Peak Cavern

by Dhanya Nair (subscribe)

If you are still struggling for ideas for the bank holiday weekend then take a look at this wonder in Derbyshire - the Peak Cavern, also known as the Devil's Arse.

The Peak Cavern is a collection of caves made of stalactite rocks, which sustained an entire village some 200 years back. One of the biggest attractions here, Peak Cavern is almost entirely natural made.



The entrance to the caves is jaw dropping beautiful; it looks like an immense cleft on a humongous rock and sits in sharp contrast to a quaint stream flowing nearby. As you go under the cleft, you enter a wide, impressive entrance of the caves. Families engaged in rope making used to live here. Even today you can see a house or two, not bigger than your own double bed, there. As a testimony to the thriving rope making industry of the yore, the cave managers still give you lessons and tours on how they did it.

Beyond the entrance a narrow passage leads to a chamber known as the Bell-House.Standing tall, along its path is the Great Cave which is about 60m high and contains a passage in its roof which emerges near Peveril Castle. Interestingly, it was believed that the devil stayed inside this cave and since the gurgling stream would make some noise, it was said that the devil was passing gas. Hence, the name Devil's Arse.



It's name was changed to Peak Cavern in the 1900s in order to please Queen Victoria, who couldn't have said such a vulgar name.

Today, there are several passages that will lead you from the Vestibule, the entrance.But,only one is open to the public. Known as the "Lumbago Walk", is was named thus because it required visitors to bend a lot.

The narrow, undulated paths really require a brave heart to explore. The route takes you to the Great Cave, the furthest point currently open to the public. It's the largest natural cave entrance in British Isles, which will you take you to a bygone era in an instant.

This place could be the best alternative to the time travelling machine.

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Why? Peak Cavern is almost entirely natural made.

Where: Peak Cavern Rd, Hope Valley, S33 8WS, United Kingdom