Heights of Abraham - The Coolest Place in Derbyshire?
Despite the soaring temperatures across the country, the award-winning Heights of Abraham in Matlock Bath remains ‘cool’ due to the constant temperature of between 6 to 7 degrees Celsius in their two underground caverns.
Visitors to the estate this week have been heading underground to cool off in the naturally refrigerated cavern network that winds beneath the popular visitor attraction. Scientifically, this natural ‘refrigeration’ occurs because the Earth’s crust is a natural insulator, shielding underground temperatures from rising and creating a thermal buffer. With the caverns being so far underground and receiving no natural sunlight, there is no way for them to heat up, so they maintain the average annual temperature of the outdoors as a constant temperature underground.
Of the two caverns offering guided tours, the Great Rutland Cavern is the coolest, delivering a very satisfactory 6 degrees due to the mine shaft, which acts like a chimney, causing any warmer air to rise out of the cavern. For those who like their cave tours a little warmer, the Great Masson Cavern still provides a welcome chill-factor at 6 to 7 degrees. Both caverns offer professionally guided tours throughout the day.
Andi McGrath (pictured) one of the ‘Victorian’ Great Rutland Cavern Guides, briefs visitors before they go on their tour; “On a day like today, when the temperature is 30 degrees outside, visitors look at us a bit strange when we ask them to wrap up warm before the tour, but once inside, they’re glad they did! Once the tour is over, and visitors step back outside, it feels almost like stepping off a plane somewhere in the Mediterranean” she added.
Caroline Mallender, who works in the office next to the cavern, said “When we are in the office, there is no greater relief from the heat than opening the door to the cavern, in fact, we call it turning on the ‘cave-con’!”
Here are five ways to cool down if you’re planning to visit the Heights of Abraham this week:
1. Head underground - both caverns are a constant 5 - 7 degrees Celsius
2. Feel the breeze – the windows in the cable cars are open to enjoy the Derbyshire air as it flows through the valley
3. Cool off with an ice cream – enjoy a delicious Matlock Meadows ice cream
4. Stroll in the shade - the shaded serpentine paths that weave around the 60-acre estate are a great place for relief from the heat
5. Enjoy the view – take a seat under the huge shaded Blue Terrace, paired with an iced coffee and a slice of cake.
For more information and to book tickets, visit www.heightsofabraham.com
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