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| Image: the view from the entrance of Treak Cliff Cavern down the Hope valley. |
| Location: |
At the end of Hope Valley, 2km W of Castleton, Peak District.
25km from Sheffield, 45km from Manchester.
 Location by UK Streetmap
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| Open: |
All year daily 10-17, last tour 16:15. Closed 24-DEC, 25-DEC, 31-DEC, 01-JAN. [2008] |
| Fee: |
Adults £7, Children £3.60. Parking 1 hour 80p, over 5 hours £3. [2008] |
| Classification: |
 Karst cave,
Gem Mine,
Blue John formations.
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| Light: | electric |
| Dimension: | L=215m |
| Guided tours: | L=150m, D=20min. |
| Bibliography: |
Trevor C Ford (1992):
Treak Cliff Cavern and The Story of Blue John,
with a Foreword by Peter C Harrison. 1992. 24 pp.
Numerous colour plates and diagrams. Discovery, Tour of the Cavern, Rocks, Minerals etc. |
| Address: |
Treak Cliff Cavern, Castleton, Derbyshire S33 8WP. Tel: +44-1433-620571.
E-Mail: |
| Last update: | $Date: 2008/07/01 20:24:07 $ |
| 1745/50 | older series of chambers discovered. | |
| 1800 | part of the caverns opened to the public. | |
| 1843 | public parts improved and extended. | |
| During WWI | flourspar was used as a flux in blast furnaces and in the chemical industry. | |
| 1923 | a small cave close to the surface was discovered, containing the remains of two bronze age humans. | |
| 1926 | new series of chambers discovered. | |
| 1932 | alternative route to the new series discovered. | |
| 1934 | paths and lighting installed. | |
| 1935 | opened to the public. |
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| Image: This pilar is the last remains of a famous Blue John vein. It was necesessary to leave this pillar to insure the stability of the cavern. |
Treak Cliff Cavern is one of the places were Blue John, a blue or purple Fluorite is found. Nearby Odin Mine is the place where this rock was mined first. But here was one of the richest deposits and it was very close to the surface.
The first part of the cave is mainly artificial, being a remains of the Blue John mining. However, even in this part there are many natural caverns which helped a lot during mining. Beneath the mining, the part was opened to the public as early as 1800.
During the mining 1926, additional chambers were discoverd, which are deeper inside the mountain and have a much different character. There is no Blue John, but this part is very stable and shows many nice formation.
Another feature of the cave, is the beautiful view, down the Hope valley to Castleton. And this sight is for free!
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Treak Cliff consists of two distinct series of caverns. The outer series was discovered by lead miners in the eighteenth century, and contains some attractive beds of the semiprecious mineral, Blue John. The inner series, discovered in 1926, contains one of the best displays of stalactites in Castleton. It is called Aladdin's Cave. From this chamber a passage leads into Fairyland, a circular chamber containing a series of stalactites looking very much like carrots seen from below ground. From Fairyland, the passage leads into the Dream Cave. Here, many of the formations have been given names. There is the Elephant, the Crucifix, and many more besides. The longest stalactite here is nearly four feet in length and underneath it is a stalagmite about a foot high, only 1.5 inches away from it. It will take over a thousand years at the present rate of growth before they join up. The next chamber is called the Dome of St. Pauls; nearly 40 feet high, it presents a fascinating spectacle of colours in the stalactite draperies adorning the walls. The return to the surface takes us back through Fairyland, and out of an upper exit, which commands a fine view of the Hope Vailey. Text from: Tony and Anne Oldham (1972): Discovering Caves - A guide to the Show Caves of Britain. With kind permission by Tony Oldham. |
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