Creswell Crags Museum & Heritage Centre

Creswell Crags is a limestone gorge honeycombed with caves and smaller fissures. Stone tools and remains of animals found in the caves by archaeologists provide evidence for a fascinating story of life during the last Ice Age between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago.

Creswell Crags was among the most northerly places on earth to have been visited by our ancient ancestors, a story that is unique on a European and World scale. All of the caves are protected by metal grills to preserve the rare archaeological deposits that remain inside. At the east end of the gorge is the Museum and Education Centre. The gorge is part of the Creswell Heritage Landscape Area.

Recent discovery Feb 2019, hundreds of protective marks, also known as Witches’ Marks, have been discovered at Creswell Crags.  These Apotropaic marks, from the Greek apotrepein, meaning 'to turn away', have been discovered scribed into walls and ceilings of the caves, over dark holes and large crevices.   Ritualistic protection marks are most commonly found in historic churches and houses, to protect the inhabitants from evil spirits.  The witch marks at Creswell Crags numbers in the high hundreds in one cave alone. Marks have since been found in all caves at Creswell Crags.