Usually when I think about travel blogs I think about trips to far flung and exotic destinations. But today I’m going to talk about somewhere much closer to home – Creswell Crags.
Creswell Crags is a limestone gorge very near where I live. The caves in the sides of the gorge were inhabited by neanderthals and early humans during the last ice age, and over the years various signs of their occupation have been found – a variety of tools, and the first evidence of cave art found in the UK. This all makes Creswell Crags a Site of Special Scientific Interest – and it’s all on my doorstep.
This morning is a gloriously sunny day, still chilly, but after the sleety snow of a few days ago, the sun is a welcome sight.It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the Crags, mostly along busy roads, but it’s worth it. The peace and tranquillity of the Crags is lovely, and something I enjoy everytime I go there. This morning the air was filled with the sound of birdsong, from the tweeting and cheeping of small birds to the rowdy calling and behaviour of the crows to the raucous cries of the pheasants.
Sadly, none of the birds wanted to pose for me today. In the summer, the plants along the side of the small man-made lake are covered in flowers, and the air then hums with the sounds of bees buzzing, and is filled with butterflies flitting from flower to flower. Not today though, as winter has definitely arrived.
You enter the gorge at one end or the other, and walked around the lake and then return to where to where you started. There are caves of various sizes in the limestone walls, and entry to them is only on a guided tour, which I’ve never actually done. You can go up the caves though and look through the barriers.
This morning was lovely and quiet.Some days, there are lots of visitors, mostly locals like me, but when you’ve got several families chatting, and possibly with the odd screaming child, or a barking dog, it’s not always peaceful. Today was lovely. Hardly anyone else was there, so plenty of opportunity to enjoy the sounds of the countryside – the aforementioned birds, and the sounds of the babbling streams at either end of the lake.
This last photo wasn’t taken today – it was taken a few years in the snow. But I love it, so thought I’d share it today.
Sarah's travels 
Wow!! I love places like this! I bet it was so fun to see! Great pictures!! Sometimes be greatest gems can be close to home!
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Thanks! It is somewhere I like to walk to every few weeks. I definitely need to do one of the proper tours though and see inside the caves. But just walking around the lake is nice.
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I’m sure it’s so pretty and calming! Being outside in places like this is the best! If you ever go inside make sure you blog about it! I love to live vicariously through other people in other countries for now! Haha! I need to make a trip outside the United States one of these days!
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I definitely will share if I ever go inside the caves! You definitely need to leave the US, although you do live in a very lovely part of the country. There is a whole world waiting for you to explore it!!
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I know!! Hopefully sooner rather than later I get the chance!
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