Ice Age Dig
For the first time in 25 years, we're opening up a brand-new section of cave at Stump Cross Caverns, a 75-metre extension into the earth. Digging it out has unearthed tonnes of genuine Ice Age mud, and we need your help to sieve through it.
This mud has a remarkable history. Over the years, it has given up real Ice Age remains here at Stump Cross: Wolverine, reindeer, bison, wolf and Arctic fox, with our most recent wolverine discovery made just this January. Now it's your turn to dig in and see what's still hidden inside.
Led by our team, each 45-minute session gives you the chance to work through authentic cave mud with your own hands and uncover traces of the Yorkshire Dales as it was thousands of years ago. Every handful holds the potential for something extraordinary.
Any Ice Age finds are the property of Stump Cross Caverns and will be used for scientific study and displayed in our visitor centre for everyone to enjoy. But you won't go home empty-handed — the beautiful calcite crystal that forms our cave is scattered throughout the mud, and you're welcome to take a piece home. This is a rare opportunity: we would never mine or break these formations from the cave itself, but because this crystal has already broken away into the mud, it's yours to keep. A genuine piece of Stump Cross Caverns to treasure.
Come and be part of history.
Please dress to get muddy! This is a genuine dig with real cave mud, so come prepared to get properly mucky. We recommend bringing a change of clothes and good, sturdy footwear — you'll be out on the grass, and it can get boggy underfoot.
Minimum Age 5+
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For the first time in 25 years, we're opening up a brand-new section of cave at Stump Cross Caverns, a 75-metre extension into the earth. Digging it out has unearthed tonnes of genuine Ice Age mud, and we need your help to sieve through it.
This mud has a remarkable history. Over the years, it has given up real Ice Age remains here at Stump Cross: Wolverine, reindeer, bison, wolf and Arctic fox, with our most recent wolverine discovery made just this January. Now it's your turn to dig in and see what's still hidden inside.
Led by our team, each 45-minute session gives you the chance to work through authentic cave mud with your own hands and uncover traces of the Yorkshire Dales as it was thousands of years ago. Every handful holds the potential for something extraordinary.
Any Ice Age finds are the property of Stump Cross Caverns and will be used for scientific study and displayed in our visitor centre for everyone to enjoy. But you won't go home empty-handed — the beautiful calcite crystal that forms our cave is scattered throughout the mud, and you're welcome to take a piece home. This is a rare opportunity: we would never mine or break these formations from the cave itself, but because this crystal has already broken away into the mud, it's yours to keep. A genuine piece of Stump Cross Caverns to treasure.
Come and be part of history.
Please dress to get muddy! This is a genuine dig with real cave mud, so come prepared to get properly mucky. We recommend bringing a change of clothes and good, sturdy footwear — you'll be out on the grass, and it can get boggy underfoot.
Minimum Age 5+
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