We won Small Visitor Attraction of the Year!

 On 20 March this year, the Visit York Tourism Awards were held at York Racecourse. Over the centuries, it's been the site of many victories and defeats – and this year, we were pleased as punch to take home the gong for Small Visitor Attraction of the Year.

 
This matters because we've always been a proudly local business. Sure, we have visitors come to us from all over the world – but at heart, Stump Cross Caverns is a Yorkshire affair, sunk deep into the ancient limestone.

In its own words, the awards exist to "celebrate excellence across a diverse range of categories, recognising the outstanding achievements of businesses and individuals within York's vibrant tourism sector".

But it's the next sentence that gets to the heart of what we do. "Each category," it says, "honoured those who demonstrated exceptional quality, innovation and dedication in providing memorable experiences for visitors".


We're extremely grateful for the praise. But we're also not shy about blowing our own trumpet. So, where do our quality, innovation and customer-focused dedication come from?

Stump Cross Caverns: an unforgettable day out for all the family

Stump Cross Caverns is a network of chambers and passageways filled to the brim with gorgeous and well-preserved stalactites, stalagmites and other rock formations.

And it's old – millions of years old. When you descend the 60 steps into the cave, you're practically stepping into a time machine.

Once upon a time, the area we now know as the Yorkshire Dales was a tropical sea. Over slow, grinding millennia the caves formed, eventually providing a home for reindeer, wolverines and other prehistoric beasts.

Come to Stump Cross and you can get a taste of that prehistory. But while the caves are millennia old, the experience is up to date. A trip to the caves is safe and well-lit – and once you emerge from the depths there's a gift shop , cafe and other amenities.

We also have a calendar bustling with events and experiences – from fossil digs to gem panning , from stargazing to our underground UV Experience .

The UV Experience is all about seeing the caves in a new light – ultraviolet light, to be exact. Each visitor is given an ultraviolet torch. When you shine it against the cave walls, beautiful textures and veins emerge. You've got to see it to believe it!

On top of all this, there's an educational element to many of our activities for children. We're firm believers in "learning through play" – the educational concept that the best way to fire a child's imagination is through fun, hands-on activities.


So, if you're looking for an unforgettable – and award-winning – place to visit in North Yorkshire , why not swing by and take a trip underground? We promise we won't talk about our exciting award  too much…