Heights of Abraham Welcome to one of the Peak District’s oldest and most popular days out, an attraction where stunning natural beauty is matched by human achievement and the historic blends seamlessly with the futuristic.
Since first opening to visitors in 1780 the Heights of Abraham has remained one of the Peak District’s most appealing destinations. Visitors have travelled from all over the world to experience its unique blend of spectacular Underground Caverns, Exhibitions, Shops, Play Areas, Picnic Spots, Café and Summit Bar all with stunning views in acres of beautiful woodland. In recent times however, the Heights has become rightly famous for its landmark Cable Car system - the first of its kind in the whole of the British Isles.
Added attractions are the “Heath & Heaven” and “Fossil Factory” displays, plus state of the art lighting in the Great Masson Cavern which reveals its magnitude as it has never been seen before. Not forgetting John the Miner who tells the story of a day in the life of a 17th Century Lead Miner in the Great Rutland Cavern.
NEW for 2011 An eciting addition to the play areas is the WODLAND ADVENTURE play area. An exciting mix of slides,climbs and walkways with a fun Eagle nest swing!
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THIS IS A PAST EVENT
30 May - 5 June: Spring Bank Holiday Activities
30th May to 5th June 2011
We'll be having loads of family fun at the Heights of Abraham this May Bank Holiday weekend.
MYSTICAL BEASTIES AND WOODLAND VILLAGE
Join in for FREE. Emma Parkins from Junky Monkey and create a mini mythical village made out of natural bits foraged from the woods and surrounding area. We will hunt for natures treasures, such as sticks, feathers, leaves, greenery, and stones/pebbles. Using these and some bits that I will bring along with me, we will work together to build and create houses and strange towers suitable for all kinds of mythical folk to live in.
These may be based around an old tree stump or put straight into the ground. Even if the weather is not good, we will be able to create similar towers by using a wooden base to make the structure on, and then transfer these outside. I hope to use a simple weaving technique on the towers to create the basic structure. The rest of the creation will be up to the individual, with lots of advice and ideas available to hand. I hope to create mini gardens,paths, roads,fences, walls, mini signs and even washing lines!
To live in this village we will be making some weird creatures and fairy folk. These will be made using interesting sticks, natural materials, clay and paper mache. Hopefully some families will decide to leave some to look after the village for the rest of the summer. The weather and surrounding wildlife will continue to change the village and eventually it will fall back to nature where it came from!
Please feel free to bring any interesting sticks and bits with you when you come. For example if you have visited the beach and have got any good shells and drift wood that you may want to add, that would be great.
Normal admission applies. Please contact the Heights of Abraham for more information.
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Current reviews for Heights of Abraham
Review title : A fun day out for the whole family, added by : Lisa (01/06/2011)
Event reviewed : 30 May - 5 June: Spring Bank Holiday Activities
"We visited the Heights of Abraham on a very wet Bank Holiday Monday and, as I hadn't been for at least 30 years, we were all looking forward to seeing what was on offer.
We were 2 families with 3 children under 6 and, right from the start when we boarded the cable car, we really felt that we were at the start of an adventure.
We parked in the station carpark which was busy but very conveniently located and just a short walk away from the main entrance to the attraction (the Heights of Abraham is perfect if you are travelling by train). We all loved the cable car ride, our son was especially excited when it stopped halfway up the hill and it gave us a fantastic view of the surrounding area and river below.
Our first stop was the outdoor playground which, despite the rain, kept the kids amused and gave them the chance to get rid of some energy. We eventually managed to drag them away and queued up for the tour of the Masson Cavern. The tour, which took about 30 minutes, was led by a very knowledgeable guide, who kept everyone entertained and informed - not easy with a 2 year old who wanted to run off into every dark corner! Yes, there are steps (the last section totals 80) but they were all manageable and no-one was in a rush, so no problems there.
Next was a visit to the Mythical Village, where the kids had a fantastic time messing around with clay, seeds, sticks and all other bits of stuff foraged from the woods to make creatures. They were so proud of their beasties that it was quite tricky to persuade the kids to leave them in the little village but we promised to come back and visit them later in the year to see how nature had changed things.
Time for lunch and we had a very enjoyable time in the Terrace Coffee Shop, which served a wide variety of food and drink at very reasonable prices and much better than the usual fast food you are offered in these kind of attractions. There is also a bar upstairs, which serves meals and drinks, if you feel in need of sustinence!
Unfortunately, after a quick play in the Woodland Play Area, it was time to leave but, as we didn't get to see the exhibition or the Fossil Factory, or visit the other caverns and climb the tower, we will definitely go back later this year. This is a fantastic attraction that the weather cannot spoil and I would highly recommend it for people of all ages."
