Beer Quarry Caves — Attraction in East Devon

Absolutely fascinating underground experience - a hidden piece of history!

Beer Quarry Caves is an incredible journey into 2,000 years of history, starting with the Romans who first began quarrying this unique limestone. The guided tours take you through vast man-made underground caverns that stretch deep into the earth, creating an awe-inspiring labyrinth that's truly remarkable to explore.

What makes this place so special is the historical significance - this isn't just any cave system. The famous Beer Stone quarried here was used in 24 cathedrals including Exeter and St. Paul's, parts of Westminster Abbey, and the Tower of London. You're literally standing in the source of some of Britain's most iconic architecture.

The limestone itself is fascinating - formed 92 million years ago from pulverised shells, fine sand and clay on the ancient seabed. Beer Stone is perfect for detailed carving work but hardens when exposed to air, making it incredibly valuable for fine masonry.

The one-hour guided tours are excellent, taking you 200 feet below ground through the atmospheric caverns. You really get a sense of the centuries of work that went into creating this underground complex and the challenging conditions the quarrymen faced.

This is a unique attraction that combines geology, history, and impressive engineering all in one. Perfect for anyone interested in history, architecture, or just wanting to experience something truly different in Devon.

Highly recommended - it's a remarkable piece of living history that deserves to be...

We visited on one of the hottest days of the year, but down there its really cold. Dont be fooled, you do really need a coat on as its only 6 - 8 deg c. A tee shirt wont cut it. Anyway, there is ample car parking , loos and a small gift shop and cafe at the entrance. You can only go down the caves with a guide and the first is 10:30 a,m, Check the website before you go for details as the frequency of the tours varies depending on how busy they are. It is mucky underfoot and quite wet in the caves so do wear suitable footwear - (NOT sandals or flip flops!!) The guide we had was Gill and she was very good, interesting and informative and the tour lasted an hour. You can get a wheelchair down there but it is steep at the entrance and bumpy all the way round as well as being wet and mucky. Lighting in there was mostly poor and needs improving and it is empty with no props to give an idea as to how it might have looked in Roman, Anglo Saxon, Norman or medieval times. Its called a cave which it is , but its a man made one not a natural cave with stalagmites etc. Its literally a hole in the ground which has been dug out by hand over centuries. Its best to phone before your visit as you need to tell them date and time of your intended visit as numbers are...

Went here after covid restrictions ended. Bought our tickets at the booking office £10 adults £8.00 seniors (over 65) did not need to book in advance. Big free gravel carpark with portaloos. Picnic areas. Morning tea type of food available like tea coffee cream teas icecreams. Mike our guide was very informative about the caves very funny as well. Very interesting. The caves are huge so no worries if like me you don't like small spaces. Well lit with light bulbs. Mike carries a torch. 2 dogs were with the group on this day. Don't think they were assistant dogs as not wearing any different leads or harnesses. It does say no dogs but Mike was more than happy for them to be there. They were extremely well behaved laying out on the cold floor. It is very cold in there we went when outside temp was 21c and inside the caves it was 6c. My hubby has bad circulation in his hands and his fingers went blue. You are down there for 1hr 30mins. So wear gloves if needed and a coat. I had a jumper and hoodie shorts trainers and by the end I was shivering. We are sort of local and have never been here before. Very much worth a visit. Also Beer beach is worth a visit...