Dark caves, vaults, tunnels and mines are not everyone’s idea of a great day out. The underworld has had a bad reputation since the ancient Greeks called it Hades – the realm of the dead.
But for our Paleolithic ancestors, caves provided safety and shelter from the elements. For anyone planning a staycation this summer, they offer an exciting alternative to the beach – without having to rely on sunny weather forecasts.
Britain has numerous natural caves, as well as deep underground spaces carved out by humans. Not only do they provide an escape from the summer crowds at above-ground attractions, but they also inspire a sense of awe.
The heading below reveals millions of years of geology and the hard work of those who bravely tunneled into the Plutonic depths, using rudimentary tools by the light of smoky tallow candles.
Serious cavers love squeezing through impossibly tight spaces to enter previously unmapped chambers. For casual day trippers, however, there are underground worlds to explore that don’t require much effort. Some don’t need a helmet or headlamp, while others see visitors in full caving suits wedged onto an underground via ferrata.
Whatever your thrill level, here’s a selection of 10 of the best caves, mines and tunnel experiences in Britain.
They range from places with cafes, gift shops and museums to modest activities run by volunteers, which are only open to the public for a limited number of days each year.
None would be suitable for claustrophobia.
1. Beer Quarry Caves, Devon, England
Since Roman times, a layer of fossil-free limestone has been excavated 60 meters underground here in the Beer (last year voted the ‘best British seaside village for nostalgia’). The remaining caverns – once used to hide contraband – stretch over an area the size of more than 100 football fields.
Lit with bare electric lights and without having to crouch, visitors learn about its 2,000-year history, including how a 24-ton block was pulled away from Exeter Cathedral by a team of 26 horses. The place is wonderfully quiet, but guides have a wealth of knowledge.
Book a one-hour tour by calling 01297 680 282 (£12 adult; £10 child). Find more information beergrovecaves.co.uk.
Plan a trip to Devon with our guide.
2. Standedge Tunnel, West Yorkshire, England
This is the highest, longest and deepest canal tunnel in Britain, dug under the Pennines. It takes about two hours in a narrowboat to cover the dark, unlit stretch of more than three miles.
The tunnel roof consists largely of bare rock, sometimes cramped, and opens into spacious caves. Trains pass in an adjacent tunnel, connected by adits. No boat? No problem. In a unique twist, the Canal & River Trust has also launched canoe trips through the tunnel, running from June to August.
The Canal & River Trust operate tour boats. 30-minute tours start in Marsden (£10 per adult; £8 per child), where there is a café and visitor centre. Occasionally there are two-hour tours all the way through. Shorter journeys are wheelchair accessible. Alternatively, there are canoe trips on dates in June, July and August (£100 for two in one canoe; £55 solo). More information at Canalrivertrust.org.uk.
3. Gaping Gill, North Yorkshire, England
Twice a year, caving clubs set up a rudimentary winch and lower brave adventurers, one by one, 300 feet into the depths of Gaping Gill, one of the largest natural underground chambers in Britain.
After the one-minute descent you can wander freely – there is temporary electric light – before ascending into daylight. The waterfall that usually flows through the roof of the cave is (largely) diverted, but waterproof clothing and warm clothes are essential.
The next winch days are August 9 to 16 (£20 cash, no advance booking). Gaping Gill is a 90-minute walk from the village of Clapham. More information at cravenpotholeclub.org.
4. Geevor Tin Mine, Cornwall, England
This tin mine was in operation until 1990 and still has its above-ground infrastructure, which is the main attraction, but there is also a small section of a restored historic drift mine that visitors can enter with a safety helmet.
Guides – former miners – tell stories about tin and copper mining, then and now. If you are physically unable to visit this 18th century mine, you can enjoy a 360 degree Virtual Reality experience. Finish with a Cornish cream tea.
Adult €20.50, child €11.60. More information at geevor.com.
Plan a trip to Cornwall with our guide.
5. Nenthead Mines, Cumbria, England
This former lead mine is a labyrinth of 50 kilometers of underground workings at an altitude of 300 meters in the Pennines. On a 90-minute volunteer-led tour, enter a horizontal tunnel in the hillside where a horse-drawn railway once ran and explore approximately 800 feet of underground spaces before descending a 30-foot ladder.
A notable feature of this Cumbrian mining complex is the ancient stone wall (rather than timber) that lines the shafts and shafts.
Nenthead Mines Conservation Society holds open days in the summer. A donation is requested (suggested £11 adult; £5 child). More information at nentheadmines.com.
For a tailor-made tour to more challenging parts of the mines, contact Steve Cousins at rockshowman.com (from €165).
6. Wild Wookey, Somerset, England
This hugely popular cave complex beneath Somerset’s Mendip Hills, and close to the Cheddar Gorge, needs little introduction. During the Wild Wookey experience, guided by professional cavers, you will be dressed in overalls, gloves, safety helmet and headlamp.
The adrenaline-fueled adventure lasts up to three hours and traverses the illuminated show caves. You must be physically fit to be able to rappel (up to 23 meters at one point), hold via ferrata and crawl through tight spaces.
From €72 per person. More information at wildwookey.co.uk and bring boots (or walking shoes).
Plan a trip to Somerset with our guide.
7. Llechwedd, Gwynedd, Wales
The former slate mine of Llechwedd has been converted into a world’s first underground playground, with trampoline nets in huge caverns for children (and adults) to bounce around, while the more adventurous enjoy the adrenaline thrills of the underground high ropes course.
This includes rope bridges, via ferrata and 13 cable cars. There is also a Deep Mine tour, where you can learn about the 16 underground levels and how most of the slate now unfortunately comes from China. The steepest cable car in Europe takes you back above ground.
A three-hour Caverns experience costs £68 per person. Bounce Below costs from £25. Find out more at zipworld.co.uk.
8. South Bridge Vaults, Edinburgh, Scotland
A 19-arch viaduct became Edinburgh’s first purpose-built shopping street in the 18th century. More than 100 vaults were built under the arches, which were used as workshops, taverns and storage.
They were quickly abandoned due to humidity before the poor, homeless and criminals entered the hidden spaces. Today, tours of a small portion of this man-made habitat focus on ghosts and stories of witches’ covens. It may still be damp.
A one hour guided tour costs £20. More information at auldreekietours.com.
Plan a trip to Edinburgh with our guide.
9. Cresswell Crags, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, England
Britain is mysteriously devoid of cave art, but in 2003 a historic discovery was made in this limestone gorge littered with caves.
Church Hole Cave features depictions of wildlife such as bison and ibis that roamed the area more than 12,000 years ago.
The engravings are difficult to recognize without the help of a guide. Archaeologists have also found quartzite and flint tools, and others made from bones and antlers, used in the last ice age.
An Art in the Ice Age tour costs £15 for adults and £10 for children. More information at cresswell-crags.org.uk.
10. National Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Equipped with a hard hat, battery and lamp, and with your metal miner’s check in hand (a token to keep track of how many are underground), a former miner is your guide as you descend more than 400 feet into a mine cage.
Below ground you can see the mining works and mining works during a 90-minute tour of more than a third of a kilometer. Above ground there are canaries and pit ponies, as well as a café, library and museum displaying a rare miner’s chess set.
Underground tours £7.50 donation requested. The above-ground museum is free. More information at ncm.org.uk.