Castleton is a popular destination for both tourists and High Peak residents – a picturesque town at the heart of the Peak District National Park, surrounded by spectacular scenery.
The town is located at the gateway to the Hope Valley, overlooked by Mam Tor and surrounded on three sides by steep hills, making it a favourite base for walkers. It offers visitors a range of accommodation, six pubs, fascinating geology, traditional events all year round, many local shops, farmers' markets and a large car park.
The River Noe runs through Castleton (Castle Town) – nestled between the Dark Peak to the north (an area of gritstone) and the White Peak of limestone plateaus to the south – and across the Hope Valley.
Castleton, which dates from 1198, has four impressive show caverns and is the only place in the world where the rare mineral Blue John is found.
The Devil's Arse (also known as Peak Cavern) (External website**) is the only wholly natural cavern of the four, formed in an immense cleft in the rock. Beyond this lie miles of passages though the standard tour only goes a few hundred metres into the cavern.
Speedwell Cavern (External website**) lies at the foot of Winnats Pass. This is a mine with several natural chambers and an underground canal which forms the centrepiece of the visit.
Treak Cliff Cavern (External website**) is higher up the old Mam Tor road and contains a range of nice stalactite and stalagmite formations. The cave was originally a lead mine, but now mines Blue John.
Blue John Mine (External website**) lies just below the face of Mam Tor and is approached from the top of Winnats Pass. Like Treak Cliff, the mine is part natural, part mine-workings, and contains natural chambers, veins of Blue John, fossils and stalactites and stalagmites.
Peveril Castle (External website**) originated in 1086 – a gift from William the Conqueror to his son William Peveril, who first constructed it with wood, to oversee the King's Royal Forest of the Peak. It was later rebuilt in stone around 1175, by Henry II, who accepted the submission of King Malcolm of Scotland here. This is the castle keep seen today.
Castleton has a large visitor centre (External website**) including an impressive range of interpretation and interactive displays.
**Please note: High Peak Borough Council is not responsible for the content of any external websites.