Church Hole

Church Hole is a modest limestone cave tucked into the hillside near Worksop, and it's genuinely worth seeking out if you're staying at one of the nearby parks. The cave mouth opens onto a small sandy beach - yes, an actual beach inside a cave - where you can walk through chambers that early humans occupied thousands of years ago. Flint tools and bones found here suggest people were sheltering in these rocks during the Ice Age, which gives the whole experience a bit of genuine weight.

The walk in is straightforward and takes about five minutes from the car park. The cave itself doesn't require any scrambling or technical caving gear - you can explore the main chamber and beach on foot, though it gets darker further back. Most visitors allow twenty minutes to half an hour, which is enough to look around properly without rushing. Families with primary school-age kids tend to enjoy it; it's tactile and unusual enough to break up a caravan holiday without demanding a full day.

It's free to visit and sits conveniently close to Clumber Park, making it an easy add-on to a morning walk in the grounds. The National Trust car park at Clumber is only a few miles away, so you could combine both. Go on a quieter weekday if possible - weekends get busier with school groups. The cave can be damp underfoot, so bring proper footwear. Winter visits are atmospheric but muddy; summer's drier but occasionally crowded.