Ben & Alice go underground at Speedwell Cavern

A Lane Head family day out, reported by Jason

I didn't actually get to go on this particular Lane Head expedition.

My nephew-in-law Ben and my great-niece Alice headed off towards Castleton for the afternoon while I stayed behind at Lane Head, and judging by the photographs and the report when they got back, I may have chosen the wrong day to miss out.

Their destination was Speedwell Cavern, tucked right at the bottom of Winnats Pass — the same road pictured above, not a bad one to arrive on even when the Peak District weather is doing its thing.

And if you're going to arrive anywhere in the Peak District on a grey, damp day, driving through Winnats Pass isn't a bad way to do it.

The road drops between huge limestone sides, and in weather like this it somehow looks even more dramatic. A bit of mist and drizzle rather suits it.

Going underground

Speedwell Cavern is not simply a cave you wander into.

The attraction takes you down into an old lead mine before continuing underground by boat through the workings to a huge natural cavern.

Before any boating, though, there is the small matter of getting underground.

Alice appears to have treated the whole thing as completely normal.

Judging by Ben and Alice's photographs, this involves helmets, wet stone steps and the sort of tunnel that immediately makes you quite aware there is a large amount of Derbyshire sitting above your head.

Alice, naturally, appears to have taken all of this entirely in her stride.

There are a fair few steps involved, so it is worth bearing that in mind, but the journey underground is a big part of the experience.

Hard hats on

There is something about being given a helmet that instantly makes an outing better when you're five.

Ben looks as though he may be giving the structural geology slightly more thought than Alice.

Both of them came back saying they loved it. And for me, that is probably the most useful recommendation.

There are plenty of magnificent landscapes and long walks around the Peak District, but when you have younger children with you it is good to find something that genuinely feels like an adventure rather than another thing the adults have decided everyone is going to enjoy.

Hard hat? Yes. Underground tunnels? Yes. A boat trip through an old mine? Also yes. That is a fairly strong combination when you're little.

This is the bit the postcards don't quite capture — gliding through the old mine workings by boat, hard hats required.

A very good wet-weather Peak District day

The other advantage was obvious from the photographs. It wasn't exactly glorious sunshine.

One of the eternal questions when staying in the Peak District is: what do we do if it rains? Speedwell Cavern is a pretty good answer — you're going underground anyway.

Castleton also makes it easy to turn the visit into a longer day out. There are shops, cafés, other caverns and plenty of spectacular countryside around the village.

On a better-weather day you could combine it with a walk around Castleton, Mam Tor or Winnats Pass. On a wet one? Go underground.

One sign I particularly approve of

There was also one photograph from outside that made me laugh.

Possibly not wording you'll find in every official visitor guide. But difficult to disagree with.

Would we recommend Speedwell Cavern?

Based on Ben and Alice's report, definitely. It is unusual, properly atmospheric and, importantly, Alice thought it was brilliant.

It is also a very easy one to recommend to families staying at Lane Head, particularly if the weather is looking a bit Peak District.

I'll have to go myself next time. Although apparently there are quite a lot of steps. Perhaps I'll just send Alice down again first to make sure.