Explore the magical underground world of Poole's Caverns found on the outskirts of the historic Spa town of Buxton in the High Peak of Derbyshire.
Learning new and interesting things doesn't have to stop during the school holidays. We visited Poole's Caverns and i was seriously impressed with how interesting their guided tour is. The Caverns are filled with folklore, history and unusual geological formations which made it a great activity to do as a family.
You can book onto a 45 minute tour where an enthusiastic guide will escort you through the beautiful underground world of Poole’s Cavern at a relaxed pace to enjoy this ‘Wonder of the Peak District’. Explore the vast limestone caverns and see how crystal Stalactites and Stalagmites have lined the chambers over millions of years.
Top Info
📅 Open Daily
⏰ 9.15am - 5pm
👶 Pushchair friendly
🐕 Dog friendly
☕ Cafe
🎁 Gift Shop
🪨 Small exhibition about human history & Poole’s Cavern
🌡 The temperature in the cavern is 7° centigrade
🌡 Wear warm clothes even when hot outside
🚶♀ 28 steps in the Cavern
⏰ Tours last 45mins
🧍 Tours leave from the visitor centre
👩👧 SEN tours 1st Sat of the month
🚗 Car Park £2 for 4 hrs, £3 all day
🌎 Green Ln, Buxton SK17 9DH
Arriving for our Tour
We arrived just a few minutes before our tour time. After checking in our booking we were advised to wear something warmer as we just had t-shirts on so i ran back to the car to get our jumpers. I never thought about the temperature inside the cavern but its a constant 7 degrees what ever the weather is like outside. So it's a good idea to dress in warm clothes what ever time of year you visit.
The Start of the Tour
We were in a group of about 16 people, with a good mix of both adults and children of all ages. Our tour guide led us out of the visitors centre and to the entrance of the cavern which is less then a 30 second walk. We were given a safety briefing and were told all about how the cavern was first found and made safe for us to go in.
Inside Poole Caverns
We were led a small way into the cavern before our first stop. In total there are 7 places where we stopped and huddled around our tour guide to be told information about what we were looking at.
The cavern has lots of light switches, which the guide puts on and off while talking so she can highlight certain features. She also uses a torch to do this, it was an excellent way to be able to draw our attention to a certain part and it meant children knew what she was talking about too.
The guide was fantastic, she knew so much and delivered it in a really nice and chatty way. It wasn't like she was just reading off a script but chatting with us and asking us a few questions along the way. It was a pleasure to listen to her talking about the cavern as she clearly loved what she was talking about.
Don't touch!
There is a lot you can't touch in Poole's Cavern. We learnt that the natural oil on our fingers makes it so the water drops roll off the stone and stop the Stalagmites growing so it is important that we don't touch them. There are a couple of them we can touch as they have started forming on the hand rail which was cool to see. There is another item you can touch which is called the "Dragon's Eye" if you pop your finger in the middle of the stone formation you can make a wish.
At the End of the Cavern
At the far end of the cavern there is an amazing stone formation covered in dry sparkling crystals. The cave goes on for a mile behind this stone but as yet it is yet to be seen or discovered. It is a slow and careful process uncovering the next section of this cave. Which just shows how special it is.
At this part of the tour the guide turned all the lights off. And oh my word it was the blackest darkness i have ever seen. Not a single bit of light. It made you remember that you were deep under ground and quite a while from the surface. A brilliant finish to the tour, before we casually walked back to the entrance together, with the lights back on of course.
⭐Our Final Verdict
I loved this. I had been in the cavern years ago for their amazing Meet Father Christmas event. Where it is beautifully lit up but you just walk through yourself. The guided tour is so worth booking onto. I loved finding out all the information about the history and how the cavern is formed. Its a natural beauty which should definitely been seen. My daughters enjoyed it and found it very different to other days out which made it stand out as an activity. Combining the cavern tour with a walk to Solomon's Temple made it a great summer holiday day out.
Children take in more than you think!
My daughter even lent over to whisper that she had learnt that the Romans liked living in caves as the tour guide explained that the Romans used to take shelter in the Poole Caverns. This shows me that she was listening and taking everything in that the tour guide was saying which i loved.
New for this Summer
Self guided Poole's Cavern Walkthrough
Available Wednesday 24th July- Tuesday 3rd September 2024 between 4-5pm
A bit if History
Poole's Cavern was attracting the attention of curious adventurers as early as the 16th century. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots is said to have visited in 1582; and in 1681 the writer Charles Cotton listed the cave as one of his seven 'Wonders of the Peak',
bringing a new-found fame to the cavern
All the Info you Need
Poole's Cavern is a family friendly, dog friendly, all weather, accessible experience. Book a tour and be taken through this ancient natural limestone cavern.
The Cavern tour is approximately 45 minutes underground. The temperature underground is a constant 7° centigrade, 44 Fahrenheit. There are 28 steps in the cavern, no more than 11 in one place. We suggest the use of child carriers over pushchairs for the best experience due to the steps and narrow passageways. Pushchairs can be left at your own risk at our cave entrance. There are just two low points. One located at the entrance and one located by the first set of steps. Both low points are clearly marked with 'Mind Your Head' signs. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on any Poole's Cavern Standard Guided Tour on a short lead, ( please purchase one Dog ticket per dog)
Gift Shop and Exhibition
Inside the visitor centre there is a lovely gift shop which is filled with handmade items from local artisans. Buxton inspired keepsakes, toys and lots of amazing crystals which my girls spent ages looking at.
There is also a small exhibition highlighting the human history and geology of Poole’s Cavern. It has lots of information boards up and some artifacts which were found inside the cavern while it was being cleared of sediment. Plus you will find "Cafe at the Caverns" in the centre which is a perfect place for lunch or a snack.
You can also find Country Park maps at the desk if you would like to explore the surrounding area which has some really lovely walks along sculpture trails and to Solomon’s Temple.
Cafe at the Cavern
The Café has a really nice looking menu for breakfast, lunch and children. They serve a range of hot food, snacks, hot and cold drinks and had a counter filled with cakes. I also noticed that they had a great range of gluten free food including a few cakes plus a whole gluten free menu. It was mid morning after our tour of the Caverns finished so we enjoyed hot drinks and a cake in the cafe. The children's hot chocolates looked so good, I was a bit jealous while i sat there with my tea.
If you’ve worked up an appetite exploring the Woodlands, Cavern or Go Ape Forest adventure course then this is the perfect place to call into for a treat.
Buxton Country Park
After our Cavern tour and cafe stop we then went for a walk to Solomons Temple in Buxton Country Park. The walk starts right by the car park so we collected out picnic from the car and set off. We took the Yellow route up to Solomons Temple which was about 2.5km, enjoyed our picnic at the base of the Temple. Then walked back to the carpark along the green path which is 2km. It was a really enjoyable walk which was easy to follow and had lots of wooden sculptures along the path to add interest. The views from Solomons Temple were really lovely, you could see the town of Buxton the the rolling hills behind.
For my full review of the walk click here Solomon's Temple - Buxton Country Park (daysoutandmealsout.com)
Poole's Cavern & Buxton Country Park is owned and managed by Buxton Civic Association Ltd. This charitable trust formed in 1967 to help protect the unique buildings and landscape of Buxton.
Go Ape
Right next to Poole Caverns is Go Ape. Their Buxton site is one of Go Ape's highest courses with high ropes, zipwires and challenges to test your fear lf heights. It is nestled with in the woods of Buxton Country Park making it the perfect partner activity to visiting Poole Caverns or a walk around the country park.
Visit July 2024
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