Santa rocks up at Creswell Crags

Verity snapped this shot when she was enjoying a leisurely stroll with her husband through Creswell Crags one snowy morning.

After downloading the photos to their computer when they got home, they realised there was more to them than met the eye.

“I am a keen photographer who loves to take photos of the local areas and its buildings, from Creswell Crags to Clumber Park,” said Ian.

“When we downloaded the photos from our morning shooting at the Crags, I came across a photo of the rock face.”

“After looking at it for a few minutes, I saw a ‘face’ and my wife and I are convinced that the image look just like Santa!”

Ian said their visit was a great reminder of the rich heritage of Creswell Crags and the surrounding area.

“I lived in Bolsover for 20 years and never visited Bolsover Castle - it’s sometimes easy to forget what great things you have on your own doorstep,” he said.

“Creswell Crags is absolutely stunning and has got a lot of history - it’s also really great with the new visitor centre.”

Hannah, Boddy, learning officer at Creswell Crags, said people often spot ‘faces’ in the rocks.

“The gorge is full of mystery and imagination and visitors often find themselves spotting faces and sculptures in the ancient rocks,” she said.

“We love the way that the gorge reveals itself in different ways to different people. Gorillas, grumpy faces and elephants have often been suggested, but the Santa sighting is a new one.”

She added: “Local artist, Lucy Kirby, has taken inspiration from the faces that she sees in the rock face in her work ‘ On the Face of It’ which is on show at the Crags as part of a community art exhibition until mid-March.”

To find out more, visit www.creswell-crags.org.uk or call 01909 720378.