Gorge-ous Crags were viewed as ‘gateway to hell’ in the Ice Age
A LIMESTONE gorge in the northern reaches of Nottinghamshire was once home to woolly mammoths and hyenas which slept in caves, and was believed to be a “gateway to hell” by our ancient human relatives.
Creswell Crags, a spectacular gorge honeycombed in a network of caves, could perhaps be missed by residents and travellers alike due to its unassuming presence on the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire border in Worksop.
Venturing into the narrow valley in the north, however, offers a remarkable insight into the county’s ancient history, with the caves holding secrets from a world completely different to the one we inhabit today.
Over the years archaeologists have discovered the bones of woolly mammoths, hyenas, bears and wolves as well as hundreds of rare cave engravings inscribed to protect people from witches and evil spirits.
The so-called ‘witch marks,’ revealed a couple of years ago, were described as one of the most significant finds in British history.
According to Rebecca MorrisBuck, the engagement and programmes manager at the site, the gorge is one of the most important Ice Age archaeological sites in the UK.
The caves in the limestone were home to Neanderthals around 50,000 years ago, as well as nowextinct woolly mammoths and woolly rhinos which once roamed the Nottinghamshire region.
Evidence of these huge Ice Age animals was discovered in the Pin Hole cave by A.T. Metcalf, just before 1875.
The upper jaw bone of a young mammoth, discovered at Creswell Crags, is today on display at the visitor centre.
The find caused “great excitement” and encouraged further excavations, which in turn led to the discovery of an abundance of Neolithic tools, hyena bones and some of the very first drawings from our ancient relatives.
If it had survived the young mammoth discovered in the cave would have grown to almost 12 feet tall and may have weighed up to eight tonnes.
Ms Morris-Buck said: “It is a very special place, partly for its beauty and tranquillity.
“That makes it a lovely place for a walk or a picnic – but also because of the stories it has to tell.
“On a cave tour, or a tour of our gorge, you will learn about the creatures who roamed the site including hippos, hyenas and woolly mammoths, as well as the people who took shelter in the caves over thousands of years.”
Around 13,000 years ago later humans inscribed Britain’s only Ice
Age cave art on the walls of Church Hole Cave.
In 2019, it was discovered that the aptly-named Robin Hood Cave was also home to the largest collection of ‘witch marks’ in the UK.
At a time of widespread disease and death our ancestors returned to the caves to inscribe the marks on the cave walls for fear of otherworldly entities emerging from the underworld and what they thought might have been a “gateway to hell”.
These more recent marks mostly date back to the 17th century.
Creswell Crags is today a Scheduled Ancient Monument, a site of Special Scientific Interest.
It is also on the tentative list for
inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is run by a charity, the Creswell Heritage Trust.
The charity last spoke out as it struggled to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ms Morris-Buck added: “Creswell Crags is at its best when it is alive with visitors.
“We are delighted to be welcoming a lot of people for the first time, as well as welcoming back the people who have supported and visited the site for years. We can’t wait to welcome back school pupils studying the Stone Age.
“We are planning a series of special events, as well as collaborative working with organisations such as the University of Nottingham Museum. “Creswell Crags is aiming to go from strength to strength, and we have our visitors, donors and supporters to thank for that. We’re really grateful fr that support. It has been crucial in enabling us to survive.”
It is a special place, partly for its tranquillity and beauty but also because of the stories it has to tell Rebecca Morris-Buck