周辺の洞窟・トップ13

A short but exciting scramble up the rocky outcrop behind Birchover village leads to Rowtor Rocks, a wonderland of weirdly carved boulders, hidden tunnels, secret steps, and a proper little cave once used by a 17th-century vicar who liked to play at being a druid. Kids from age 4 absolutely love it here – there’s endless climbing, squeezing through narrow gaps, discovering carved chairs and altars, and plenty of “secret cave” excitement without it ever feeling too big or overwhelming. The paths are short, the rocks are grippy, and little legs can explore to their heart’s content while parents keep an easy eye from just a few metres away. Bring wellies or grippy shoes after rain (it can be slippy) and let the kids lead the adventure – they’ll be talking about their “druid cave mission” for weeks

• A small but striking natural arch carved by erosion in a gritstone outcrop. • Dimensions: • Span: ~3–4 meters wide • Height: ~2 meters at center • Thickness: ~1 meter • Formed over thousands of years by frost weathering and water seepage along joints in the rock. • Overgrown with moss, ferns, and small trees — blends perfectly into the woodland

I would respectfully note that this cave is not the easiest to access. https://delta-exploits.net/

A nice place for a little scramble...and a great view at the top. Rowtor Rocks consists of numerous interlinked tunnels and caverns, some natural and some man-made. Many of the rocks have been carved with symbols and pictures, including serpents, circles and cups. A series of steps, thrones and altars have also been fashioned out of the stone in a number of places.

The Delf is a natural valley that runs south from the idyllic Peak District village of Eyam. A short way down it is Cucklet Delf (which I’ve also seen spelt ‘Cucklett’ or ‘Delph’), a beautiful limestone craglet that forms a cavern with two large arches. From 1666, the larger of two archways became the pulpit for the twenty-seven-year-old village rector, William Mompesson. From here, he could preach into the valley and be heard by his congregation, gathered in disparate family groups on the opposite hillside. Throughout the outbreak of the plague, this crag — and, in fact, this whole section of the Delf — became the Cucklet Church.

Lathkill Head Cave is a cavern within the limestone of the gorge that forms Lathkill Dale, in the White Peak area of the Peak District, in Derbyshire. The cave mouth is found to the east of Monyash. In wet weather, the water trickling in innumerable rills into the cave creates a stream gushing forth from its mouth to form the River Lathkill, whence the name of the cave. In dry weather the headwater of the river is formed from the springs a little below. The rocks here are fissured and complex. Cavers have found a number of entrances into the cave which are explored by the fearless.

Also referred to as Cucklet Church - this is the site that was used as an alternative to the Village church during the plague outbreak of 1665.

Such a beautiful walk dottted with an industrial history

The normal path is closed till 2026 so a trek along the edge was our favoured route,bit duct for the younger or faint hearted but most e joys le from my end

Not to be confused with the other Deep Dale, 4 miles (6.4 km) to the east near Sheldon, this Deep Dale is a short, yet steep-sided limestone gorge not far from the market town of Buxton. A protected nature reserve, its mix of yew, ash, whitebeam and hazel is a riot of colour in spring, when wildflowers bloom. At the head of the gorge is Thirst House Cave, the site of some interesting historical discoveries. A bear’s skull was found by local boys towards the end of the 19th century, leading to further excavations. Bronze jewellery, pottery fragments, enamelled brooches and coins were discovered, all from Roman times. Much of the hoard is now on display in Buxton Museum.

NESTLED ON A HILL ABOVE the sleepy Derbyshire village of Birchover is an unusual rock outcropping. The rocks contain a number of caves and numerous features which look as though they may have ritualistic origins. Poke around, and you’ll spot what look like altars, thrones, and arcane symbols carved into the stones. Given the proximity to other Bronze Age sites such as the Nine Ladies Stone Circle, it’s easy to think that the formations at Rowtor Rocks date from the same period and were a site of significance, perhaps for Druid rituals. But as it turns out, this is not the case. In fact, the stones were carved in the late 18th century by a local parson named Thomas Eyre. The rocks were passed off as a Druid stronghold by Eyre, possibly in an attempt to generate some tourist revenue, or maybe just reflecting his own interests.

I would declare that this is not the easiest of Caves to get to. It's not the path in the immediate vicinity but the routes available to get there. 1) A path through boulder strewn Horseshoe Dale or 2) The steep precipitous descent from Caxterway Lane or 3) The path from King Sterndale which was flooded in Deep Dale when I visited on Dec 25th 2020 or 4) The alternative from the A6 car park being closed till 2026. I visited, as it was on my round walk from Chelmorton. I avoided the steep precipitous descent by entering the dales off the A515 and leaving by the steep precipitous ascent (better going up) near the cave. It is an interesting edifice and has been investigated thoroughly with artifacts being found that are now in the museum at Buxton. Search on the web re the the findings and it's use.

Great for bouldering and climbing

The old name for this cave was "Hob Hurst House" and was supposed to be home to a goblin. It was excavated in the 19th century and several artefacts of Roman origin were discovered, along with a bear skull!. Pack a torch and you can safely explore the back of the cave where a hard mud slope leads down into a large low chamber.

If entering the rocks coming up the hill them wait until you are near the druids inn. It’s easier to enter there.

Now this is a proper play ground in my opinion. You could spend hours here.

Rowtor Rocks are a series of caves, rooms, alcoves, tunnels, flights of stone steps, a stone armchair, a square font, ring markings, rock basins and square sockets for crosses. The impressive sculpting was completed by local parson Thomas Eyre three centuries ago.