Peak Cavern

Amazing place to visit. We honestly did not have high expectations before coming, but the experience was excellent. There was a tour guide who explained the history, geography, and geology of the cave from several perspectives. The tour takes around one hour. Children cannot enter with a trolley or pushchair. The natural features of the cave were truly fascinating. I think I would come again. Tickets are around £20 per adult

Seriously, visiting Peak Cavern (The Devil's Arse, which is already a win) for the Christmas Carol concert was an absolute blast. Who knew a historical cave could be such an incredible, atmospheric venue for a live band? The acoustics were surprisingly brilliant, and the whole place felt magical—you could almost forget you were standing inside a giant hole in the ground! The real showstopper, though, was the audience's very un-Christmassy, but incredibly hilarious, competitive streak that emerged during the "12 Days of Christmas." Forget harmonious caroling, it was an all-out seasonal sing-off! Great evening, phenomenal venue, and spectacular, unexpected entertainment. 10/10 would accidentally start a vocal battle in a massive cave again!

A great tour of Peak cavern (the devil’s arse) The tour guide was absolutely fantastic, funny and extremely entertaining. His knowledge was excellent and the demonstrations of how the rope was made was fab! Ideal for families as they encourage them to partake. Well worth a visit. It was £22 per ticket for adults, not sure how much it is for children. Will probably stipulate on the website.

The Christmas Brass Band concert - brilliant - fabulous atmosphere at The Devils Arse Cavern. Gates opened at 3.00 ready for the 4.00 start. The caverns beautifully lit with Christmas lights & decs. A hot mulled wine/mince pies on arrival. Great music (perhaps the brass band could have upped the tempo a bit ... a couple of carols were hard to sing so slow !) But still great. Fun chap leading us, just a fabulous way to celebrate Christmas Eve. Carparks nearby (Peak Cavern carpark £8 for the day, Village carpark £4.50 for 3/4 hours). No toilets at the Cavern (nearest in the village).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Truly Amazing Underground Adventure! Peak Cavern completely blew me away. The entrance alone is stunning — the largest cave entrance in Britain — and it sets the mood for an unforgettable experience. The tour was engaging from start to finish, with a brilliant guide who explained the history, geology, and even the old rope-making story in a fun and interesting way. Inside the cavern, the atmosphere is incredible. Huge chambers, natural echoes, and beautiful rock formations make it feel like you’re exploring a hidden world beneath the Peak District. Everything was well organised, safe, and very enjoyable. An absolute must-see if you’re visiting Castleton. Five stars all the way — I would definitely come back again!

We went here as a last min day out. Booked the tickets online which is a good idea incase its too busy. Had a very enjoyable time, Chris the tour guide was both knowledgable and engaging. Would recommend this to anyone

Our tourguide Charlie was amazing! Because of him, the tour was great. It was a bit dissapointing that we didnt see that much of the cave. Nobody's fault, but it would have been great to see more of it.

Love this cave!! Went to a goth tribute act gig here and it was amazing!! The atmosphere was unreal. Lighting and sound engineering were on point, and all the staff were lovely! The walk up to the Cavern is an experience in itself. Beautiful buildings and bridges over the stream. And when we left the gig, the mist had settled over the stream, giving it a really spooky look. Almost as if someone had created it exactly for a goth gig hahaha. It was great. Really enjoyed this place and would love to come back again!

Peak Cavern is one of four show caves in Castleton, an area famed for its extensive networks of limestone caverns. Peak Cavern has the largest natural cave entrance of any in Britain, and of the four caves in Castleton is the most natural (the form of the others being partially created by mining). Its historic name was the "Devil's Arse", so called as people in mediaeval times thought the caves as entrances to hell, and the air movement in Peak Cavern during flood made a noise like, well, passing wind! The cave experienced a limited amount of mining, was used as a piggery, and until the early 20th century a small community of rope-makers lived and worked in houses in the entrance. Tourist visits proper began in the 18th Century and really took off in the 19th century. Queen Victoria visited but was too large for the small coffin-like boat used to navigate one of the flooded passages, so miners blasted a new passage - part of today's route. She also had the name changed from its raw mediaeval one... An original boat is now on display, having been naturally excavated during a flood. Mining has in modern times reduced the water levels so, whilst the cave can still flood dramatically, the streams and pools are shallower than historically was the case. Today's tours are all led by a guide and last about 40 minutes. The talk covers the history, geology and natural history - the caves are home to specialised bacteria, water fleas, freshwater shrimp and blind trout. The walk goes through a series of huge chambers, linked by low passages. Sadly, most of the stalactites and stalagmites were cut or shot down in the 19th century, but the grandeur comes from the sheer scale of the chambers. Further in - but beyond the section open to the public - the system contains largest natural cave chambers in Britain - the aptly named Leviathan and Titan - the latter being over 450 feet high. Practicalities: it can be quite cold inside the cave, so carry a fleece or sweater. The cave floor is, in parts, uneven, wet and slippery, so flat shoes with good grip are also recommended. A few of the passages have very low ceilings and require you to duck for some distance.

TAKE THE TOUR!! Listen to what your guide tells you, it is well worth the money. The tour of the cavern is great the information is great from the explanation of the rope making that used to happen there all the way though to the strange rock formations and to why the cavern is also called The Devil's Arse.

Castleton is such a charming cute little village and you definitely need to visit the peak cavern! Unfortunately it's a bit pricey (£ 9.95) but for an hour guide (awesome and motivated tour guide) it was pretty worth it! Loved it and do not forget to wear flat shoes ;)

This is a lovely tour for children to go on. The guide absolutely makes this cave experience with his knowledgeable and funny story telling. He makes sure that all the children feel happy even in sometimes dark and cramped spaces. The tour takes about 40 minutes if I remember correctly and there is one part where you have to stoop to get through, so it is not for the claustrophobic. The guide shows you round the cave and tells you about the time Queen Victoria visited, shows you remnants from Doctor Who filming, and points out Byron's signature. It is a very reasonable and fun family activity.