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All the United Kingdom England Derbyshire Blue John Cavern
AO Edited

Blue John Cavern

Semi-precious Blue John stones have been mined in this cavern system for centuries.

Derbyshire, England

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millicent
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A Blue John seam.   stephen jones on Flickr
Blue John Cavern entrance   Espresso Addict/CC BY-SA 2.5
Sign near the entrance   Andrei Dan Suciu/CC BY-SA 3.0
Raw blue john   Dave.Dunford/CC BY-SA 3.0
Blue John specimens from another cavern in the area.   Andy Mabbett/CC BY-SA 3.0
Stalactites at Blue John Cavern   ARBAY/CC BY-SA 3.0
Inside the cavern   Ambient Photography/Public Domain
Inside the cavern   pcmediaone/CC BY-SA 2.0
Blue John Cavern exterior   Andrei Dan Suciu/CC BY-SA 3.0
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The Blue John Cavern in Derbyshire produces one of the scarcest minerals in the world and also offers a truly unique exploration experience.

Far from the dank and dingy caves usually associated with mining, these limestone caverns have been fitted with modern lighting and the sections of the caverns open to visitors have been neatly and cleanly paved. Visitors can wander the rippling stone formations and stalagmites, maybe even spotting the cavern's titular rock.

In the winter months, miners enter the caverns to harvest deposits of the rare Derbyshire Blue John, which is a semi-precious stone consisting of vibrant yellow and blue crystalline bands. The mineral is remarkably only found in two caves in the entire world. Amateur spelunkers can also buy all manner of Blue John jewelry and other mineral accessories at the adjoining gift shop, taking home a souvenir that can only be found in this unique cave.

Related Tags

Minerals Mines Caves Subterranean Subterranean Sites Ecosystems

Know Before You Go

There is ample free parking, but it's not close to the cavern entrance/shop; it's about a 300-meter walk down and up a hill. The tour consists of more than 200 steps down and then back out. This site unfortunately is not good for the mobility-impaired.

Community Contributors

Added By

millicent

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Martin, rugby007, MagnumPI, aribrown...

  • Martin
  • rugby007
  • MagnumPI
  • aribrown
  • EricGrundhauser
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

November 15, 2013

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Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derbyshire_Blue_John
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_John_Cavern
Blue John Cavern
Winnats Pass
Hope Valley
Derbyshire, England, S33 8WA
United Kingdom
53.345514, -1.803557
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