Visit the Peak District Caves and Caverns

The Peak District is renowned for it’s caves and caverns, of which there are several open to the public and make a fascinating day out for all the family.

If you are thinking of visiting the caves and caverns of the Peak District then below we’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular caves and caverns and where to find them.

Caverns at Matlock Bath

A trip on the cable car up to the Heights of Abraham in Matlock Bath will take you to the entrance of a cavern known as the Great Rutland Cavern, where a tour guide will take you deep into the hillside which is the site of an ancient lead mine.

Further down the road is a second cavern known as The Great Masson Cavern and can be found at the site of the Pavillion.  There’s also an exhibition centre here showing how the caves would have been formed over millions of years.

The Blue John Cavern

The Blue John Cavern can be found near the Peak District town of Castleton.

The Blue John Cavern itself takes it’s name from the popular mineral found in the caves in the Castleton area.  This mineral is known in french as bleu jaune, which describes the colours of this delicate mineral, which has been mined for centuries and crafted into various objects including bowls, jugs, broaches and jewellery.

Castleton is also home to Peveril Castle a 12th century castle steeped in history.

Peak Cavern

Peak Cavern is also in the Castleton area and is known as the Devil’s Arse.  A visit here involves a 1km walk underground.  Be prepared to hear eerie sounds and discover how this well used cavern even has houses constructed inside it.

Speedwell Cavern

If you don’t like water the the Speedwell Cavern might not be for you as to really discover this cavern you need to take a boat ride which will take you 450m underground to the Bottomless Pit, below the Winnat’s Pass.  Boats leave every 15 mins up to 5pm in high season.

Poole’s Cavern

Poole’s Cavern can be found just outside Buxton.  Remains of human activity dating back over 5000 years have been found inside these vast caverns where you will find some fantastic crystal stalagmites and stalactites formed over millions of years.

If you have a large group and are looking for a luxury holiday cottage in the Peak District then Derbyshire Holiday Homes has a large 5 bedroom holiday cottage with hot tub and games room available to book from this website.

If you’re looking for something smaller then why not head over to our sister site Luxury Holiday Homes Derbyshire where you will find a selection of three properties.  There’s Brookside Retreat a one bedroom luxury holiday cottage ideal for a romantic stay in the Peak District.  Also, there’s Two Owl’s Lodge a charming two bedroom lodge set in acres of open land with views of Riber Castle and the Derwent Valley.  And finally, you’ll find The Haven, another large holiday cottage with hot tub and games room situated near the Peak District National Park and ideal for a large family or group, providing plenty of space for everybody to relax and making an ideal base for a memorable visit to the Peak District.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net).