Speedwell Cavern — Attraction in High Peak

For the price this is a fairly poor experience. You get a 20 minute plus trip along in a narrow canoe type Boat into an unimpressive cavern. Remember to pre-book online and save on the admission fee.

Access from the cave entrance to the canal is very difficult down the flight of 120 steps at an angle of 45° down to the boat boarding point . The steps are all of varying tread width. Slippery and wet . There are handrails to hold onto all the way down

If you are in the slightest bit mobility impaired or do not like to have to stoop low when descending and ascending the steps do not visit this attraction. Also, I would say anyone who has a fear of underground or confined spaces claustrophobia do not visit.

There are no toilets at this particular tourist attraction and also no seating inside or outside where there is just a simple bench where people queue before they enter the cabin. On a high point the coffee cabin is reasonably priced. It’s fresh brewed from the bean and the coffee I thought was really nice. The snacks are also not too expensive so you can have a coffee and packaged snack for less than £4.50..

Warning to drivers of cars with low ground clearance do not use the car park unless you can park immediately just inside the entrance. Access to the upper level is quite steep with bedrock and several uneven surfaces which will easily snag the bottom of a low ground clearance car. All around the car park there are three stumps and large pieces of rock to stop you from reversing back over a drop to the lower level. You could easily snag a front or rear bumper and 2000s of pounds worth of damage.

Seriously there are slabs of rock protruding from the car park and if you were in an EV you could damage your cars floor pan and battery pack. Just remember, you have gone off road to access this car park and therefore your insurance might not cover you for the damage. It’s definitely a car park for 4x4 SUV and high ground clearance vehicles.

The staff are all very friendly though, and depending on the tour guide you may get an informative tour .

But it is a bit grizzly down there

If you’re a geologist or like a sense of adventure, go here. If you’re just a normal tourist who likes easy access, toilets, facilities and a nice day out, don’t visit.

Sorry, I can’t be more positive, but that’s how it is

Oh did I also say it cost £6 to park your car £1.50 which is refundable when you enter the cabin? I don’t recall seeing this car park charge on...

We parked in the car park opposite the entrance to Speedwell Cavern. £6 for 4 hours or £10 for the full day. You also get a voucher with your parking ticket to use against your Cavern ticket. We had booked online (it’s slightly cheaper than buying in the day and you are more likely to get the time you want). We checked in at the shop but no one asked if we had a car park voucher (which would have been good) so we forgot to use it.

The trip started promptly at the time booked. All adults have to wear a hard hat. You WILL be glad you did! There is an immediate descent of 106 steps to your boat which fits about 12 people. Our guide sat on the bow and spoke loudly enough for all to hear.

Our guide was Josh. He was an extremely friendly and knowledgeable chap. Full of anecdotes and history about the cave. He was able to answer all the questions I had about the mine. The murder story on the way back prompted us to walk to the church in the town afterwards ….. All in all he was fab and deserves a special mention.

The cave is cool so wear something warm. The ceiling is low when you’re in the boat so you’ll be grateful for the hard hat. It could feel a bit claustrophobic but I was ok. You’re not on your own and it’s so interesting. The tunnel and cave at the end are lit so you’re not in the dark. The climb back up at the end is steep if your not used to lots of steps BUT you’re not rushed.

The little shop at the top has some fab trinkets and look out for the saddle in the glass case (if you hear the murder story you’ll know why).

We loved it and thought it was worth the money as it’s such a unique experience. I’m not sure what some reviewers think they should be charged but costs and upkeep aren’t cheap these days are they? My only gripe (and this has nothing to do with the cavern visit) is that the nearest loo is a 15 minute walk back down the hill at the main visitor centre car park. If you’re travelling some distance or have little ones then take note!

We plan to go back soon and visit the Devils Arse! Well you would want to do that...

Really disappointed. Interesting bit of history ruined by staff who don’t want to be there. Drove four hours to get here for my 30th birthday yesterday only to have the experience i was looking forward to ruined by the really strange staff from the girls on the till to the lad doing our boat tour. All acted like we were a burden by being there. Asked a couple of generic questions like where is the toilet, what do we do now after we paid, just returned with weird, offended looks and patronised answers. Could've felt like i was an alien the way i was gawped at. A real sarcastic and moody chips on all their shoulders. The lad doing the tour on our boat sounded unbelievably bored with his own voice recycling the same content. He chose to become a tour operator I'm not sure why he was having such a hard time in sounding as though he actually likes his job. There weren't any smiles, positivity or sincere communications and in the end just felt like we paid £40 to be rushed through like cattle. The tour guy made an interesting subject boring and the girls on the till made me feel weird and drained - i came to this place in a really happy mood and was looking forward to it, left really deflated because of the staff.

I wouldn't have chosen to spend my 30th birthday here if i knew the staff were going to be this strange and miserable - ive been all over England to different events and never come across this kind of strange and negative experience like this

The website is misleading in many ways, one being friendly for dogs. It is not whatsoever. This should be updated to say only pocket dogs that you can carry for the full duration are suited. But hey when its £20 a head and around £200 per boat theyre making theyre not...