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Poole's Cavern

Peak District


A pleasant mile-long stroll southwest from the town centre brings you to Poole's Cavern. This magnificent natural limestone cavern is reached by descending 28 steps; the temperature is a cool 7°C. Tours last 50 minutes.

From the cavern's car park, a 20-minute walk leads up through Grin Low Wood to Solomon's Temple, a ruined tower with fine views over the town. Built in 1896 to replace an earlier structure, it sits atop a burial mound where Bronze Age skeletons were discovered.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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1. Pavilion Gardens

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Adjoining Buxton's opulent opera house are the equally flamboyant Pavilion Gardens. These 9.3 hectares are dotted with domed pavilions; concerts take…

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2. Buxton Museum & Art Gallery

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In a handsome Victorian building, the town museum has records of fossils found in the Peak District, photographs, fine arts, bric-a-brac covering the town…

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3. Slopes

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Opposite the Crescent, aptly named park the Slopes rises steeply in a series of grassy terraces. Climbing them provides the definitive view over Buxton's…

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4. Devonshire Dome

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A glorious piece of Victoriana, the glass Devonshire Dome, built in 1779, is the largest unsupported dome in Europe. It's home to a training restaurant…

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5. Buxton Crescent & Thermal Spa

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In Victorian times, spa activities centred on Buxton's extravagant baths, built in Regency style in 1854 and fronted by the Crescent, a grand, curving…

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6. Cathedral of the Peak

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Dominating the former lead-mining village of Tideswell, the massive parish church of St John the Baptist – aka the Cathedral of the Peak – has stood here…

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7. Blue John Cavern

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Up the southeastern side of Mam Tor, 2 miles west of Castleton, Blue John is a maze of natural caverns with rich seams of Blue John stone that are still…

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8. Speedwell Cavern

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Just over half a mile west of Castleton at the mouth of Winnats Pass, this claustrophobe's nightmare is reached by descending 106 steps for an eerie boat…