CASTLETON. 65 



the variegated cavern is reached — a large chamber, said to be upwards of 

 100 feet in height. But this is not the only large chamber that has been 

 discovered through the labours of the miners. Some distance from this 

 cavern is the one called " Lord ilulgrave's Dining Eoom" — a large cavity 

 about 150 feet in height, and 60 feet in diameter. But the most beautiful 

 of all the chambers is that called the " Crystallised Cavern," a large 

 dome-shaped cavity, the height of which is estimated at 100 feet, and 

 whose sides are adorned with numerous stalactites, that spaxkle like stars 

 when it is lighted up. 



Another of the Peak mines is the Speedwell Mine, the gallery 

 of which was originally excavated by a company of proprietors in 

 search of lead ore. Access to the interior of this mine is obtained by 

 descending about 104 steps, then by proceeding in a boat along a 

 level or tunnel, the result of the miners' operations, to the Grand 

 Cavern, a vast vaulted chamber, fashioned by natural forces in the heart 

 of the mountain, the height of which has never been ascertained, but is 

 supposed to exceed 500 feet, since rockets capable of ascending 450 feet 

 have been sent up and have exploded and thrown out their coruscations 

 as fully as if they had ascended beneath the vault of heaven. On one 

 side of this chamber is an abyss which has never been fathomed. On 

 the day that I visited it a vast body of water was poui'ing into it from 

 some of the old workings, which precipitated itself into the chasm with 

 the noise of thunder. This was owing to the rain having fallen almost 

 incessantly for some days, as in the usual course of things visitors are 

 able to throw stones down and hear them bound from side to side for 

 some minutes. 



The greatest of all the Peak caverns is the " Peak Cavern," or 

 " Devil's Hole," the approach to which is through a ravine by the 

 side of the stream which issues from the cavern. At the termina- 

 tion of this ravine there is a magnificent natural arch in the solid 

 rock, 120 feet wide, and 42 feet high. The mode of progress in this 

 cavern was formerly by a boat for short distances, but latterly, for the 

 convenience of visitors, passages have been made by blasting the rock. 

 After proceeding for some distance a large chamber, called the " Grand 

 Saloon," is reached, about 220 feet square, and in some places 120 feet in 

 height. Leaving this apartment by means of a steep and rugged path- 

 way, the " Chancel " is reached, and then descending by another path the 

 visitor arrives at the " Devil's Cellar." The other large chambers in this 

 cavern are " Gloucester Hall " and " Great Tom of Lincoln," the latter 

 being so designated from its having a regular concavity in the roof 

 resembling the form of a beU. 



On the eastern side of the Castle Hill runs Cave Dale, a rocky 

 glen, in which the mountain limestone is well exposed. The 

 approach to this narrow defile has rather a forbidding aspect, the 

 entrance being by a cleft in the hill-side not more than five feet 

 wide. Passing this the dell widens out and gradually ascends for about 

 a mile. As the visitor ascends towards the siunmit he passes on his way 

 a singular column of toadstone, not unlike in appearance to the basaltic 



