Castleton’s fame lies in its splendid situation, standing at the head of the beautiful Hope Valley and surrounded by hills which are at the geological junction of the White and Dark Peaks in the Peak District. Planning on visiting Castleton? Find out the best things to do, caves to visit and pubs to drink in with our visitor's guide.
Pubs in Castleton
There are several great inns in Castleton. A good place to start for a pint or pub lunch is the 17th-century Castle Hotel in Castle Street, said to be haunted by a young woman.
Castleton caves
This little planned township dates from the 12th century when it was laid out on a grid-iron plan beneath commanding Peveril Castle, on its lofty crag between the precipitous gorges of Peak Cavern and Cave Dale.
It is thought that the Parish Church of St Edmund in Castle Street was built by the same architect who built the castle, and there is certainly a resemblance in the dogtooth ornamentation of the chancel arch.
Today, Castleton depends largely on the tourist trade, and the four famous show caves of Peak Cavern, Treak Cliff, Speedwell and Blue John attract thousands of visitors every year.
The oldest of the show caves is Peak Cavern, directly beneath Peveril Castle, which is said to have the largest cave entrance in Britain. It recently reverted to its somewhat ruder ancient name of the Devil’s Arse. Treak Cliff Cavern, on the now-closed road towards Mam Tor, probably has the finest formations of stalactites and stalagmites, flowstones and illuminated pools.
Blue John Cavern, beneath the shifting, landslipped east face of the ‘Shivering Mountain’ of Mam Tor, takes its name from the veins of the unique mineral which is sold as ornaments and jewellery in the town’s many trinket shops.
Speedwell Cavern, uniquely reached by boat via an underground canal, is at the foot of the Winnats Pass, a spectacular dry limestone gorge which, since the collapse of the Mam Tor road, carries the main road from Chapel-en-le-Frith into Castleton.
Castleton walks
The short, stepped and paved walk up from the National Park’s Mam Nick car park to the 1,696-ft summit of Mam Tor, just outside Castleton, takes you through the ramparts of one of the largest and highest Iron Age hillforts in the Pennines. Your reward is one of the finest views in the Peak.
