Creswell Crags

Creswell Crags Ice Age cave art, stone tools & animal remains found in the caves tell the story of Prehistory
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Creswell Crags represents one site among a significant cluster of cave sites inhabited during the last Ice Age in Britain. The dramatic limestone gorge is tucked away within the gently undulating limestone landscape on the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border. Archaeological and environmental evidence excavated from the caves show how the area witnessed dramatic changes in climate at the edge of the

northern ice sheets and was populated by Ice Age animals such as hyenas, mammoths, woolly rhinoceros, and migrating herds of reindeer, horse and bison. Significantly the caves provided shelter for nomadic human groups through a crucial period of human evolution between 55,000 and 10,000 years ago. Stone, bone and ivory tools from the caves reveal Middle and Upper Palaeolithic occupation, in addition to portable and recently discovered 13000 year old engraved rock art figures of deer, birds, bison, and horse. This evidence connects the Ice Age human cultures at Creswell Crags to groups across north west Europe. We also have a lovely café, which when we are open to the public (Feb-Oct), is also open. Our children's play area is of an ice age theme and provides lots of stimulating outdoor fun to our visiting children. The little bridge across the gorge is perfect for "Pooh Sticks" and if you were to come just for the scenery and walk, it's a day out from just £4 for a half day or £6 all day.

We're open every day this Bank Holiday weekend!Whether you're wanting to take a leisurely stroll, walk the dog or head i...
29/08/2026

We're open every day this Bank Holiday weekend!

Whether you're wanting to take a leisurely stroll, walk the dog or head into the caves, we're open and looking forward to seeing everyone.

We're very excited to have removed the old steps up to Mother Grundy's Parlour last week, and have now begun to build th...
25/08/2026

We're very excited to have removed the old steps up to Mother Grundy's Parlour last week, and have now begun to build the new steps. Thanks to Planterior for helping to remove all the wood from the old steps. Habitat Works are building the new steps, and we're keeping a careful eye on anything interesting that may be spotted in the ground with the help from York Archaeology. This work is taking place ahead of us welcoming back school groups into the cave when term starts in September.

It all forms part of our 'Caring for the Crags' project as we continue to repair and replace outdated infrastructure around the site. We have been awarded Museum Estate and Development (MEND round 5) funding to undertake these improvements as part of a bigger project around the site. The Department of Culture Media and Sport funds MEND, which is administered by Arts Council England. This work has also been made possible with funding support from the BNA charity.

Thank you to our donors, including any members of the public who have given to the 'Caring for Crags' project. We are still raising money towards 'Caring for the Crags'; if you would like to support us please visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/stonebystone or contact [email protected].

The final week of summer activities is here...Join our Stone Age guide to learn all about the clothes, jewellery and dec...
23/08/2026

The final week of summer activities is here...

Join our Stone Age guide to learn all about the clothes, jewellery and decorations that people may have worn at Creswell Crags during the last Ice Age.

Have a go at making your own Stone Age shell bracelet, and even have your face painted, Stone Age style!

https://www.creswell-crags.org.uk/summer2026

The museum will be closed from 26th August for approximately 2 months while we upgrade our lighting, heating and air con...
21/08/2026

The museum will be closed from 26th August for approximately 2 months while we upgrade our lighting, heating and air conditioning systems. The rest of the site and visitor centre including the café, will be open as normal.

This important work will help us carefully control the museum environment, protecting the prehistoric animal bones and stone tools left behind by our ancestors, while helping us showcase our amazing Ice Age collection.

Creswell Heritage Trust has been awarded Museum Estate and Development (MEND round 4) funding to undertake the improvements as part of a larger capital project. The Department of Culture Media and Sport funds MEND, which is administered by Arts Council England. The Project is also made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players and by The Headley Trust.

Our Bat Nights are incredibly popular, so we're excited to be releasing the final batch of tickets for next Wednesday's ...
20/08/2026

Our Bat Nights are incredibly popular, so we're excited to be releasing the final batch of tickets for next Wednesday's event.

Bat expert, Derrick Eames, will be taking visitors out into the gorge at dusk to watch the resident bats feed. You'll learn all about Creswell's varied bat species and understand the importance of these fascinating creatures.

Tickets went on sale to our Annual Pass holders and Membership, so we have a very small number of tickets left.

https://www.creswell-crags.org.uk/events-listings/bat-night-aug26

People have found ways to light up our caves since prehistoric times. So why not join our Lantern making sessions, takin...
20/08/2026

People have found ways to light up our caves since prehistoric times. So why not join our Lantern making sessions, taking place in the visitor centre this week...

Children can use a range of materials to craft a lantern.

Will you go for a Stone Age style clay lamp, a traditional Victorian-looking one, or come up with your own design?

Perfect for children aged 5+, the session lasts 45 minutes and costs £6 per child. Crafting adults can take part for £3 per crafting adult, alternatively if you're not the crafting type, supervising/non-crafting adults go free (but must still book a space!).

Due to a couple of cancellations, we've got two sensory backpack trial slots on the 19th and 21st August, for families ...
18/08/2026

Due to a couple of cancellations, we've got two sensory backpack trial slots on the 19th and 21st August, for families with children with SEND who have visited Creswell Crags before.

One of the team will meet you on arrival to show you the backpack and then have a chat with your family at the end of your museum visit to ask you for feedback. We think this will all take about an hour.

Each family will be given free entry into the museum (valid for 12 months), free parking for the day and a discount voucher in the café.

If you're interested in taking part, please follow this booking link to choose the date and time you want to come: https://bit.ly/CragsSensoryBackpack

If you have any questions, then please direct message the team via Facebook or Instagram.

This is part of a long-term project, and if you enjoy helping us out then we would love to chat with you about other ideas we'd like to work with you on. This is all so we can make your visit to Creswell Crags as fun and easy as possible – and to do that we want to ask you what a ‘fun’ visit looks like!

It's been extremely warm and dry recently, and without any significant rainfall, the grounds on and around the site are ...
12/08/2026

It's been extremely warm and dry recently, and without any significant rainfall, the grounds on and around the site are particularly arid.

We've recently seen several grass fires affecting nearby areas, so we’re asking everyone visiting the Crags, and other sites like ours, to take extra care and follow a few simple rules:

🚫 Avoid smoking anywhere on site
🚫 BBQs, stoves and campfires are not permitted anywhere on site
🚫 Please take your litter home with you or use the bins provided, taking extra care to make sure any glass bottles are carefully disposed of
🚫 If you see any sign of a grassfire, please call the emergency services immediately and, if possible, provide the What3Words location

Let's work together to keep all our outdoor spaces safe and reduce the risk of grass fires - wherever we are.

The museum will only be open from 10am to 11am on Wednesday 12th August due to essential works taking place in the space...
11/08/2026

The museum will only be open from 10am to 11am on Wednesday 12th August due to essential works taking place in the space.

The rest of the site and visitor centre, including the cafe, will be open as normal. Cave Tours and summer activities are also continuing as normal.

The museum will re-open on Thursday 13th August at 10am.

Get ready to spark their imagination at our inclusive campfire tales session tomorrow! 🌟 Designed specifically for famil...
11/08/2026

Get ready to spark their imagination at our inclusive campfire tales session tomorrow! 🌟

Designed specifically for families with neurodivergent children, we create a quieter space with smaller groups, extra lighting, and a more relaxed pace that works for everyone. We'll also send you all the details you need in advance so everyone can feel prepared.

£8 per person.
Booking link in the comments or click the summer activities banner from the homepage on our website.

Address

Crags Road, Welbeck
Creswell
S803LH

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4:30pm
Sunday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+441909720378

Website

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