Stump Cross Caverns is one of Britain’s premier show caves, located in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, on the border of Nidderdale.
Discovery
The caves at Stumps Cross were discovered in 1860 by miners who looking for lead seams in the Yorkshire Dales. Although they didn’t find any lead, they did find the natural caverns which you can see today. Miners often didn’t see any commercial value in the caves, however a man named William Newbould had vision enough to see that they could be a profitable enterprise, and opened the caves to the public at a cost of 1 shilling per visit.
Remains of Wolverines, a giant member of the weasel family have been discovered at Stump Cross. It is thought that these animals entered the caves looking for food such as Reindeer and Bison, the remains of which have also been found. The Wolverine remains are on display in the visitor’s centre.
The cave system at Stump Cross extends well beyond the show caves which are open to the public, to an overall length of approximately 6km. Many of the deeper caverns are only accessible to experienced cavers, but there is a possibility of further sections of the caverns being opened to the public in the future. Indeed, the impressive reindeer cavern was opened to the public in 2000 after debris was removed and the cave was made safe.
Neil Simone Painting
Stump Cross is delighted that renowned artist Neil Simone has created a beautiful piece of artwork especially for us. Neil is a Yorkshire based artist whose conceptual paintings have been delighting collectors for more than 40 years.
Entirely self-taught he uses complex techniques to create paintings that are truly distinctive and unique. Fusing fact with visionary fantasy Neil’s work continues to expand and evolve, intriguing and captivating audiences the world over.
Featured on television and in numerous journalistic reviews Neil has exhibited his work in many leading galleries throughout Britain, Europe and the USA.
The piece entitled “Beneath the Surface” Is a mural that has been installed on the doorway which leads to our new outside feature “The fairy Glade” due to be completed spring 2016.
This new edition to the Stump Cross site, includes additional outdoor seating, with stunning views over the surrounding dales. A miniature Maze, and a fairy dell, where in summer children will be able to pan for gold and dig for gems.
The centre includes spacious tea rooms, serving a variety of meals, cakes and desserts, as well as a wide selection of hot and cold drinks.
Visitors may work up an appetite touring the expansive caves underground, and many visitors find that a meal or drink in the cafe is the perfect way to round off the afternoon and recover their strength!
