Jugholes Cave

Jugholes Cave sits above Salters Lane on the wooded hillside of Masson Hill, accessed via a public footpath through Jugholes Wood. The system is part cave, part former lead mine, and first appeared on a map of the Calf Tail Mine title as far back as 1767. An upper cavern entrance leads cavers through a large main chamber, from which mine levels branch off in several directions. A downclimb drops into the lower Motorway passage, threading through a succession of chambers separated by crawls, climbs, and squeezes, with an adit exit further down the hill. The cave floor in one passage is formed from basalt from an ancient volcanic eruption, and there are vivid green mineral colours and modest speleothem formations towards the back of the system.

This is a dry cave, so a full wetsuit is not required, but a robust oversuit, wellies, helmet, and headtorch are essential. A caving or climbing harness is useful for the laddered sections, and an adjustable spanner is needed to open the gate on the lower adit entrance. No prior permission is required to enter; the mineral owner Tarmac Roadstone asks that all cavers enter at their own risk. The site is part of the Masson Hill SSSI and is subject to a Derbyshire Caving Association Conservation Plan.

Parking is extremely limited: do not use the obvious layby near Jugholes Wood, which is a passing place, and instead use the wider section of road at the junction with the Masson Lees quarry track. Car sharing is strongly encouraged, especially at weekends, to protect long-term access to the site. The Miners Standard pub at Winster and various options in Matlock Bath are popular post-cave stops.