The Blue John cavern and Craft Shops at Castleton is
world famous cavern and craft shop. It is home to eight of the fourteen
known varieties of Blue John Stone, a beautiful and ornamental fluor-spar.
The mineral has been mined here for centuries and continues to be so in
the winter months. The Blue John cavern is a series of caverns considered
to be the finest in the UK. It is of immense educational interest as it
shows how caverns and limestone are formed. The business was established
in 1919 when, and the Craft Shop was opened in 1950, throughout that time,
and since, we have tried to offer first class service to our customers
and endeavoured to supply only the best quality jewellery
from our workshop, manufactured by our own craftsmen to the highest standard.
The Craft Shop at Castleton.
There is also the original Blue John Craft Shop where you can view and
buy some of the items created from the semi precious stone mined at the
caverns. Every piece is original and there are ornaments, jewellery, and
a wide range of other items available.
The traditional methods of turning Blue John are still used, and the
skill of our craftsmen working in the Original Blue John craft shop in
the village of Castleton enable the visitor to view this unique stone
at its best.
The Semi Precious Stone.
Blue-John is a unique and beautiful fluor-spar found only in Castleton.
The Romans were the first to discover Blue John some 2,000 years ago.
Should you visit the cavern, we hope that you will enjoy your guided tour
and in the shop at the entrance, you can see our fine display of jewellery
and ornaments crafted from the stone. Further evidence of the Romans love
for Blue John comes from Pompeii where two vases were unearthed during
excavations of the city.
The Cave Tours.
There are regular tours of the caverns that are both informative and
spectacular.
