Until 1837 the stunning beauty and awesome splendour of Ingleborough Cave had remained hidden behind imposing natural calcite dams, holding back millions of gallons of water which had kept the passage behind submerged and inaccessible.

Following a severe flood, local land owner James Farrer set workmen on to break down the dams after it was theorised that passages had to exist beyond. The theory proved correct and once the dams were demolished and the water released, a stunning vista of sculpted passages and cave formations was revealed to the world. A sight that has been delighting visitors ever since.

The Cave was once the outflow for streams flowing through the Gaping Gill cave system, but these now run at a lower level, allowing the original passages to be safely explored.

A sturdy concrete path allows for comfortable and safe exploration of over half a kilometre of passages and caverns. Discrete lighting displays the calcite flows, the stalactites and the stalagmites at their very best. Often and quite rightly described as "one of England's natural wonders", an expert guide will help you to interpret the many features, enhancing your experience further.

At the end of the tourist path the passage can be seen disappearing into the distance, heading off towards Gaping Gill, which itself wasn't fully descended until 1895, when French speleologist Edouard Alfred Martel lowered himself by rope ladder with just a candle for illumination.

After many years of exploration, the connection was between Ingleborough Cave and Gaping Gill was established beyond doubt, by teams of cavers from the Bradford Pothole Club and Cave Diving Group in 1983.

Even today new discoveries are being made and further secrets are being revealed of this hitherto hidden world. For example in 2001 cavers unearthed remains of a woolly rhinoceros from just beyond the end of the path!

There is a small shop on site at Ingleborough Cave, selling the usual amenities including souvenirs (postcards, magnets, fossils etc.), hot and cold drinks, confectionery and ice cream (time of year dependent). There are toilets at Ingleborough Cave for those with a valid tour ticket on that given day. Unfortunately, due only have limited facilities, the toilets are only available to those going in the Cave on the day.

Dogs are more than welcome, providing they are well behaved and are kept on a lead.

The Cave tour is a journey of 0.3 miles underground, so visitors will walk a total of 0.6 miles. There are two short stooping sections within the Cave, and there are no steps. The passages are well lit with floodlights throughout. The Cave is a cool 8 degrees centigrade throughout the year, so it is recommended that you wrap up appropriately. Please wear suitable footwear for a well-laid concrete path. Single width pushchairs can be taken through the Cave.

Ingleborough Cave is the only show-cave in the UK that is fully wheelchair accessible. Visitors must first negotiate the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail and with the help of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, the operators recently acquired a top of the range all terrain wheelchair, aka "a tramper". This is available for use.

Pre-booking is required to make use of this facility. It is advised that you do this as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Sadly the tramper will not go in Ingleborough Cave as it it too big, but there is a manual wheelchair on site, with brakes underneath the handles, to assist with the slopes. The person who pushes this chair must be fit enough and able to control the chair, as there are a few slopes and narrow passages throughout the show-cave.

The Ingleborough Cave staff reserve the right to decline entry if the person intending to push the chair cannot demonstrate that they are capable of doing so without risk of injury to themselves or others.

Tours run on the hour, every hour, within the opening times stated. During busier periods tours will sometimes also operate on the half hour. Call in advance if you need to know whether this will be applicable for your visiting date.

The four weekends prior to Christmas see Ingleborough Cave host Santa's Grotto.

Ingleborough Cave is open at weekends (10am - 3pm) and opens daily in from mid-February.

Tickets can be purchased on arrival from one of the ticket offices at the entrance to the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail, which is only open during busier periods, or at Ingleborough Cave.