Stalactites at Treak Cliff Cavern

Schools and Colleges at Treak Cliff Cavern

Treak Cliff Cavern is an excellent educational resource currently used by hundreds of teachers to deliver many aspects of the geography curriculum, across all Key Stages. We are centrally located within the Peak District National Park at Castleton, Derbyshire, easy to get to and easy to find. Free and plentiful parking for cars and coaches. Ideally located to include on walking routes with the famous landmarks of the Mam Tor Ridge and Winnats Pass close by.

 

 

The effects of water on the caves at Treak Cliff.

Water-worn Chambers

The caves provide an amazing hands-on experience; amazing to younger children, intriguing to older students.

Landscape in the Hope valley

Inspiring Landscape

The landscape itself offers plenty to study.

Fossils in the roof of the caves

Fossils

Fossils can seen in the ceilings throughout the caves.

An outstanding curriculum resource

We have some of the finest stalactites and stalagmites in the Peak District with wonderful water worn chambers, ideal for studying the water cycle, limestone and other materials, etc.

Our deposits of Blue John Stone are unrivalled, combined with many other minerals and fossils that children can see and touch. Our rural location also offers opportunities to study contrasting landscapes at the same time.

Stalactites at Treak Cliff

Stalactites

The stalactites have taken thousands of years to form

The Visitor Centre at Treak Cliff Cavern

Visitor Centre

The visitor centre.

Section of display at the museum

Museum

The new museum features a range of geological, archaeological artefacts and Blue crafts.

Sensory displays at the visitor Centre

Sensory Displays

Displays allow visitors to get close to fossils and sections of stalactites.

Facilities

The Visitor Centre has recently been redeveloped and we now have a Museum which explains the evolution of Treak Cliff and features geological samples and rare items of Blue John crafts.

The main visitor area includes a gift shop, a museum, plus displays enabling children to see sections of fossils and stalactites. 

We are open all year round, and can tailor your guided tour to meet specific educational requirements. Our general tours have become Self Guided Audio Tours using visitors own smartphones, but we appreciate schools prefer to have a person to tell them about the cavern, in the traditional way we have done for the previous 75 years!  If you would prefer the self guided option please let us know!

Treak Cliff Cavern Gift Shop

Gift Shop

The gift shop includes a range of pocket-money items and everything is related to Treak Cavern itself or geology in general.

Free initial visit and consultation

We are keen for you to get the most from a visit to Treak Cliff Cavern and we fully appreciate the planning that’s involved with organising a school trip.

To that end, teachers can visit the cavern free of charge and meet with the Cavern Manager prior to their school visit for planning purposes. Please telephone us on 01433 620571 for more information and to organise a tour and meeting.

Our admissions charges for schools are listed below to find the price for your visit to Treak Cliff Cavern.

If you have a date in mind, please telephone us on 01433 620571​ we don’t currently take bookings for schools online because we would rather talk to you.

You can also download PDF copies of our Risk Assessment, & Public and Company Liability forms for Treak Cliff Cavern in the document downloads section below.

3D model of the caverns at Treak Cliff

3D Model

A fascinating 3D model of the cavern reveals the passages in context of the hills.

3D model of the caverns at Treak Cliff

Detail of the model.

School admission prices for 2023

Primary — £6.50 / child
Secondary — £7.00 / child
Sixth Form — £8.00 / student
University — £10.00 / student

1 free teacher / helper admission with every 10 students
additional adults £5.00 each

 Please contact us for more information.

Opening Times

March 1st to October 31st, we open at 9.30am, the last tour is at 4.00pm.
November 1st to February 28th, we open at 9.30am, the last tour is at 3.00pm.

Documents

Teaching Resources

Notes for teachers: useful and educational information which also forms the basis for the quiz below.
Click here to download the Notes for Teachers (28KB)

External Providers Form (OV2)

For those who require a completed OV2 form for Treak Cliff, you can download a PDF version below and print a copy. You will need to fill in the Establishment, Staff Member in Charge and Date of Visit at the start of the form and date it at the very end.
Click here to download a PDF copy of the OV2 form.

Risk Assessment

Includes detailed information about the cavern including access.
Click here to download a PDF copy of the Risk Assessment

Privacy Policy

What we do with any information you provide, online security etc. GDPR compliant.
Click here to download the Privacy Policy (68KB)

Excess Liability Insurance Certificate

Information about our public and products insurance cover (updated 2023).
Click here to download the Excess Liability Insurance Certificate

The new Treak Cliff Cavern Interpretation Centre is part-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development - to upgrade the visitor offer, by providing new toilets, heritage and interpretation centre. Project reference number: 101006.

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