Castles, Caves & Caverns

Castleton is awash with them – and that is just over the hill. An hour’s walk or a ten minute drive (head right out of the village and up over Mam Tor – turn left at the T-Junction).

There are four show caves open to the public in and around Castleton: Peak Cavern, Speedwell Cavern, Treak Cliff Cavern and Blue John Mine.

Peak Cavern

This is the only wholly natural cavern of the four and is the least commercialised. It was known to locals as the Devil’s Arse and the stream issuing from it as the Styx, which give some idea of how the locals used to feel about it. The approach and entry are very impressive, taking you into an immense cleft in the rock below the crag on top of which sits Peveril Castle and into a wide and spacious cave entrance. Beyond this lie miles of passages though the standard tour only goes a few hundred metres into the cavern. There are often concerts going on in the cave so do check online.

Speedwell Cavern

Speedwekk Cavern lies at the foot of Winnats Pass and is probably the most popular cavern of the four. This is a mine with several natural chambers and an underground canal which forms the centrepiece of the visit. Steps lead down from the entrance to the canal, where visitors take a boat trip leading eventually to the Bottomless Pit, a large water-filled natural cavern so high you cannot see the top.

Treak Cliff Cavern

Treak Cliff Cavern is higher up the old Mam Tor road and contains a range of nice stalactite and stalagmite formations. The cave was originally a lead mine, but now mines Blue John. The initial sections of the cave pass through the old mine workings and veins of Blue John stone can be clearly seen in the walls.

Blue John Mine

The Blue John Mine lies just below the crumbling face of Mam Tor and is approached via Winnats Pass (a great drive from Edale down to Castleton – some might spot it from the film The Princess Bride!). Like Treak Cliff, the mine is part natural, part mine-workings, and contains natural chambers, veins of Blue John, fossils and stalactites and stalagmites. It descends a long series of steps to reach several large chambers, all of which contain fine formations and interesting minerals.

Peveril Castle

Peveril Castle is the reason for the existence of Castleton and looms above the village. It is in the care of English Heritage and is well worth a visit. The views from the castle, down to Cave Dale, to Mam Tor and to Castleton itself are excellent.

You enter the castle up a very steep climb from Castleton, but this was not the original main approach, which went up Goosehill and zig-zagged up the hill to approach along the ridge above Cavedale which reaches towards the keep. Peveril dug a breach in this ridge to create a moat which had a wooden bridge across it. Sadly, this bridge has gone and not been replaced.

The Castleton entrance leads in through the remains of a gatehouse which was built in the 12th century and into the main courtyard of the castle. Around this is the remains of a curtain wall, which was constructed in early Norman times by the Peverils, and includes Roman tiles which presumably were taken from the ruins of the Roman fort at Navio (Brough).

Dominating the site are the remains of the stone-built keep, which was built by Henry II in 1176 and is relatively well preserved. The keep was originally about 60 feet high and was faced with fine gritstone blocks, which still remain on the east and south sides. It dominates the view across both Castleton and Cavedale below. Inside the courtyard it is possible to trace the foundations of a Great Hall and kitchens and other buildings, but it is the view across the surrounding countryside which is the finest feature of the visit.