Other Places of InterestCreswell Crags

Creswell Crags are fairly local to me so over the years I have visited this place several times. The whole area is a Limestone Gorge scattered with Caves and small Fissures but these Caves hold secrets dating back to the Ice Age. The remains of Animals and Stone Tools found in the Caves here have proved that people lived in these Caves during the Ice Age, some 50,000 years ago.

Creswell Crags is one of the most Northern places on Earth where Ice Age Stone Men are known to have lived making this site of importance on not just a National but a World scale too.

In 2003 exploration into some of the smaller less explored Caves revealed Cave Art depicting Wolves, Bears and Mammoths. This is the only example of Ice Age Cave Art ever found in Britain.

The whole area is now owned and managed by the Heritage trust.

THE LOCATION

Creswell Crags are located on the border of North Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. A few miles to the East lies the Sherwood Forest and Robin Hood Country whilst to the West lies the Peak District National Park.

If you are approaching by Car then leave the M1 Motorway at Junction 30 and follow the signs towards Clowne. The A626 connects the M1 to Clowne and continues a further five miles or so to the small Village of Cresswell from where a right hand turn off this main road will take you to the Crags. There really is only one road to follow so it is easy to find but it is also well sign posted too from a few miles away.

THE VISITOR CENTRE

There is a large Visitor Centre and a Car Park located at the head of the Gorge. Parking here costs £2 (3.5 Euros) but is voluntary and by way of donation, you simply drop your money into a box. Since this charge goes towards the upkeep of the area most people pay this fee. Please note that this Car Park closes at 5pm and is locked with a Gate.

The Visitor Centre is modern and large to reflect the increasing popularity of the area. When I was a child there was a small wooden hut here that was described as a Visitor Centre, but in more recent years this has been replaced by a much grander affair.

If you are visiting this area for the first time then I would recommend that you visit here before setting off to explore the Gorge as the information here will point out many of the different things to look out for.

The Visitor Centre contains a Museum and Exhibition Centre. The exhibition is entitled "The Ace of Ice" and tells the story through various displays of the harsh existence of the Humans and Animals that inhabited this area between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago.

At the end of the Exhibition there is an Audio Visual Room where you can watch a short Video called "The Edge of Extinction." This Video lasts about 10 minutes and shows footage of some of the Archaeological digs that have taken place in the area.

Finally there is a fun area, aimed especially at Kids, but fun for Adults too, where there are Educational hands on Activities. There are several touch screens where you can play Games where you have to learn to become a successful Ice Age Hunter.

Finally there is a Gift Shop and small Cafe. The Gift Shop being cleverly positioned so that you are forced to walk right through it before you exit the Building. Toilets, including one for Disabled access are located just outside the exit.

Access to the Visitor Centre is free but donations are welcome.

The Visitor Centre is open seven days a week from 10.30am -4.40pm between February and October.
Between November and January the Centre opens the same hours but only on a Sunday.

THINGS TO DO

Apart from the Visitor Centre there is plenty to see and do at Creswell Crags.

There is a nice flat easy walk around the bottom of the Gorge on decent footpaths which takes you on a round walk around the Lake that occupies the bottom of the Gorge. From here you can see the entrances to the Caves on the steep embankments and whilst it is possible to scramble up to these (if you are able bodied) the entrances to the Caves are blocked off with Iron Rails to prevent access into the Caves and to preserve what is inside.

The Robin Hood Cave is the only Cave here that you can actually go inside on a regular basis. An experienced and very knowledgeable guide takes regular parties on a short trip into this Limestone Cave. These trips take place roughly every hour throughout the day.

There are also three other Cave tours that take place on various dates throughout the year. These are called the "Ice Age Tours" "The Rock Art Tours" and" The Cave and Collection Tours"
These do tend to get book booked up so booking in advance at the Visitor Centre is recommended.

The Ice Age Tour - This takes place every Saturday and Sunday throughout February - November. The tour lasts about one hour and there is usually only one tour per day.
Costs are as below:
Adults £2.90 ( 4.5 Euros) Children £2.50 (3.75 Euros)

Rock Art Tour - This takes place on the same days as the Ice Age Tour but only between March and September. This tour takes about 90 minutes and includes a short talk and display. Booking is essential.
Costs are as below:
Adults £6 (9 Euros) Children £3 (4.5 Euros)

Caves and Collection Tour - This takes place on the first Saturday of each Month between September and March. This tour includes a visit to Pin Hole Cave but also includes a behind the scenes tour of the Museum where you can handle some of the artefacts and other items on display. Booking is essential.
Costs are as below:
Adults £6 (9 Euros) Children £3 (4.5 Euros)

A family discount is available on all of the above tickets which gives a £2 (3.5 Euros) discount off the total price for any Adult accompanied by two or more Children.

There are various other activities that take place in the Gorge on various days throughout the year. These include:

Flint Knapping demonstrations which show how Ice Age people made their Flint Stone Tools.

Ice Age Crafts where you can build a Mammoth or take part in other Craft related activities.

Guided Walks during 'Ice Age Discovery Days' to places of interest including other adjacent Valleys and Caves.

CONCLUSION

I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is visiting this area or who lives within reasonable travelling distance.
It is an excellent family day out that is both educational and represents good value for money.