Creswell Crags

31/05/2026

It's been a beautiful week at the Crags as Spring has really sprung with people and wildlife enjoying the same tranquil space. Thank you to all the lovely visitors who have come to see us during half term and spent time in nature or sheltered from the heat in our caves! The weather forecast is bit wetter today, but our ancestors came here rain or shine, so follow in their footsteps and spend the last day of the school holidays at the Crags. We would love to see you!

29/05/2026

Prehistoric Fibres and Cordage Workshop, Sat, 20 June 2026, 10am - 1pm.

We love showcasing how inventive and creative our Ice Age ancestors were. At this special workshop participants will discover the importance of cordage as a part of prehistoric everyday life and have a go at making a variety of different cordage products with experimental archaeologist, Chris Woodland.

Our ancestors had the knowledge of the natural world and developed the skills to use these materials to survive. Today it’s easy to take a simple piece of string for granted; in the Ice Age the invention of cordage was a significant technological step. It allowed people to make everything from nets, ropes, bags and traps to storage vessels, complex structures and eventually, textiles.

In this introductory workshop, learn about the different natural materials we can make cordage from, where to find them, how and when to harvest and process them and get hands on learning these historic techniques. If time allows, you may make your new cordage into some basic everyday objects, such as snares, fishing lines or simple looped containers.

£45 per person. To book your place visit: www.creswell-crags.org.uk/events-listings/fibres-cordage-workshop

26/05/2026

Work has now begun to replace the steps to Robin Hood Cave. The team from Dukeries Carpentry & Joinery have been digging the first holes under the watchful eye of York Archaeology. Nothing of interest has been found so far, which means the team can continue their work.

The existing steps outside Robin Hood Cave are now only in use by tours and school groups, and we thank everyone who's visited for their understanding.

The replacement of the cave steps has been made possible by funding from the Museum Estate and Development Fund, which is administered and delivered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. We have also received funding from Lhoist at Whitwell and the Gordon Bramah Charitable Settlement. We are extremely grateful for this support but still need to raise funds for other repairs across the site. If you would like to donate please go to https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/stonebystone

23/05/2026

What a glorious day it's been, and the forecast says "more of the same tomorrow and Monday"!

We're open all bank holiday weekend and our team will be in the meadow serving you from the horsebox too.

Cave tours are available online and Isobel Sangster is with us too on Sunday.

20/05/2026

Thousands of feet climb the steps to our caves every year, and recent visitors will have noticed our campaign to raise funds to get them replaced. Well, we have great news.... work to replace the steps outside Robin Hood Cave is scheduled to start next week🎉

The works are expected to take a few weeks, during which the existing steps will only be accessible to cave tour booking and schools.

The replacement of the cave steps has been made possible by funding from the Museum Estate and Development Fund, which is administered and delivered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

We have also received funding from Lhoist at Whitwell and the Gordon Bramah Charitable Settlement.

We are extremely grateful for this support but still need to raise funds for other repairs across the site. If you would like to donate please go to https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/stonebystone

19/05/2026

We'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in today’s Corporate Partners Community Day here at the Crags.

An idea forged by Creswell Heritage Trust Trustee, Adam Taylor from Lhoist, alongside Ian Johnson at from Planterior, brought together an extraordinary group of people, suppliers, tools, machinery, energy and expertise.

From 8am this morning, teams worked through the May showers to make real, visible improvements across the site.

Together with our regular volunteers and NTU intern students, they helped dig drainage ditches to dry up our meadow paths, lift and re-set café terrace tiles, and create an accessible ramp from the bridge to the meadow — including some heroic hand-mixing of cement when the mixer decided it had done enough for the day!

We kept the tea, coffee, cakes, crisps, biscuits and sandwiches coming, while they supplied the graft, good humour and know-how.

Our heartfelt thanks to:
Wallace Groundworks Ltd
NAL Plant
Tarmac
Lhoist
Planterior

Days like this make an enormous difference; some of the work completed today would have taken us weeks or months to achieve on our own.

This was corporate partnership at its best: practical, generous, local, skilled and full of heart.

Thank you from all of us at Creswell Crags.

If you work for an organisation that would like to get involved, we'd love to hear from you!

17/05/2026

Next weekend, we'll be joined by local author Isobel Sangster. Hear Isobel bring the Wild Child to life as she reads her own words in the haven of Mother Grundy’s parlour and conjures up the atmosphere created in the book.

'Imagine stepping outside your front door early one morning and finding that the world around you has changed. The familiar neighbourhood has vanished. Where your neighbours’ houses once stood, rugged cliffs rise, their faces dotted with dark caves. A few of the cave mouths flicker with a soft amber glow. The tarmacked road has melted away, replaced by a wide, lazy lake that laps gently at the shore. The chaotic street sounds have disappeared, replaced by a whispering breeze that playfully teases the leaves of the sturdy, ancient trees, as if telling them that change is in the air. A pale sun peeks shyly through a crooked gap in the rock face opposite. Suddenly, movement in one of the shadowy caves catches your attention. A timid, slight figure emerges, glancing furtively around. It is a Wild Child. Will you be brave enough to follow her? To become her unseen, silent companion as she takes her first steps away from familiar routines and comforts into a wider, wilder world of danger, challenge, and misadventure? This is the beginning of her journey from childhood to young adulthood. Will you choose to walk beside her?’

https://www.creswell-crags.org.uk/events-listings/woawc-book

15/05/2026

On Sunday 24th May we welcome local author Isobel Sangster to the Crags for the official launch of her new book.

Wanderings of a Wild Child is Isobel Sangster’s first book to be published, and the first part of an adventurous trilogy loosely based on her own experiences and misadventures, but set in a wildly fictional and fantastical landscape inspired by Creswell Crags.

Hear Isobel bring the Wild Child to life as she reads her own words in the haven of Mother Grundy’s parlour and conjures up the atmosphere created in the book.

The book is aimed at children aged 8 to 11 years, but all ages are welcome, although the tale becomes a little darker the further the Wild Child explores.

No booking needed, just turn up at Mother Grundy’s Parlour at the start time of the readings (11:30am and 1:30pm).

Any books bought on the day will receive a 10% discount.

Imagine stepping outside your front door early one morning and finding that the world around you has changed. The familiar neighborhood has vanished. Where y...

14/05/2026

We're recruiting for a new Finance Manager to take overall responsibility for financial management here at the Crags. If working for an independent charity and being part of our forward-thinking, creative team sounds exciting, you can read more on our website.
https://www.creswell-crags.org.uk/jobs

11/05/2026

On Sunday will be visiting with The Makory!

The Makory will be parked on site offering free family-friendly arts activities during the day.

We're looking forward to seeing what exciting arts and crafts they'll be bringing to the Crags.