Peak Cavern

Peak Cavern or Devil's Arse, subterranean limestone cavern in Derbyshire, in the village of Castleton in the Peak District National Park. The cavern was known as the Devil’s Arse until Victorian times and has now reverted to its original name. The entrance chamber, the largest natural cave entrance in the British Isles and the second largest in the world, is accessed from beneath Peveril Castle, an 11th-century fortress. Historically, the damp conditions in the cavern were ideal for rope-making and a former rope-maker’s cottage, inhabited until 1830, lies just inside the entrance. Once an entire community lived within the cavern, making ropes for the local lead-mining industry.

Other sights within the cavern include the Orchestra Gallery in the Great Cave, a falling torrent of water at Roger Rain's House, Pluto's Dining Room, and the Devil's Cellar. Stalactite and stalagmite formations are also in evidence.

See also Speedwell Cavern; Treak Cliff Cavern.