Castleton: Gateway to the Peak District

Peveril Castle

Also known as Castleton or Peak Castle is an early medieval castle overlooking the village of Castleton. Left to ruins, the only thing still standing is the keep which was built by King Henry II in 1176. 

 The climb to the castle at the top of the hill will leave you breathless (literally, climb slow) when taking in the views over the Hope Valley. Touring Peveril’s ruins sadly is not free but your fee helps preserve what’s left of the ruins.  Be sure to pop in to the visitor centre to learn about the Royal Forest of the Peak, a royal hunting preserve since the 11th century and meet the royal Ginger Cat who guards the entrance. His toll is a scratch under the ol’ chiny chin chin. 

Take as much time as you like through this self-guided tour but it probably won’t take you more than 45 minutes to see.  Explore the remains of the keep including the garderobe aka. medieval lavatory! Pew. After that, (or perhaps first to keep your appetite), enjoy a picnic lunch on the bailey (fancy speak for courtyard).  Climbing in or on the castle walls is probably not permitted, however there are no signs posted to tell you not to so I leave that with you…

Now off with you. To the Keep!

Cave Dale

This lovely valley blanketed in green is like something out of Lord of the Rings and can be seen from Peveril’s Castle keep. Find the gate entrance down below the castle but first go by the gift shop for an ice cream or famous Kendal mint cake as you’ll need your strength for the trek. Be sure to put on proper footwear as the terrain of the valley can be very rocky and wet (water here runs into the ground and floods Peak and Speedwell caverns). Along the path you will see several caves for exploring. Some of these caves can be dangerous and serve as ventilation to the larger tourist caverns (see Lost in the caves). Please use caution when venturing. Cave Dale goes on for miles. I travelled far enough to get a view of Castleton with the castle in the foreground. It is well worth the journey with breaktaking views of England’s beautiful countryside. 

Lost in the Caves

The Peak District of England is one of the most beautiful places in the UK. It’s a mountain climber’s paradise with plenty of caves to be explored for those courageous enough to spelunk their way through.

For those of you wondering (mum) what spelunking is, imagine yourself venturing around the caves with a headlamp squeezing through tight spaces and diving through deep, dark pools of water. Not for the faint of heart I assure you. Also not something I would ever see my mother doing, but lucky for us her daughter is much more daring and lives for this sort of craziness. *Note here that the British call this “potholing” which on American roads I can assure you is a whole different kind of adventure!

Not quite that brave but still looking for a rainy day activity in the peaks? (It rains most days up north).  I suggest you visit the caves nearby. Parking is mostly P&D but well-marked and close by Speedwell and Peak Caverns in Castleton. If you plan to see both caves purchase a joint ticket to save some money which you can get at either cave’s entrance.

Speedwell Cavern

Without spoiling the surprise too much for you, this cavern can be seen by boat and gets quite tight in spaces so don’t forget to wear your hard hat!  I would recommend skipping this one if you happen to be claustrophobic. But if you aren’t much for small spaces then I don’t guess you would be in a cave in the first place…

Be warned the entrance is quite steep with over 170 steps to reach the bottom of the cave before you load into the boat. Mind your head as the “ceiling” of the cave is VERY low. Chugging along in the motor boat meant for dwarfs until you reach the ‘Bottomless Pit’, you will be more than thankful for the stop as you get to stretch your legs for a wee bit. Any guesses as to how deep you think The Pit is? I won’t tell ruin your fun and tell but suggest you go see it for yourself. Get crammed back into the boat with the other twenty sardines they call tourists and begin the venture back to the light of day. Tom, our boatman, (I now feel like I’m crossing the River Styx with Tom the boat keeper into Hades so I’m sure to treat him right- he’s the only hope at getting back out of the cave!) told us a tale of the time the cave flooded and the travellers got stuck in their boat for over SIX hours as the water rose over the boat and …..well… details…who wants those? The main idea here is that it’s quite safe and …hey wait…where are you going…?

Peak Cavern

Concert in a cave? Sure! Why not? Over Guy Fawke’s Day the day British celebrate the almost blowing up of Parliament by re-enacting this with fireworks, bonfires and music (Remember, Remember the 5^th of November). Peak Cavern hosted a concert with fireworks display (which I’m still convinced is all really for my own birthday covered up with this Guy Fawke’s stuff). The cavern’s entrance is the largest in all the British Isles and plenty big enough for hundreds gathered for a concert. Whilst no need for a hard hat, as this cave is much more spacious than Speedwell, it does get snug in places. It wouldn’t be deemed a cave without the tight fit right? Peak Cavern is filled with large caverns, some big enough to fit St. Paul’s Cathedral in over 100 times! In order to reach these caverns however you must be the size of Queen Victoria. The cavern slims down to just a very small opening which was blasted open for the Queen to fit through and explore. Keep in mind that “Vicky” was four-foot nothin’ so for those tall folks on the tour get ready to bend or crawl to the next cavern. We were informed this passageway has the tendency to flood on very rainy days (just like the ones we’ve experienced all weekend…) and will take less than twelve minutes to fill to the top! How long can you hold your breath the guide asks and I shoot her a less- than- impressed look. I didn’t fancy a swim.

I got even with her when she proudly showed off the cave’s stalactites which protruded a full three inches from ceiling and I awed calling them cute babies. She promptly corrected me and said they were not babies but over a thousand years old. So if I came back in half a million years they would actually be worth seeing?!?! Now it was her turn not to be impressed.

There are no stalagmites on the floor of this cave. (Tites are on the top, mites on the bottom. There is your school lesson for the day). If you are up for seeing gems, tites and mites visit Blue John Cavern a few miles down the road; Peak Cavern has never had nor ever been, mined for precious metals or stones. There are several different caves to go exploring when in the Peak District just don’t forget your helmets and mind your noggin!