Was a great experience. The steps are not that bad but can be slippery in places. George, the tour guide is really nice and informs you to hold the rails on the steps for your own safety. The caves are nicely lit up, so you can take in the full size of the place and the colours in the rocks. There is a toilet shop and cafe on site. Another tick off my to-do list.
Really interesting. Very knowledgeable volunteer guides escorts small groups. You need to be able to negotiate some tricky steps up and down and expect to be dripped upon at some points as you travel 100m below the surface. Very humbling to consider the extreme labour intensive working practices and conditions of previous generations. Staff friendly and tea and gift shop a must after taking the tour. At the foot of Mam Tor with parking available.
This is a really interesting place to visit in a beautiful area. The cavern tour lasts around an hour and takes you around 100m below ground through a series of caverns formed over 200million years ago. As well as learning about the mining of a unique mineral (Blue John) there was lots to learn about geology and the history of the mines. There are visible fossils in the cavern wall apparently up to 500million years old!
There is free parking on the road and lots of lovely walks in the area.
There is a shop and they sell basic drinks/ice creams but I'd recommend going the short drive into Castleton for many better cafe options. There are toilets at the visitor centre.
It's not cheap for an hour long tour and not suitable for those with mobility issues (200+ steps and no lift) but otherwise highly recommended.
Absolutely fascinating tour! The tour guide was really informative. The sheer scale of the caverns left you staring in awe. Warning - it seems a lot further back up the 245 steps than it did down....
First visit to Blue John Cavern.
We went in the week and it was nice and quiet.
We had to wait for about 20 minutes for the guide but you can buy a hot/cold drinks and snacks in the office where you buy your tickets.
Ryan our guide was very friendly and very knowledgeable about the history of the cave and the surrounding area.
Let us take our time having a good look round, never felt rushed.
George was amazing tour guide. Really knowledgeable, polite and humerus we had a lovely time down the caves and learnt a lot. The tour is 1 hour approx and there are quite a few steps. It gets a bit chilly down the bottom so recommend wearing a jumper and packing some gloves to help cold hands holding onto the rails (especially for kids) The floor gets quite damp and slippery so they recommend walking boots over trainers (although no one slipped while we were there better to be safe than sorry!) The cafe is limited to hot drinks and small snacks (crisps and chocolates) the people in the shop were lovely and very friendly with some Blue John jewellery and other gems for the kids. You can take dogs which is also awsome and simple toilets for patrons to use.
Nigel was a fantastic tour guide, full of knowledge and very friendly. Made you feel at ease when going so deep underground. Not for those who are claustrophobic or of poor fitness due to the stairs and depth, but otherwise absolutely fascinating and beautiful place. I was hesitant of the £18 entrance fee and had actually come once before and decided against going inside the cavern due to the price. Glad I coughed up this time and saw it.
This was a brilliant find and had a great time. Nigel was our guide and he was fantastic breaking down the history of the cavern, mining and of course the Blue John stones. It was made far better with hunour and his way of telling his stories. Next time we visit the peaks, we will return!
Also note there is this broken road which was explained on the tour a little further down the road from where the car park is. Worth having a look at
A great place to visit if you’re in the areas, our guide (I think his name is Tim) had great knowledge of the caves to share with us and we also experience some polishing of the fluorite which was a fun add on to the experience. The staff in the shop were very helpful too allowing our group to make 3 jewellery purchases! Recommended for sure 😊 Pro tip - take a torch 🔦
A lovely few hours, the tour guide was very knowledgeable and also made us laugh, there are a lot of steps and it's a bit slippery in places but this is told to you before you go in. Would recommend
Whilst only lasting approximately an hour or so. This experience was very educational and fun. This wouldn't have been possible, if not for our wonderful guide, George. Full of rich information and personality, the man was truly a delight. Thank you, George!
The information the guides give as you tour the caven is fantastic. Not for the faint hearted, unfit, or any walking issues due to the the number of steps to climb down and back up again. No buggies either but they do allow dogs.
Really great experience! The caves are super interesting and the staff and guides (esp. George) were really informed and obviously love their jobs! There are a lot of steps and doing it with a carried baby and a 4year old was a challenge, but just about doable...although we were all pretty tired on the way up! Arrive early as, especially on a nice day, the roads and car parks fill really quickly!
Had a great time, me and the dog, down the Caverns. Our guide Nígel was great, he really knew his stuff and shepherded us all through expertly. Thoroughly recommend checking them out if you're anywhere nearby.
We decided on visiting this cavern as we have an interest in the Blue John crystal. The best part of the visit was the guide Andy, who was extremely knowledgeable and engaging. He made the whole tour really interesting, even the children were asking him questions.
We only saw the Blue John on 'display' as Andy explained that the Blue John that was mined was inaccessible to the public, which was a real shame (although we can understand why, visitors may we help themselves to a souvenir!).
I found the ascent really exhausting but Andy warned us that it wasn't for anyone with mobility issues, so please be aware of this. There were small children in the group as well as a dog on a lead. We saw a pregnant lady before we descended, so make your own mind up before you pay!
There are unisex toilets and a gift shop where the kids in the group bought sweets, a clock and onyx goblets 😂
Had a good tour of the caves and had a very informative guide who was happy to answer questions. Interesting cave system. Also a cafe and gift shop. Dogs were also welcome in the mine.
Just an amazing place never really thought of going but just awe inspired
By the sight of 300million years of creation Infront of me I could touch and feel it
Definitely breathe taking! Very impressive and beautiful place to visit. Chris our tour guy was magnificent. Love the stories and jokes too. Chris has kept us entertained and engaged in the conversation at all the times. Great and friendly staff. Reasonable prices and lovely shop as well. The hand made jewellery was beautifully made and exposed for our eyes. Will recommend it to everyone!
It was such an exhausting visit. Pay attention to the talk at the beginning and if you are in doubt, turn back.
Really interesting and funny guide, lots of facts we didn't know.
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