Heights of Abraham

This article is about the tourist attraction in Derbyshire. For other uses, see Heights of Abraham (disambiguation).

File:The Heights of Abraham Cable Cars.jpeg

The Heights of Abraham cable cars over the Derwent Valley

File:The Great Masson Cavern.jpeg

Experience first hand our spectacular cavern system as it winds its way deep underground and into the hillside. With the help of a state of the art lighting installation your guide will take you on a fascinating journey. From the light of a miner's candle to the whole chamber being flooded with colour you will see and hear all about the cavern's 350 million year history.

The Heights of Abraham is a major tourist attraction in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, England. It consists of a hilltop park on top of Masson Hill, accessed by a Gondola cable car from the village. Amongst the attractions in the park, which has been open since Victorian times, are cavern and mine tours. The cable car was opened in 1984 and is the first ever alpine cable car in Britain. The route is 568 metres (1,864 ft) long and climbs 169 metres (554 ft).

The Heights are named after the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Heights of Abraham, in Quebec, Canada, where James Wolfe died in battle.

Show Caverns

There are two caves at the Heights of Abraham, The Great Masson Cavern and the Great Rutland Cavern, both previously mined for their Lead mineral. It is said that the lead mining in this area began in Roman times, reaching its heyday in the 17th Century. The miners are now long gone but in the process of excavating the rich mineral deposits they left behind a large network of naturally formed caverns and passageways dating back millions of years. Now, regular guided tours allow you to retrace the miners' footsteps for yourself.

External links

• Official site
• Derbyshire guide giving the origin of the name
• Heights of Abraham photographs

• Map sources for Heights of Abraham