Creswell Crags reveals when it will reopen after nearly 150 days of pandemic closure

A much-loved Derbyshire beauty spot which has been closed for nearly 150 days because of the coronavirus pandemic is set to reopen.
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Creswell Crags shut on March 17 but will once again welcome back visitors to its museum, visitor centre and café from August 1.

People will also be able to pre-book private cave tours at the site from August 10.

Witch marks were discovered at Creswell Crags last year.Witch marks were discovered at Creswell Crags last year.
Witch marks were discovered at Creswell Crags last year.

At the end of March, the attraction – which has a history dating back at least 60,000 years – warned it could close for good as it was losing out on vital revenue from visitors as a result of the lockdown.

However, its future has been secured thanks to a high-profile fundraising campaign which has seen £25,000 collected on a JustGiving page and £250,000 in emergency cash from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Creswell Crags – which is situated on the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border – is considered to be a key part of the East Midlands’ tourism economy.

Dr Tim Caulton, chair of Creswell Heritage Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome visitors back to the Creswell Crags museum, visitor centre and café from Saturday, August 1.

"Thanks to generous emergency funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and many other friends and supporters, we have been able to make changes to our visitor centre and the services we provide to make your visit to Creswell Crags as safe as possible.

"We have listened to advice from many other organisations and while we have had to make some changes to what we know you love about the Crags, we are confident that your visit will be just as enjoyable as on previous occasions.

"Please observe the safety guidance, be considerate to other visitors and our staff, and we look forward to welcoming you back.

"Thank you for your ongoing support.”

Creswell Crags was recently awarded ‘We’re Good to Go’ accreditation by Visit England for adherence to cleanliness and social distancing guidelines.

A number of safety measures – including a one-way system through the visitor centre and hand sanitiser around the building – will be in place when Creswell Crags reopens.

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