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The Heights of Abraham is Derbyshire’s oldest tourist attraction first opening to the public in 1787. Since 1974 it has been owned by the Pugh family who commenced a period of much needed restoration across the 60 acre site sympathetic to the historical importance of the estate.

2024 is actually a double celebratory year for the attraction as it was over the winter of some 40 years ago that the cable car was built. This huge engineering task spanned the River Derwent, the railway line and a major road resulting in many challenges. In 1984 the Heights opened the first British Alpine style cable car system and improved visitor facilities to much acclaim. In 2004 the original cable cars were replaced with new state of the art cabins offering spectacular views and allowing access for all. I was delighted to be invited along to share the celebrations and to discover all the interesting things there are to see and do after enjoying the thrilling seven minute cable car ride.

Getting there:

The Heights of Abraham is located on the A6, 18 miles north of Derby. As the name suggests, the Heights is situated on a steep hilltop so does not have its own car park. The nearest car park is at Matlock Bath railway station less than 10 minutes walk from the attraction. We opted for a day ticket which cost £6 as we weren’t sure how many hours we would need but a bonus of this ticket is that you can then use it in any other Derbyshire Dales long stay car parks on that day, making it good value.

For visitors arriving by train there are hourly services to Matlock Bath from Derby, Long Eaton, Beeston and Nottingham with a two hourly service on Sundays. As part of a green initiative, if you show your rail or bus ticket when purchasing tickets you will receive a 20% discount on the standard price of £28.50 (on-line advanced purchase £25). You might think that sounds expensive but as there are so many activities included in the ticket price, it’s actually good value as I’d recommend allowing a minimum of four hours to explore the site. Dogs are welcome on the cable cars and around the estate but are not allowed in the caverns.

Riding the Cable Car

I always enjoy a ride in a cable car and it felt so peaceful gliding over the treetops viewing the town of Matlock Bath and the scenic Derwent Valley below.  There are 12 cable cars on the system running together in groups of three with each car holding a maximum of 6 passengers.  From the base station to the hilltop it’s a vertical distance of 554ft (169m).

On reaching the top station at Masson Hill we were greeted by one of the estate’s character actors who welcomed us to the Heights of Abraham, providing us with a short overview of the estate before directing us to another member of staff who explained tour times for visiting the caves and for participating in a walking tour of the estate.

Walking Trails

We decided to start by following one of the scenic self-guided trails which led us to viewpoints across the estate.  At various intervals along the route we came across useful information boards telling us about the geology, local history and the industrial heritage of this part of Derbyshire.

Five willow sculptures have been installed across the hilltop depicting key moments in the Heights of Abraham’s history.  These range from a High Peak farmer and his herd of sheep to a 17th century miner and his son taking a well earned rest after a day down the mines. It was then time to explore the caves, both of which are included in the admission price with no need to book as you just join the next tour. Tours around the Masson Cavern take around 35 minutes and involve quite a few upward steps while a tour around the Great Rutland Cavern takes around 20 minutes and involve considerably less steps!

The Great Rutland Cavern

The guided tour through the Great Rutland Cavern is led by tour guides dressed in Victorian costume, recreating a day in the life of a 17th century lead miner.

Our group followed the fascinating historical characters into the main chamber to learn about how our ancestors mined lead over many years and its uses from drain pipes to plumbing, leaded glass windows and pencils.

The Great Masson Cavern

Next we explored the Masson Cavern where a friendly and informative guide led us into the caves explaining how they were formed over millions of years. We learnt how the early miners discovered lead leading to mass extraction and the hollowing out of huge chambers three hundred years ago. Our tour guide pointed out calcite with his torch and showed us some spectacular stalagmite and stalactite formations. Most people needed to bend down whilst walking through the tunnels but being a petite 5’1″, for once this was a bonus and I could stay upright without banging my head.

For hundreds of years, the land on Masson Hill was used predominantly by miners who hoped to earn a living by extracting lead from the hillside. In turn, they ended up fashioning a huge network of tunnels and mine shafts. This created a unique landscape and habitat, which has since been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (an SSSI). The SSSI is also home to a rare species of wild orchid.

Tinkers Shaft

Tinker’s Shaft is located at the exit of the Masson Cavern adjacent to the public footpath through the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It’s viewing platform provided us with stunning views of the Derbyshire Dales. The Shaft was named after Mr. Tinker, who first sunk it back in the 1600s. It is one of many family shafts built on Masson Hill, a trend at the time to assert certain mining territory.  There were no health and safety regulations in place back in the 1600s, so Tinker’s Shaft used to be supported by just a few wobbly stones and a couple of pieces of dampened wood but needless to say it’s completely safe nowadays.

High Falls Theatre and Rock Shop

As there are numerous steps, and low ceilings, the caverns are not accessible to all so a film theatre has been established next to the entrance to the High Falls Rock Shop which is accessible by wheelchair. Films are rotated throughout the day, with subtitles allowing visitors to experience the cavern tours from the comfort of an armchair. There’s a collection of semi-precious stones on display and an opportunity to purchase jewellery, paperweights and other gifts from the Rock Shop.

Prospect Lookout Tower

Moving on, we followed one of the other woodland trails which took us to the Victoria Prospect Lookout Tower.  Its winding staircase is narrow and quite steep so if you don’t fancy climbing up, don’t worry as the valley views from the foot of the tower are equally good.

Masson Pavilion

Before enjoying lunch we explored the Masson Pavilion where a period costume exhibition was taking place illustrating how people would have dressed between 1787 and 1910 when visiting the estate.  These clothes bore no resemblance to the casual attire of visitors nowadays but were very interesting to look at.

As modern day guests we walked back through time coming face-to-face with visitors of the past, whilst learning a little about the social and working conditions of their time. Fourteen life-sized mannequin figures, beautifully dressed in historical clothing are on display alongside animated picture frames revealing information about each time period.

Terrace Cafe and Vista Restaurant

Set on the hilltop close to the cable car station lies the Vista Restaurant and Terrace Cafe. The cafe occupies the ground floor of the building alongside the gift shop and is open for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and ice cream and boasts an outside terrace with stunning views.

We decided to have lunch in the Vista Restaurant located on the floor above and as it was a beautiful spring day we were able to sit outside on the balcony and enjoy basking in the sunshine whilst enjoying a delicious meal. I opted for a goat cheese and red onion salad washed down with a glass of Pinot Grigio whilst across the table my husband selected the chicken Caesar salad which he accompanied with a refreshing glass of beer. As the restaurant is popular it’s a good idea to pre-book a table for lunch to avoid being disappointed.

Children’s Playgrounds

There are two adventure playgrounds to keep young children entertained. The Explorer’s Challenge is located at the summit and is a mini assault course whilst the Woodland Adventure is situated slightly further down the estate and is filled with ropes and swings.

As you can see from the above, there’s so much to see and do at the Heights of Abraham finishing with another ride on the cable car to enjoy on your way back down the steep hillside.

Details: The Heights of Abraham, Dale Road, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, DE4 3N. The attraction is open daily from March until November with special themed events from Easter onwards.

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During our visit we were guests of The Heights of Abraham and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.