Beer Quarry Caves
Beer Quarry Caves
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Guided tours of vast underground caverns started by the Romans, which provided Beer stone used in 24 Cathedrals, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, and many other historic buildings. See for yourself where and how the stone was quarried, the appalling working conditions and dangers faced by the work force,some as young as 8 years old. See too, the site of the secret Catholic Chapel and where smugglers hid their contraband. 2000 years of heritage brought vividly to life
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- Margaret Woodhouse10 contributionsBeer Quarry Caves are awesomeThis place is unbelievably good. I could not have envisaged how enormous the complex is and how old. It was started in 78AD by the Romans, then we traveled through time to the 1970s when the quarry was closed. 47acres of cathedral like caves.Visited April 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 4 April 2023
- Cameron DLondon, United Kingdom1 contributionVisit to the Beer quarry caves!Excellent experience and very educational! Our guide Jill was comedic and made the tour enjoyable. Definitely recommend this as an activity to do when you are visiting and something the whole family will like. The staff were very friendly and accommodating and took the proper precautions when it comes to the well-being of dogs that are there and the health and safety of the visitors. Overall excellent and would definitely visit again!Visited April 2023Written 5 April 2023
- Graham M1 contributionAn enjoyable visitWe visited the quarry cave in April 2023 and were amazed at the extent of the caves. Our guide Jill was very knowledgable, engaging and informative as she guided us through 2000 years of history. Would advise wrapping up warm and wearing a waterproof.Visited April 2023Travelled with familyWritten 6 April 2023
- Joy2214Honiton, United Kingdom10 contributionsAbsolutely wonderful.We visited today with our children who are 6 & 7. We had a wonderful time. It was so interesting, amazing to jump back in time. Our tour guide was Jill, who was lovely, and so attentive. She was great at including our children. And listened to their questions, no matter how ridiculous. Would definitely recommend!Visited April 2023Travelled with familyWritten 7 April 2023
- Adam B2 contributionsGreat experience, highly recommend.Very enjoyable and informative. Mike was our guide and was thoroughly entertaining and knowledgable. The caves were much bigger than expected and listening to the history of how the techniques changed and how the history of the caves could be demonstrated and dated by that was fascinating.Visited April 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 8 April 2023
- grantholt190212 contributionsGreat tourEnjoyable and entertaining tour with Mike. Ask about the ghosts, just not in front of children. Nice way to spend an hour or two in Devon. Lucky enough to see some bats. Me and two 13 year olds very much enjoyed hearing about the history of the quarry. Quite a few young kids and dogs on the tour, perhaps better for sligtly older kids but still enjoyable I think. Finally... Not sure why this is getting some negative reviews? What were people expecting? Not everything can be Harry Potter World and I'm happy it isn't. Great to support a local tourist attraction.Visited April 2023Travelled with familyWritten 11 April 2023
- Robert DLondon, United Kingdom239 contributionsA travel through timeToday we joined a large group of other holiday makers and descended into a 2,000 year old quarry to shelter from the rain and strong winds. Lead by the brilliant Jill, we explored and learnt a lot about the process and history of the quarry. I went with three teenagers and was expecting them to want to finish early but they were fully engaged and happy to be below ground. The Horseshoe bats were many and we were able to get safely close to them. Jill told us many wonderful stories amongst the history of the quarry and got everyone including the young ones to share their thoughts and ideas. Dogs are welcome as was the electric lighting and accessible pathways. Thank you Jill for making our experience a highlight of our holiday week.Visited April 2023Travelled with familyWritten 12 April 2023
- frostydaneLondon, United Kingdom28 contributionsCave visit with a differenceWow we all loved this visit! So educational and fascinating! Will never look at a cathedral again without thinking of the back breaking work and terrible condition s these blocks of stone were mined. Special thanks to Jed for being an amazing guide so passionate, knowledgeable and so funny! Thanks 😊Visited April 2023Travelled with familyWritten 12 April 2023
- hilarymackintoshWallingford, United Kingdom9 contributionsFascinating Historical InsightThis was an extremely entertaining, informative and thorough tour, lasting an hour. The guide, Jill, engaged really well with the children in the group. The description of the working conditions was horrifying, and as someone who enjoys visiting and worshipping in cathedrals on occasion, I will never look at them the same way again.Visited April 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 12 April 2023
- Ana S5 contributionsA Hidden GemWe visited the caves not really knowing what to expect - the site looks very unassuming from the outside. It turned out to be really fantastic! Everyone in the group had a great time. Our tour guide, Jed, was really knowledgeable and engaging - he was wonderful with our 5 year old daughter and kept her (and us) well entertained. He was also very considerate, changing some of his demonstrations to cater for our daughter and our dog (there is a loud noise demonstration at one point which dogs can be scared by) - not to mention his skillful ukelele playing! The history of the caves was really interesting, and we were lucky enough to see some bats. Overall it was a really fun experience and I'd highly recommend a visit!Visited April 2023Written 13 April 2023
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4.5
1,373 reviews
Excellent
1,092
Very good
232
Average
30
Poor
8
Terrible
11
RDrury67
Cambridge, UK5 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Visited here on a family holiday to Dorset in October 2023. Very interesting place, lots of history, we were even able to take a pushchair around, although the ground is slightly uneven in places and a bit slippy but nothing overly dangerous. Our guide Jill was excellent and told some fascinating stories. Well worth a visit.
Written 8 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave S
Winchester, UK24 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Mike gave a great tour but, as usual with tours, some of the "facts" were questionable. Are all/most cathedrals built near rivers? Did master stone masons have to do their carving in the caves to preserve the workability of the stone? Hmmm!
Written 1 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
therealswingshady
London, UK5 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
An excellent tour - fascinating man-made caves with a very long history! Tour leader Mike did an excellent, and entertaining, job of putting the different eras of the mining into historical and geographical context. Interesting to learn about the source of the stone for many famous cathedrals. Great acoustics for singing too - as tested by the 2 choirs I visited with!
Written 31 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hannah S
Hay-on-Wye, UK51 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Mike was an informative guide, who showed encyclopaedic knowledge of the cave system and its history. We enjoyed his ourselves despite the cold and the dark - dress up warm. Turns out too that the caves offer a great venue for singing, should the urge arise. The acoustics are amazing and it’s too dark to spot them if anyone forgets their words.
Written 30 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul G
Clyro, UK17 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
A large group of us, including the Hay Shantymen from Hay-On-Wte and the Bellow Fellows from London visited the caves yesterday morning, having informed them that we would like to sing in the caves during the tour if possible. We were met by Mike our guide at the agreed time and entered the caves. Mike was a brilliant guide, knowledgeable, interesting, amusing and extremely accommodating re: our singing. The caves are an enormous complex from which high quality stone had been quarried from About AD50 to 1920. Mike took us on an historical 1.5 hour tour through the complex explaining and illustrating the changes in technology and methods with reference to the physical structure of the caves. In addition, the acoustic for singing was amazing and we all agreed it was a fabulous experience.
Written 30 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dizzysop
Erwood, UK4 contributions
Oct 2023 • Business
I brought around 40 people on a tour, two male singing groups. It was great to experience the caves and learn about the history and to sing in there was an added bonus. Humbling and moving in equal measure.
Thank you to Mike for the tour, fascinating. It's the second choir tour I've done and that was with the amazing John Scott who is sadly not with us any more. This is a GREAT experience, thank you to all the staff.
Thank you to Mike for the tour, fascinating. It's the second choir tour I've done and that was with the amazing John Scott who is sadly not with us any more. This is a GREAT experience, thank you to all the staff.
Written 30 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heidi W
6 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
We had a very interesting and knowledgeable tour guide in Martin. We would thoroughly recommend to couples and families alike. The history of the Caves was fascinating.
Written 29 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AEJC35
London, UK11 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Mike took the tour and it was insightful interesting and enjoyable. Would recommend. He really brought the mining of Beer stone to life through the years. Wonderful.
Written 25 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Freya W
11 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Really interesting tour with a witty tour guide. Mixture of couples and families in the tour. Great activity for when the weather isn't good too!
Written 25 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Penelope H
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Couples
A wonderful way to pass a couple of hours, made better by our informative and friendly guide Jill. We would recommend a tour to anybody. A shame it was the wrong time of year for the bats. (I said hello to Sutton for you Jill!)
Written 24 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alicia H
East Molesey, UK1 contribution
Do they allow dogs as we have our dog on holiday with us .xxx
spwilliams13
Market Harborough, UK394 contributions
On the tour today (October 2022) two dogs were on the tour and no one was worried.
Emma W
Westbury, UK23 contributions
Are you wheelchair friendly
Lorraine A
Exeter, UK134 contributions
The ground is very steep and rocky so unfortunately a wheelchair would not be able to negotiate any of the terrain.
acaHampshireUk
hampshire uk95 contributions
admission prices
John S
Beer, UK2 contributions
Hi, Admission prices are on website £8.00 ADULTS, £6.00 children 5 to 16. UNDER 5 YRS FREE
£6.00 SENIORS
Marie S
6 contributions
I am partially disabled using crutches. I'm guessing this won't be a suitable place to visit for me?
John S
Beer, UK2 contributions
Unfortunately there is a steep approach path down to the entrance which has to be climbed again after the tour which is an hour on your feet. Whilst we do have visitors with disabilities, we always urge caution and your own discretion.
I do hope this is of help
Regards,
John
Simon B
Nottingham11 contributions
Hello, Are the caves dog friendly, please, Thanks, Simon and Paula, and Dolly!
John S
Beer, UK2 contributions
Hi ,
many thanks for your enquiry. Unfortunately only assistance dogs are allowed on underground tour. Despite all staff being dog lovers this is not our ruling but is because the workings are a special site for hibernating bats.
Sorry if this disappoints you.
Regards,
John
paulpalison
Deal, UK3 contributions
Hi can wheelchairs access easily?
vickyandco
Thorpe Bay, UK26 contributions
Unfortunately not, lots of steep hills!
Brightonsnowlover
Brighton31 contributions
Hi
Just wondering when you had the tour of the caves did the tour guide mention anything about smugglers, I have a family history of smugglers in the area and wondered if it was worth a visit.
Regards irene
John S
Beer, UK2 contributions
Hi Irene,
The quarry was used for hiding contraband during smuggling times and if you ask your guide there are many fully researched stories. Strangely whilst one of our guides is descended from a long line of smugglers, one of my ancestors was at the same time the local customs officer.
Kind regards,
John
fishface78
6 contributions
Is this attraction suitable to use a push chair?
John S
Beer, UK2 contributions
Hi and thanks for your enquiry.
We do have many visitors using pushchairs but we always make them aware of the steep approach path to the entrance, and that below ground is cold so warm clothing is advisable.
I hope this helps, should you have any further questions please get back to me, or call the caves direct on 01297 680282 between 10am and 5pm.
We hope to see you soon.
Kind regards,
John
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Claim your listingBEER QUARRY CAVES: Tickets, Tours & Tips (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Beer Quarry Caves
- Beer Quarry Caves is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 - 16:00
- Hotels near Beer Quarry Caves:
- (0.87 mi) Beer Head Caravan Park
- (0.84 mi) Durham House Hotel
- (0.96 mi) Bay View Guest House
- (0.80 mi) Masons Arms, Branscombe
- (0.86 mi) Colebrooke House
- Restaurants near Beer Quarry Caves:
- (0.80 mi) Masons Arms, Branscombe
- (0.91 mi) The Smugglers Kitchen
- (0.95 mi) Bay View Tea Rooms
- (0.90 mi) Osborne's Cocktail & Wine Bar
- (0.98 mi) Ducky's