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Peveril Castle, Castleton - Photo:
George Griffin
CCL |
The home of the so-called
‘blue john’ stone, Castleton has steep narrow
streets and pretty stone cottages. But beneath
them lies the reason why this Peak district wonder
is famous the world over - an extensive system of
subterranean caves and caverns that continue to
attract thousands of tourists each year. Most are
accessed on foot but one, the Speedwell Mine,
takes visitors into the bowels of the earth by
boat. Only Peak Cave is a true cave because the
others are man-made mines. Blue John itself is a
type of fluorspar from which the Victorians made
numerous items, from vases to clocks. |
