The Hellfire Caves Review
The Hellfire Caves
High Wycombe
Reviewed by Becky Speller
I was chosen to review The Hellfire Caves in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire and set off with my Dad and a very excited 9 year old. Having visited Cheddar Gorge and the caves in Wales when I was little I was really excited about this review.
We arrived at the caves and managed to get a space in the small car park in front of the entrance. There are only a few spaces though, maybe 10 at most, however I think there is another car park literally a minute away and some room to park on the road.
From the outside I have to say the caves and building are pretty impressive and quite formidable. We then made our way into the shop/cafe to obtain our tokens, and found the staff helpful and polite.
We made our way to the entrance of the cave and through the turnstile. The first thing I will say is take a coat as the temperature drops as soon as you get in the cave and gets colder as you descend. My son was actually complaining of the cold but I guess you are underground so what can you expect.
The caves are amazing to look at and there are various plaques on the wall which tell you the history of the notorious ‘Hellfire Club’ and what was supposed to happen deep in the caves. My son loved this part and was taking lots of photos and reading about all the history. The banqueting hall in the middle of the caves is amazing and he particularly loved this bit!
We then made our way further down the caves to the Inner Temple. As you enter there is a waxwork model of a bride covered in blood, and a plaque on the wall telling you about when the crew from Most Haunted did an overnight vigil in the caves. They apparently heard ghostly noises, children crying etc… At this point my son became very frightened, and I have to say it was quite spooky with the whole bride model etc…
You then go over the River Styx which I was looking forward to seeing, however it is just behind wire and the stalactites/stalagmites are man-made which I found quite disappointing. By this point my son couldn’t wait to get out of there so we left. To be honest though we saw everything and it only took us about 40 minutes.
To try and take his mind off his fear we took him into the gift shop. Again a bit of a disappointment there is hardly any stock and what is there is expensive. It is also quite crowded as it is in the cafe and the room is quite small.
All in all if I lived nearer there I would go along as for a family ticket it is £18 which is fairly reasonable. We had an hour journey though, and I have to say there is not a lot to see and it is over very quickly. Also it really scared my son so if your kids are a bit that way inclined I would give it a miss.
Rating: 3/5
Tickets cost: Adults £6, Children £5, Family £18
For more information visit www.hellfirecaves.co.uk.
The Hellfire Caves, Church Lane, West Wycombe, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP14 3AH
