Creswell Crags is one of the most northerly places on earth that our ancient ancestors visited. There are caves around the limestone gorge where ancient animal bones have been found and physical evidence of ancient peoples living in the area.
I wanted to visit to find out more about this history. The site is free if you just walk around the gorge and local area. There was also a small free temporary exhibition on the coal minors of Creswell. To see the permanent exhibition will cost you only £3 per person and the tour charges are a reasonable price. However, the exhibition looked like an almost empty room from what we could see…I’m guessing there was more to it.
When we arrived we decided to have lunch at the cafe. We knew it was a risk, as there were no prices for the cafe on the website. The prices were steep, as it cost us £11.55 for a small basic panini each and one small bottle of coke. For an extra pound we could have done the Ice Age cave tour.
We enjoyed the walk around the gorge, sheltered from the ice cold wind. We were able to have teasing glances into the caves through the metal grills, which are there to help protect the findings and the caves themselves. I got the impression that this was a place that was not ideal for visiting in winter. The kids playground was partly flooded and feeble attempts at closing it off with some red tape blocking the paths had been made, but it still could be accessed by walking over the wet, unkempt grass. I did like the interestingly designed woolly mammoth sculpture though.
Creswell Crags can be a nice afternoon out for a couple or a family, with affordable prices for the tours and exhibition. However if there’s been rain recently, the playground will be off limits as well as the grassed areas. If we went again we would take a packed lunch or eat somewhere else, as the cafe is overpriced for what they offer.
Where The Wildings Are 