Gaping Gill - Lancaster

Philip J.

Totally incredible experience being able to access the longest cave in the UK with the highest single drop waterfall. It's a truly stunning cavern with multiple spouts cascading into it. The whole operation is very professionally managed by two caving clubs, who limit visits to two weeks per year (one in May with Bradford and the other in August with Craven). It is popular (we went in August) so make sure you are there early... 1st decent is at 9am but people were queuing from 6am and all places had been filled before 9.30am. We arrived just before 9am and had to wait 5.5h to descend as the winch takes only one person at a time and has to complete the 105m descent. So, bring plenty of warm and waterproof gear... we took a portable shelter which was perfect whilst waiting to keep the wind and rain off! Also, it's about 8°C in the canyon so plenty of layers are needed... and you will get very wet during the ride in the winch. You have been warned! If you come prepared, it's a breathtaking adventure of a day out

P.s. No tickets can be bought in advance and no camping is allowed on the National Park (only the caving club). We walked there from Clapham which takes about 1h to 1h30 depending on pace

Simon H.

Fantastic, would recommend doing the winch meeting.

Vyshnu J.

The hike to Gaping Gill is adventurous and scenic. For the winch system operated by the local club, arrive early to secure a ticket (£20 per person, cash or card accepted). This event is available only in May and August. Waiting tents ⛺ are provided for comfort. Once inside, the cave's waterfalls are stunning. Waterproof apparel 🧥 and shoes 🥾 are recommended. This is a must-visit experience. Enjoy your expedition!

Mark T.

Definitely go. You will need walking boots. It is a straight forward walk that any walker can do, there is a small scramble but nothing to worry about. When you get to the water it is a little surreal because you are at land height but at the top of a waterfall. Good views from the start and if you want there's a cave system half way up you can visit. It's a really good day out.

Dav N.

1. Arrive early! We got there at 630am and were already numbers 86/ 87 in the queue.
2. It could be a long, cold and windy wait for the tent to open. Take waterproofs even in summer. And snacks/drinks. There's safe bag storage for when you go down.
3. Once we paid to get our wristbands at around 9am we were told to come back in around 2.5 hours for our turn....that's around 5 hours from when we arrived.
4. It's a great ride down & up (don't forget you need waterproofs)
5. It's a beautiful but relatively small area to wander about for obvious safety reasons. Plus it's pretty dark and torches are limited so take your own. V important, we likely missed out on quite a bit by sharing a torch and laminated map. We spent around an hour down there. It would have been great to have someone walk you around, pointing things out and giving a speaking tour. There are lots of people around to ask questions but it's not the same if you don't know what questions to ask or what you're really looking at. This is the only reason for the 4 stars rather than 5.
6. Pre book accommodation AND definitely food in this remote location as options are extremely limited and fill up well in advance.
7. The volunteers who run the day are all lovely and friendly. There are lots of comings and goings, we enjoyed watching real cavers hanging off the walls above us.
8. The toilets are, at best guess, 150 years behind the first ever Glastonbury....i.e. a precarious bucket in a very windy tent on top of a hill, but you can walk a little further down slope and pee more comfortably in a secluded ditch.
9. If you want to make a really great day out add on a good hike after your slot at the cave. We walked up little Ingleborough while waiting and then to Ingleborough cave (which is fab) and back to Clapham after our trip down. Long day but worth it.
10. Take waterproofs!!!! It's not a place for hot pants and eyelashes, although thank you girls, you gave us a good chuckle with your grumpy Botox pouts lol

Candy K.

Amazing experience.. Bradford Pothole club were amazing with the organisation of the event and answering questions we had.

We parked at Clapham Car Park and walked an hour and 15 mins to the site. The walk is very nice, but can be quite strenuous especially as it’s all uphill. There are toilets at the car park and then Porter loos half way on the walk to Gaping Gill just outside Ingleborough cave.

We arrived at 7:05 and there were already 20 people in front of us. The club promptly started at 8am and we were in by 9am

Highly HIGHLY suggest wearing proper footwear and wearing water proofs. We were drenched from the water falls.
Having a head torch helps the experience and whilst it’s not necessary I defo thought it helped. You can also leave your bag at the top so that it doesn’t get wet.

You can spend as much time as you want once you’re down there. we were in there for about an hour.

Make sure to bring cash.

Keith F.

Absolutely amazing. We were so lucky to have a chance of doing this. My son is scared of heights and I convinced him. We are not going we are going down. So it's not high up. He fell for it. And had the time of his life. Memories forever.

Mantvydas ?.

Wonderful and unique place to visit. Especially to go down with a winch lift those 100 meters deep down into the cave. These kind of events organises each year - Bradford Pothole Club. Price for adult 15 pounds, but the queues is very long though... you need to wait about: 3-4 hours, but worth it for sure to experience this kind of stuff. Highly recommending this place verdict - 9/10.