Clearwell Caves facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clearwell |
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|---|---|
| Location | Clearwell, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire |
| Entrances | 1 |
| Access | Public |
| Lighting | Yes |
| Visitors | Yes |
| Features | Ochre. Lake |
Clearwell Caves are an amazing natural cave system. You can find them in Clearwell, which is in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. For a very long time, people have dug here to find valuable iron ore. Today, it's mostly a fun and educational mining museum!
These caves are so special that they are part of a protected area. This area is called a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Natural England. This means the caves and nearby old mine complexes are important for nature and history.
Contents
Digging for Treasures
Clearwell Caves are actually a group of six different mines. These include Clearwell, Old Ham, Lambsquay, Old Bow, Oak Pit, and New Dun. Together, they cover a huge area of about 250 acres!
The caves themselves were formed by underground streams. This happened about 180 million years ago. People started digging here for ochre even before the Iron Age (around 100 BC). Later, they dug for iron ore during Roman times and especially in the 1800s. All this digging made the natural caves much bigger and longer.
What is Ochre?
Ochre is a natural colored earth. It has been mined here for a very long time. It's used as a pigment, which means it gives color to things.
The nearby scowles at the Secret Forest and Puzzlewood are like old, shallow surface mines. They later became entrances to these deeper caves.
People still work in Clearwell Caves sometimes. They dig out colored ochres for artists. These ochres are cleaned and ground into fine powders. You can buy many different colors at the mine's shop. They have golden yellow to deep English Reds. Clearwell is also one of the few places where you can find rare natural purple ochre.
Visiting the Caves
Some parts of the caves are easy for visitors to explore. They are well-lit and have interesting displays. There's also a small museum, a shop, and a café. If you're feeling brave, you can go on a guided tour into the much deeper parts. For these tours, you need an experienced guide and special caving safety gear.
Fun and Filming
The caves were first opened to the public in 1968 by Ray Wright. Now, his son Jonathan Wright manages them. Jonathan is a "Freeminer," which means he still digs for ochre there.
The caves are used for many fun events. Every Christmas, they become a Santa's Grotto. They also host easter egg hunts, summer barbecues, concerts, and plays. One large cave room is big enough for parties. They even have an annual Halloween Party with over 300 people!
Caves on Screen
Clearwell Caves are a popular spot for filming movies and TV shows. Parts of the famous Doctor Who episodes "The Christmas Invasion" (2005), "The Satan Pit" (2006), and "Time of Angels" / "Flesh and Stone" (2010) were filmed here.
All the underground scenes for the BBC series "Merlin" were also filmed in these caves. The caves have been used for many science fiction scenes, like in Blake's 7. They were also featured in children's shows like "The Changes", "The Jensen Code", and "Kidnapped". More recently, you might have seen them in Britannia, Cursed, and His Dark Materials.
Mysterious Happenings
Some people say strange things happen at Clearwell Caves. There have been reports of hearing metal clanging in the distance. Many visitors have also reported seeing an old miner or hearing footsteps and pickaxes working.
See also
- Old Bow And Old Ham Mines
