Despite driving past Stump Cross Caverns nearly every time we visit the Dales, I have never been. Pip and I decided to rectify that and go all in with an overnight in the van in their car park and an afternoon tea.
Stump Cross Caverns
The caverns are a mixture of naturally formed subterranean caverns and former lead mines. They are a family run business and have been open to the public since the late 1800s. The caves are in fact millions of years old and the area that is now the Yorkshire Dales was a warm shallow tropical sea, near to the equator. The caves contain millions of years of history including the bones of animals long extinct from the UK, like the wolverine.
The caves take about 45 minutes to explore at your own pac. There is a walking route through the different caverns so no chance of getting lost. As Pip had a child’s ticket, we got an activity sheet to complete while we walked round (there are different sheets for different age groups). We were looking for dinosaur eggs that glowed under our UV torches so find the name of the Stump Cross dinosaur. We also timed our visit perfectly as at 3pm they turn the lights down in parts of the caverns so that you can make full use of your UV torch for all the naturally elements that glow in the dark.
The caves are a cool 7ºc and slightly damp so dress warmly and wear sensible shoes as under foot can be quite slippery.
Aside from the actual caves there is also an outside area with a sandpit and a gem panning area. There are various gem workshops that you can get involved in and you can meet the cavewomen of Stump Cross.
We visited in the summer holidays so the Caverns were busy with families and lots of children, I would definitely recommend booking a time slot if you are visiting at a busy time of year.
There is also a fabulous gift shop selling gems, jewellery and other items.
Food
We booked an afternoon tea and cave package. The afternoon tea was absolutely delicious although everything on the menu looked amazing so we did wish that we had room to order more.
We ordered an adult and a child afternoon tea but got two lots of everything so there was masses of food. We also went for a vegetarian tea which I emailed in advance to order.
Afternoon tea consisted of homemade sandwiches, sausage rolls, a section of homemade cakes and the biggest scones you have ever seen with jam and cream. Way more than we could eat but they did have boxes so we could take some cakes home for later.
You don’t have to be visiting the caves to use the cafe and we would definitely recommend stopping for a coffee and a cake or ice cream if you are passing.
Motorhome/ Campervan Stopover
If you have a self contained motorhome or camper van then you can stay overnight in the car park. A night’s stay costs £10 and you get a £5 credit to use towards anything in the cafe or shop. We tucked ourself in the back car park and were the only van on site the day we stayed. We had a lovely peaceful night enjoying the views and listening to the sheep in the surrounding fields. We also took the opportunity to work up an appetite with a 6 mile walk starting from Stump Cross and visiting Grimwith Reservoir and Appletreewick pastures before our afternoon tea and cave adventure.
It’s worth noting that there are no overnight facilities so you need to be self contained.
Accessibility
Unfortunately because the Caverns’ visitor centre dates back to the 1800s and the fact that the Caverns are a naturally formed destination, it is not accessible for those with mobility difficulties. The shop, cafe and toilets are on different levels and accessed by steps and there are 65 steps down to the caves where the ground is uneven and the ceilings are low(visitors are required to wear hard hats and they are very much required).
There is a short video at the beginning of the cave visit about the history of the caverns and some health and safety information but other than that all other information is in written format.
Our Thoughts
As a campervan stopover it was perfect, such a brilliantly peaceful spot with stunning scenery. The staff were all really lovely and it was great to have the picnic tables use during the evening and the option of having breakfast in the cafe.
Pip wasn’t excited about visiting the caves but actually really enjoyed it, especially hunting for dinosaur eggs. Finding out about the history of the area was really interesting.
The website is a bit rubbish so it’s not the easiest to book everything that you want but persevere because it is well worth it, the staff do know that it is difficult to navigate and it will hopefully be upgraded soon.
We will definitely be back to visit the cafe next time we are passing.
We visited in July 2025 when Pip was 13.
Go everywhere, Do everything 