signs of habitation by rope makers, who used the caves
to live and work for centuries. Further in, the caves show the wear and tear of
water actvity; indeed, the furthest parts of the caves may occasionally be closed
of when heavy rains raise the water levels. Click
for more details on Peak
Cavern plus photos of the caves >>
Poole's
Cavern - (marked 5 on the
map) 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. Click
for more details on Poole's
Cavern plus photos of the caves >>
Speedwell
Cavern - (marked 2 on the map)
Another of the Castleton caves, Speedwell is unique in that visitors
can travel through the caves by boat. In places the roof of the caves are so low
that in the past, guides would propel the boat forward by using their feet on
the roof of the passage! The boat journey brings you to the Botomless Pit, a huge
underground lake and chamber that has been compared to a subterranean cathedral.
Details
Speedwell Cavern
Winnats Pass
Castleton
Derbyshire
England
S33 8WA Location: just W of Castleton
Website:Speedwell Cavern Email:info@speedwellcavern.co.uk Phone: 01433 620 512
Fax: 01433 621 888
map OSSK179 824
Treak Cliff Cavern - (marked
3 on the map) Another of the Castleton caves, Treak
Cliff is the home of Blue John Stone, the colourful fluor-spar used for centuries
to make bowls, goblets, and other fine artefacts. Tours showcase underground caverns
boasting stalagmites and stalactites, as well as a variety of mineral deposits
and fossils.
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