Wookey Hole Caves

The River Axe runs underground through the Mendip limestone and emerges at Wookey Hole, cutting chambers that Neanderthals and modern humans used over some 45,000 years, with occupation continuing into Roman times; in October 1908 Herbert Balch found a skeleton about a thousand years old that has traditionally been linked to the Witch of Wookey, turned to stone by a Glastonbury monk, though analysis showed a man aged 25 to 35, and a stalagmite is pointed out as the witch herself. The first cave dives in Britain were made here: in 1935 Graham Balcombe and Penelope Powell, in standard diving dress, reached the seventh chamber, and exploration continues into a system with chambers reached only by long dives. The site around the caves has been developed with a house of mirrors, circus shows and a dinosaur valley.

What to look for

• The river chambers - lit caverns cut by the underground Axe.
• The witch stalagmite - the formation attached to the legend.
• The cave diving history - where British cave diving began in the 1930s.
• The added attractions - house of mirrors, circus shows 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.

Things to know

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.

Key facts