'I tried Tripadvisor's top rated Yorkshire attraction and I won't forget it in a hurry'

Inside Stump Cross Caverns
-Credit: (Image: Samantha Teasdale)


It's at the top of Tripadvisor's best rated attractions - so when I found myself out and about in North Yorkshire I simply had to give it a go.

Stump Cross Caverns is about a 30 minute drive from Harrogate town centre and can be easily found on the B6265, Greenhow Hill, Pateley Bridge. The attraction is not only at the top of the list but is TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice of 2024, so I had to check it out.

Located in the heart of and the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Stump Cross Caverns is a vast limestone cave system between Wharfedale and Nidderdale. It takes its name from Stump Cross, which in ancient times marked the limit of Knaresborough Forest.

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To make your adventure underground even more special, there are two options for visitors. Either book your visit before 3pm - where you can just a flashlight to look around - or after 3pm for the UV experience.

I decided to go for the UV experience which was £15 and included an audio track to download, so I could learn about the caves history at different points. Aside from making sure you wear trainers and a hoodie - as it does get cold down there - all I had to bring was my headphones for the audio.

I was quite nervous, but thankfully, I was not alone - as that would be quite scary- and there was a couple who also booked in the same time slot, so we got escorted to a cinema room for a quick video briefing about the do's and don'ts when down below.

Then it was just 66 steep steps that I had to go down after putting on my hard hat. It was a little hard to see but there was some low lighting near the stairs but it was slippery as water was running down them. It probably did not help that I had a few things in my hand - but it is worth noting to wear track suit bottoms, which are great for putting torches or maps in while you try to video or take pictures.

The first tunnel after the steps was called 'The Butchers Shop' which would seem odd, until you saw the exact reason it was called that. There above you is an awe-inspiring assortment of colourful stalactites.

Huge and heavy, they hang imposingly from the roof as if frozen in time - looking just like massive slabs of meat in a butcher's window with its natural reddish tinge - which the audio said was thanks to the veins of iron ore in the rock. These minerals were deposited over thousands of years by rainwater that trickled in from above.

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As I made my way through twisting tunnels, I was in the next section where I was greeted by a number of different rock formations including one sight - called 'the twins' - which are two gargantuan pillars of rock that stretch from floor to ceiling. The Twins started life as stalagmites and stalactites, but grew and grew until they met in the middle

A short distance on from them, I reached 'The Wolverine Cave', where an ancient wolverine skull was discovered in 1922. The audio described this as a ' feast for the eyes', and thanks to my UV light, I saw shimmering limestone pillars trickle with water along with a jumble of boulders, which concealed a hidden route to the darkest reaches of the cave.

Making my way through the tunnels, I was very glad to have worn my hard hat, as I kept banging my head on the low ceilings as you bend down. I was not the only one to suffer this particular plight, however, as those behind me echoed my 'ouch' every time.

Further down another path, was another passage called 'The Curtain' which is a thin sheet of rock, shot through with dazzling red streaks like a dragon's wing. Despite it being quite hard to navigate and sometimes going back on yourself, it was really good fun and definitely put your mind to the test to find the other passage ways to the sections which you could only do by using posts which explained where you were on the wall and locate it on the map.

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After a while, the exploring came as a second nature and I found that I did not need the map which helped to free my hands and let my eyes wonder around the site instead of always looking down. I was able to take my time and read interesting facts.

We were told at the start that all our hard work of navigating the caves would be worth it for the main attraction, 'wedding cake' which was balanced precariously on a mound of boulders, looking as pure and appealing as fresh, white icing.

Despite my back killing from bending forwards to almost the ground to stop banging my head and breathing in to make sure I fit into the next section of the cave, the UV experience really made a difference to the experience. It was amazing to see the cave minerals light up as the forced an icicle of sorts towards the floor but also upwards on the ground.

It was amazing to learn about the history of the caves and how Wolverine bones were once found in the caves amongst other things.

For a 90-minute cave adventure, for £15, I do think it was worth it. It was an experience that will not be forgotten in a hurry and is something that can done at any time or day almost for any ages. It was quite the workout but was a lot of fun.

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