w ROCKY GROUND The other main attraction in Castleton is to be found underneath the surrounding moorland, within its ancient limestone and gritstone hills. As is obvious from the


many trinket and gift shops in Castleton, there is a semi- precious stone which can only be found locally. Blue John – the name is said to derive from the French bleu-jeune describing its blue and yellow colouring – is a form of crystalline calcium fluorite. Visitors can see where it is still mined today in two locations close to Castleton. Blue John Cavern is a short drive away, but we chose Treak Cliff Cavern, where Blue John was first said to have been discovered by a miner looking for lead. This mine is quite easy to navigate, apart from a tight initial section, and linked to a natural underground cave.


The castle’s position makes it a superb spot to take in the majesty of the surrounding countryside


In this cave, our guide showed


us fossils telling the story of how the limestone rocks of this part of Derbyshire were once the bed of a tropical sea teeming with life. The cave also has some amazing stalactites, stalagmites and flowstones formed over thousands of years as rainwater seeped through the porous rock. Sections of the cave, known


as Fairyland, Aladdin’s Cave and the Witch’s Cave, indicate the magical sights that greet visitors in this chilly underworld.


62 travelweekly.co.uk 11 October 2018


PICTURES: VISITBRITAIN/LEE BEEL; LEE HAYHURST


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