Wookey Hole Caves

The River Axe runs underground through the Mendip limestone and emerges at Wookey Hole, cutting chambers that were occupied from the Iron Age and used as a burial site; excavation in 1912 found the skeleton of a woman with a dagger, a comb and a bone ball, and the local legend of the Witch of Wookey, turned to stone by a Glastonbury monk, has been attached to her since, alongside a stalagmite that is pointed out as the witch. Radiocarbon dating later placed the woman in the Roman period. The caves were the site of the world's first cave dive in 1935, when divers in standard equipment went beyond the show chambers, and exploration continues into a system with chambers reached only by long dives. The site around the caves has been developed with a mirror maze, a circus museum and dinosaur models.

What you actually see

• The river chambers - lit caverns cut by the underground Axe.
• The witch stalagmite - the formation attached to the legend.
• The cave diving history - the site of the first cave dive in 1935.
• The added attractions - mirror maze, circus museum and model dinosaurs.

When to go

Year-round; the caves are a constant temperature and work in any weather. School holidays are busy with families. Tours are guided at intervals.

Honest expectations

The caves are a small part of what is now a family attraction park, and visitors wanting geology find dinosaur models and a mirror maze attached. The guided route is short. The witch legend is presented enthusiastically and is folklore.

Nearby

Wells and its cathedral are three kilometres away; Cheddar Gorge lies west.