Going underground
Fancy an otherworldly experience? The ground beneath our feet hides a multitude of jaw-dropping sites and an underground tour can reveal so much about England’s history and the formation of the English landscape. There are miles of caves to explore, boasting awe-inspiring stalagmites and stalactites.
Take a sewer tour – yes, really – to gawp at the subterranean architecture and marvel at Victorian ingenuity. For a less aromatic experience, disused coal mines now offer the chance to descend 140m underground on a mine tour to confront the vivid realities faced by the men, women and children who have toiled in them through the ages. These are hidden gems indeed.
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Underground & over ground adventures at Go Ape
Release your Tarzan and journey to the centre of the earth on an epic double adventure in Derbyshire’s beautiful Buxton.
Location: Buxton, Derbyshire
Rainy Day Activities: Embark on an expedition into Cheddar Gorge
This ultimate indoor activity will have you venture deep into the famous caves at Cheddar to see where the Cheddar Man, Britain's oldest skeleton, was discovered.
Location: Cheddar, Somerset
Rainy Day Activities: Find out what lies beneath Exeter
Escape the rain to explore Exeter’s Underground Passages and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum - ideal indoor attractions for a drizzly day.
Location: Exeter, Devon
Take a guided tour through a Cumbrian mine
Explore the relationship between the geology of the Lake District area and the quarrying of local limestone, sandstone, granite and slate in Cumbria.
Location: Threlkeld, Cumbria
Discover hidden Ice Age art at Creswell Crags
Hidden in a beautiful limestone gorge you'll find some of Britain's only known Ice Age art.
Location: Creswell, Nottinghamshire
Visit England’s highest, longest and deepest canal tunnel
All aboard! Take a seat on the glass topped boat and take a journey into the highest, longest and deepest canal tunnel in the country.
Location: Marsden, West Yorkshire
Take a flight to the Heights of Abraham
Discover famous show caverns beneath a 60-acre hilltop park overlooking a deep, dramatic limestone gorge in the Peak District.
Location: Matlock, Derbyshire
Take a tour of the Peak District Mining Museum
Discover the cramped and hazardous world of a Derbyshire lead miner.
Location: Matlock, Derbyshire
Explore some of England’s most dramatic caves
Head underground to gaze in wonder at the fascinating caves that form a major, but hidden, part of the Yorkshire Dales landscape.
Location: Ingleton, North Yorkshire
Explore Blue John Cavern
Take your own journey to the centre of the earth in search of the mysterious Blue John - originally discovered by the Romans.
Location: Castleton, Derbyshire
Experience the Blitz spirit at Stockport Air Raid Shelters
See how Britain survived the Blitz as you negotiate this dark labyrinth of tunnels at Stockport Air Raid Shelters.
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester
Rainy Day Activities: Experience the underground world of Wookey Hole
There are legends aplenty about Britain’s biggest caves, where you’ll find a secret river and bewitching caverns.
Location: Wells, Somerset
Rainy Day Activities: Venture beneath the city on the Mersey Tunnel Tour
Take a sneak peak at the famous Queensway Mersey Tunnel - a unique indoor attraction close to Liverpool's bustling docks.
Location: Liverpool, Merseyside
Rainy Day Activities: Explore mining history at Woodhorn Museum
Explore hundreds of years of mining heritage at this unique museum in Northumberland, built from what was once the largest pit village in the world.
Location: Ashington, Northumberland
Delve deep inside the Hellfire Caves
Venture into the Buckinghamshire chalk caves that held the notorious Hellfire Club, founded by Sir Francis Dashwood in the 18th century.
Location: West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Discover Nottingham's hidden heritage in this city of caves
Venture beneath the streets to discover a hidden world beneath your feet in the city of Nottingham.
Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Rainy Day Activities: Explore underground history at Ramsgate Tunnels
Take a step back in time to discover what life was like in this network of underground tunnels, home to thousands of people during the Second World War.
Location: Ramsgate, Kent
Journey underground at Castleton's Caves
Go underground and visit any of Castleton’s four spectacular show caves to experience the Peak District’s hidden underworld secrets.
Location: Castleton, Derbyshire
December events: Enter an underground Christmas cave
Follow the story of Archie and the Unicorn, told through glittering lights in an underground cavern.
Location: Clearwell Caves, Gloucestershire
Stay in the Spooky Wookey Hole Hotel
A 58 bedroom Hotel located in the heart of the rolling Mendip Hills that is perfectly placed to get you to all the attractions with ease.
Location: Wells, Somerset
Cornish Mining World Heritage Site
Discover the history and heritage behind Cornwall's mining industry, early settlers and communities.
Location: Cornwall