Creswell Crags
Creswell Crags is an enclosed limestone gorge found on the border between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The cliffs here contain caves that were occupied during the last ice age, between around 43,000 and 10,000 years ago; and contain the most northerly cave art in Europe.
It is described as an extraordinary archaeological park, where you can go on tours of the caves, to see where early men used to live, examine centuries old witches marks or just take a leisurely walk through the gorge around the lake. There was originally a river running through the gorge but it was dammed in the 19th century to form the beautiful lake we see today.
The gorge is open every day and it is free to wander around and enjoy the adjacent countryside. You really do feel as if you are walking in the footsteps of early humans, woolly mammoths and believe it or not - Hippopotamus'! Yes - this is the furthest north that they ever reached and evidence has been found to prove they lived right here.
The limestone cliffs are home to many caves of varying sizes and depths. They were only discovered in the 19th century and given strange names by Victorian explorers. They weren't the most careful archaeologists, using dynamite to open some of the caves up. So much material was quickly removed that today’s archaeologists are now carefully excavating the spoil heaps of these previous excavations, to look for any artefacts which were missed!
Here are a few of the cave name markers........
Not all the caves are accessible today and you need to book a tour if you want to go inside them. There are nine large caves, with various different tours offered.
There are information boards and speaking information posts all the way around the lake - mostly at the entrances to the caves.
One of the caves you can have a tour into is the Robin Hood Cave - you have to book the "Life in the Ice Age Cave Tour".
The Robin Hood Cave is the largest cave here and this tour takes you into two of its main chambers. You are accompanied by one of Creswell's fabulous guides, who are also archaeologists - and are told how history has been pieced together from fragments discovered here. It is a fascinating tour, where you discover about the lives of Ice Age people and animals that visited these caves thousands of years ago; and you get to hold some Stone Age tools etc.
The tour is suitable for all ages, my 5 year old grandson had a wonderful time and I even had to take him back for a second visit (which is free of charge within the year).
You are given a safety briefing etc before you go out on the cave tour, and everyone has to wear a hard hat and carry a torch - and the tour takes about an hour. Afterwards you can enjoy some time at "The Meadow", where you will find a children's play area, wildlife garden (with Woolly mammoth tusks) and and outdoor classroom.
This is a Woolly mammoth hedge - that you can go inside to get the feel of its size.
For any budding archaeologists or palaeontologist, there is a great area where they can have a go at digging for bones or fossils - and examining items under a huge microscope (again this is all free).
There have been so many bones of different animals found here - bear, spotted hyaena, hippopotamus, woolly rhinoceroses, horses, reindeer and arctic foxes.
Another thing that Creswell is famous for, is the number of historic Witches Marks that have been found - they were only recently discovered in 2018. There is a Witch Marks Cave Tour, this one also goes into Robin Hood Cave but shows you the marks on the walls - rather that the history of the old bones and tools found inside it. This is the largest collection of Witch Marks in Britain. You are also told about the superstitions of the local residents and the fear that so-called witches bought to the area.
There is a small museum next to the shop upstairs, which charges a small entrance fee. It is well worth going in, as the exhibition tells of how and when things were discovered here - and what this area was like tens of thousands of years ago. There is a great little film that has been made showing what the gorge and lake and Creswell might have looked like .......................
120,000 years ago..................
60,000 years ago.......................
and 12,000 years ago in the last Ice Age..................
Here are some of the notice boards from the museum so you can read more about what has been discovered in this area.
There is another cave tour that is available - that is to go inside Church Hole Cave to see early art and engravings, and to learn why they are so special. Here, in 2003, an engraving was found that was over 12,000 years old - the oldest coloured drawing known in Britain - it is of a horse running along with its mane flying.
There is a visual display that shows how the caves in the limestone cliffs have evolved over the years.
Before you leave, you must visit the shop. It is full of so many interesting, well-priced items; often locally produced. Every time I have been, I have left with several bargains; and there is a lovely cafe with indoor and outdoor seating.
I cannot tell you how much I love Creswell Crags, there is so much there to see and do. My grandson loves the place as much as I do, and I think we will be returning for many years to come.
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