The morning began with overcast skies but as we’d planned to tour some caves it didn’t matter too much. After a tasty breakfast of smashed avocado and poached eggs on sourdough and my usual two cups of coffee, I was raring to go.
Leaving our base at the Tempest Arms in Elslack it was just a 30 minute drive to Stump Cross Caverns located on Greenhow Hill in Nidderdale on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Stump Cross is one of Britain’s premier show caves and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its stunning limestone rock formations.
Standard admission is £14 for a self-guided tour lasting about 45 minutes. After donning safety helmets and having a short introductory talk by one of the dedicated staff on the history and geology of the caves we made our way down the 65 steps to the entrance 18 metres below ground. The cave temperature remains a constant 11 degrees Celsius throughout the year so don’t forget to come prepared with a jumper and wear some sensible footwear as the pathways can often be wet and slippery.
It’s impossible to get lost on the underground tour as the route is clearly signposted with numbered points of interest to follow on laminated guides. We learnt that the caves were discovered by brothers Mark and William Newbould in 1860 whilst mining for lead. Most miners disliked finding caves during their work as they didn’t contain lead but the Newbould’s realised their potential and opened the caves as an attraction three years later in 1863.
There are approximately 6 km of passageways in the cave system but most of these are only accessible to highly experienced cavers. We didn’t have any feelings of claustrophobia whilst underground but our hard hats came in very useful as it was necessary to stoop quite often due to the very low ceilings cut into the rock.
The caves are illuminated with discreet lighting and visitors are also supplied with small ultra violet torches which we used frequently to show up the calcite formations on the rock face. Soon we had reached Wolverine Cave which is so called due to fossil remains of bison, wolf and reindeer being found there.
I think that these self guided tours are an excellent idea as visitors are able to go round at their own pace and it’s much easier to pause to take photographs when not part of a larger group. I’d highly recommend visiting Stump Cross Caverns to appreciate the stunning stalagmites, stalactites and calcite precipitation these show caves offer.
On completion of the tour we watched a 20 minute presentation on the creation of the caves and then explored the visitor centre with its bone displays of ancient fossils and remains of prehistoric creatures.
The site is also home to a cafe, gift shop, adventure playground and newly installed children’s gem sluice consisting of a series of wooden troughs filled with water for an opportunity to go gem panning.
Back in the car it was then just a short four mile hop to the final destination of our short break in North Yorkshire to Parcevall Hall Gardens at Skyreholme near Appletreewick. Located in the scenic beauty of Wharfedale are to be found 24 acres of delightful woodland and formal gardens. These gardens were laid out from 1927 onwards by Sir William Milner who was an architect, horticulturalist and plantsman. He designed the gardens to be totally in harmony with the surrounding Yorkshire Dales landscape.
After purchasing the derelict Parcevall Hall and restoring it as his home he then set to work designing the gardens by creating terraces on the steep slope and providing year round interest. Standard admission to the gardens is £8 and after leaving the car park we crossed a footbridge over a stream to begin with a walk through the Tarn Ghyll Wood.
The path is steep in places as it winds its way up the hillside but there are benches to sit and rest awhile if needed. The woodland contains many specimen trees and shrubs collected of varying shapes and shades from Western China and The Himalayas.
The top of the woodland trail opens out onto the formal terraced gardens in front of Parcevall Hall. This Grade II listed house is not open to visitors as it is used by the Diocese of West Yorkshire as a retreat and conference centre.
The terraced gardens are beautifully maintained with deep, herbaceous borders of dahlias and other red flowering and purple leafed shrubs. From each of these terraces a magnificent landscape panorama enfolds with views across to the hilltops of Simon’s Seat and beyond. The formal gardens are sheltered by Yew hedges allowing tender plants to thrive in this otherwise exposed setting.
We returned back to the car park via a different footpath, pausing to browse the plant stalls adjacent to the entrance lodge and cafe. The gardens are a delightful, tranquil spot and would be perfect for afternoon picnics.
Before setting off for home we couldn’t resist stopping at the Craven Arms in the nearby village of Appletreewick for a bite to eat and a final drink.
This charming traditional Dales pub is full of character and it was an apt way to end our lovely three days in and around Skipton, North Yorkshire.
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The Yorkshire Dales villages of Kilnsey & Kettlewell
During our stay we were guests of Visit North Yorkshire and The Tempest Arms Elslack and as always all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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