Peak Cavern is one of four show caves in Castleton, an area famed for its extensive networks of…read morelimestone caverns. Peak Cavern has the largest natural cave entrance of any in Britain, and of the four caves in Castleton is the most natural (the form of the others being partially created by mining). Its historic name was the "Devil's Arse", so called as people in mediaeval times thought the caves as entrances to hell, and the air movement in Peak Cavern during flood made a noise like, well, passing wind! The cave experienced a limited amount of mining, was used as a piggery, and until the early 20th century a small community of rope-makers lived and worked in houses in the entrance. Tourist visits proper began in the 18th Century and really took off in the 19th century. Queen Victoria visited but was too large for the small coffin-like boat used to navigate one of the flooded passages, so miners blasted a new passage - part of today's route. She also had the name changed from its raw mediaeval one... An original boat is now on display, having been naturally excavated during a flood. Mining has in modern times reduced the water levels so, whilst the cave can still flood dramatically, the streams and pools are shallower than historically was the case. Today's tours are all led by a guide and last about 40 minutes. The talk covers the history, geology and natural history - the caves are home to specialised bacteria, water fleas, freshwater shrimp and blind trout. The walk goes through a series of huge chambers, linked by low passages. Sadly, most of the stalactites and stalagmites were cut or shot down in the 19th century, but the grandeur comes from the sheer scale of the chambers. Further in - but beyond the section open to the public - the system contains largest natural cave chambers in Britain - the aptly named Leviathan and Titan - the latter being over 450 feet high. Practicalities: it can be quite cold inside the cave, so carry a fleece or sweater. The cave floor is, in parts, uneven, wet and slippery, so flat shoes with good grip are also recommended. A few of the passages have very low ceilings and require you to duck for some distance.

TAKE THE TOUR!!…read more Listen to what your guide tells you, it is well worth the money. The tour of the cavern is great the information is great from the explanation of the rope making that used to happen there all the way though to the strange rock formations and to why the cavern is also called The Devil's Arse.

A great morning/afternoon can be spent here, and also neighboring property Packwood House, so try…read moreand visit them both together. All four of us n our party enjoyed our visit to Baddesley Clinton very much. This is one of the only moated manor houses we have seen on our "National Trust" travels. As with lots of other properties of this era, there are Priest holes to see created by the infamous Nicholas Owen. Excellent tea rooms. A great time will be had by all.

This is a great place to visit and to keep going back to, even if only for the great walks in and…read morearound the grounds. The moated manor house has lots of surprises including priests' holes, possible bloodstains on the floor in one of some rooms, and chatty and knowledgeable room guides who make the visit a pleasure. There is a great secondhand bookshop to pass some time (nice and cheap too), the usual NT shop, and a lovely courtyard for teas and coffees with sheltered alcoves, which is alongside the barn restaurant. Nice food too, if a little pricey for some items. As an NT member, you can pop in for free, so worth considering if you like the ambiance of the place. It's also very near to the NT's Packwood House, so you can easily fit in a visit to both in the same day.

great guide( honestly laughed all the way), great tour and the most accommodating company - allowed…read moreus to reschedule due to last minute sickness and been the most helpful along the way. highly recommended

Heidi Boon Rickard was our tour guide and she is so passionate about what she does. Ask for her…read more Learning of Oxford and how many genius minds came through here is incredible. Go through Christ's Church; beautiful.

A good travel agents providing good information and advice regarding vacations to almost any…read morelocation in the world. customer service is excellent with staff willing and able to help organise everything about your holiday including flights, accomodation and activities. a greaat place to book and buy and holiday

When you blindfold yourself, do things cease to exist just because you cant see them? There are…read moreundoubtedly things which are and will always remain unexplained. If history has taught us anything, it's that the more we find out about the world around us the less we know. Arrogance in our "knowledge" of the world makes us rather redundent when it comes to a phenomenon that is as old as time. Ghosts, Spirits, Poltergeists................ Thus despite the idea of ghosts or paranormal activity being dumbed down through film, the idea in its simplicity chills us to the core. Whether we like it or not or whether we choose to or not. Chester is however arguably the most haunted place on this Island of ours. I remember my first ever trip there and I had no idea that it was infact the most haunted place in the country. Yet I do remember walking the walls of the city thinking, I would NOT like to be walking around here at night!!!!!! Whether you go on the ghost tour or not I urge you to read a plethora of stories/events that have been documented here. Let me tell you I've read a few, and it did send a few chills down my spine as I recalled some of my visits. In fact as I write this an uneasy feeling washes over me. The story of Sarah who frequents a chocolate shop which stands to this day has haunted me from the moment I read it. Why do these stories have so much power over us? The mind boggles. So if you are a horror film fan like me. Don't bother with the next blockbuster. Go on their website read a few stories and if you dare go on one of the ghost tours which happens every saturday night 7:30, lasting an hour & half. Better still why don't you arrange a tour of your own, the geography of ghost sightings is no secret. Why not walk the walls yourself around midnight?? I dare you, I double dare you!!!!!!!

Sutton Park is a beautiful place, that much is clear. But what of the stuff in there? Well kids,…read morefor answers you may need to look a little further than the visitors centre. This little round building sits just up the way from Town Gate and has long been not quite as good as it could be. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting laser beams, glitter explosions, 3D glasses or any of that caper; but the visitors centre does seem to belong to a different, slightly older world where diagrams of wildlife were enough to animate children. Now I fear that such places are a little antiquated and things like stuffed animals like those in here are more scary than enlightening. One great thing about the visitors centre is how well it blends with the landscape. The small, round, dark wood building with a little dome on it is very discreet on the landscape. The worst thing anyone could do is replace it with a massive pine cabin or glass complex. For a start someone would boot a football through the glass before you could say 'taxidermied fox'. I can't really bring myself to slag this place off because it's such a part of my childhood and such an integral part of the park. All I'll say is go and give it some love, it both needs and deserves it.

A nice round wooden lodge, in keeping with the woody surrounds, the Visitor Centre has displays and…read moreexhibitions based on nature conservation, information on nature trails, guided walks and events related to Sutton Park. (These activities are organised by the Sutton Park Rangers who are part of the Birmingham Parks Ranger Service. In addition, the Rangers offer a range of curriculum based activities for schools.) There are also nice and tastefully made nature related goodies to be bought (a few neat stocking fillers maybe, for various ages?). Park maps are provided free, but if you feel generous, spend a £1 on a Park guide book as well. It's nice and warm in there too, for a five minute respite from the big freeze along with handy toilet facilities (as an alternative to blundering through the undergrowth for relief, which could probably get you arrested anyway). As you can see, the Visitor Centre is located within the Park from the Town Gate entrance (at the end of the Park Road) and is easily reached from the centre of Sutton Coldfield town with good bus and rail connections to Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton. There is a car park situated at the Visitor Centre for people with disabilities only.