Carnglaze Caverns
Carnglaze Caverns
4
About
One of Cornwall's best kept secrets, an underground, all weather, family tourist attraction. Explore a slate mine, part of Cornwall's mining heritage and take a walk in 8 acres of riverside ancient oak woodland. Walking around the slate caverns usually takes around 25-30 minutes, if you take in the information and enjoy the environmnent. There's a small licenced cafe with cakes and pastries. Also slate painting & gold panning, plus a 20 minute woodland walk, to keep the kids entertained. Situated between Bodmin & Liskeard on the A38. During busy periods, book online to avoid disappointment. Dogs are not allowed underground, but are very welcome in all outside areas.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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- Tnclro27 contributionsAmazing ExperienceWe've been to Carnglaze on a few occasions and would highly recommend it. We took our children on the woodland walk and cave tour many years ago and had a fantastic time. On the last few occasions we went to see a band - when we went in March we went to see Haunt The Woods and Willie & The Bandits and had a great evening. The sound in the caves is absolutely amazing and there is always a good atmosphere.We are thrilled you have experienced the array of things we have to offer here at Carnglaze. Thank you for continuing to support us, we will hopefully see you again at a future event.Written May 24, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten April 3, 2024
- Tony JNewport, United Kingdom78 contributionsSmall but good!We visited as a family on a rainy day and were glad we did! The caves are quite small, but interesting and the signs certainly give you a feeling for what it would have been like as an active slate mine. The illuminated water pools were nice. Outside, the tea room did a nice selection of teas and cakes (including vegan), and the gift shop had a lot of interesting things in it. Recommended!Thank you for a lovely review. We are so glad you enjoyed your visit!Written May 24, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited April 2024Traveled with familyWritten April 5, 2024
- Carol C3 contributionsWell worth the money!Really enjoyed our visit. Staff are very helpful. Caves are great. Lots of information and as much time as you like to wander through them. Woodland walk is magical. Coffee and cake is lush!Wow, thank you Carol for an excellent review. We are so pleased you had a great visit!Written May 24, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten May 15, 2024
- Martin@CleveleysThornton Cleveleys, United Kingdom74 contributionsHidden gemThis is a hidden gem and well worth a visit. The caves took around 40 mins and then we did the woodland walk. There’s lots of little signs with knowledge and good humour that keeps your visit interesting. Coffee shop and gift shop reasonably priced and friendly staffThank you for such a lovely review. We are so pleased you enjoyed your visit. I will be sure to pass along these comments to our staff.Written May 24, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 22, 2024
- ngilesw0rk2 contributionsA real Cornish Gem of a Mine to visit!Fantastic! The perfect activity for a young family. Our 10 and 8 year olds loved the mine, wearing their hard hats and learning about different rocks and the legends that surround the mine and Cornwall. The staff are great, friendly and helpful they set you off with your hard hats. After the mine which we completed after 40 minutes we took up the Woodland Walk challenge sheet and spent a lovely hour mooching around the woods, finding 16 items.. although for us we only managed 13! The cafe is great value, with a special fridge for mums who feel they need that extra boost! The shop sells a lovely assorted rocks, fairy and legend related gear, all very well priced. We would go back again, it was a great 2.5 hour filler for us, with a lovely seating area under cover to allow us to refuel between the mine and the woodland walk! Well worth a visit!Wow, thank for your lovely review. We are so pleased you managed to enjoy a bit of everything we have to offer here at Carnglaze Caverns.Written May 31, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten May 29, 2024
- CalkarimaLivingston, United Kingdom36 contributionsLovely visitWe have driven past the sign for here for many years. This year we decided to check it out. It’s beautiful. We didn’t explore the woods but the caverns are really beautiful and so interesting. I have severe mobility issues and managed the stairs no problem. The staff all were really cheery and friendly. All in all we spent a lovely couple of hours there.We are so glad you decided to visit! We would be happy to welcome you back to explore our woodlands in the future.Written July 4, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited June 2024Traveled with familyWritten June 28, 2024
- Dawn DCorby, United Kingdom33 contributionsSurprising little gem in the Cornish countrysideWe visited the Cavern today, we were warmly welcomed by the lovely staff who gave us safety instructions before entering the cavern. The cavern itself was very informative, it was a great experience. The woodland walk was lovely, our dog enjoyed it too. We stopped for a cream tea, and light lunch. The staff were very friendly and professional, and the food was lovely. The whole place was very relaxing, and the little ‘surprises’ and quirkiness of the cavern and woodland made a really good visit.Wow, what a lovely review. It sounds like everyone had a great day visiting Carnglaze :)Written July 4, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 30, 2024
- LaurenShort88Northampton, United Kingdom210 contributionsA wonderful experience and a must visit!Having been to caverns previously in another location we were really keen to explore this place whilst holidaying in nearby Looe! It definitely exceeded our expectations and although smaller than anticipated had a really nice vibe and some interesting information and the most breathtaking view of the pool all lit up. The Woodland walk was very magical and enchanting and was an added bonus to the overall experience and a real photo worthy opportunity that we really enjoyed and consider one of the highlights of our trip. Great value for money and a great place!Thank you for a wonderful review. You have summed up the highlights of Carnglaze, we are so pleased you had a great visit!Written July 4, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten July 2, 2024
- Emma B42 contributionsWorth a visitVery reasonably priced. Lots of information within the cave. Self guided. Worth visiting. Woodland walk worth doing, very well kept. Dogs aren’t allowed in the cave but are allowed in the shop, cafe and on the woodland walk.Thank you Emma, we are glad you had a nice visit :)Written July 17, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited July 2024Traveled with familyWritten July 12, 2024
- Gerry O35 contributionsA truly magical experienceWhere do I begin...what a truly magical and spiritual experience. We went as we knew the coast would be extremely busy and we were blown away. The caves themselves are breathtaking and so peaceful. Take time going round as there are areas with surprises. The caves are full of information and different exhibits. Once back on the outside there are numerous trails leading to enchanted glades and keep your eyes open for faries and knockers. Staff are super helpful and friendly as are the hands on owners who take time to speak with you and make you feel at home. The Café is excellent and we had a lovely cream tea and several glasses of water drawn from the caves lake. This is a must do experience with plenty for all ages.Wow, what a wonderful review! We are so pleased you had a lovely visit here at Carnglaze, I will pass your lovely comments on to our staff. Thank you :)Written August 2, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited July 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten July 28, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
769 reviews
Excellent
355
Very good
223
Average
120
Poor
41
Terrible
30
Amanda H
7 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
Absolutely love this place, we got there at 12 and didn’t leave until 4:30. The mines are great and nice and cool on hot days, don’t forget to look for the knockers while you are in there, you might even be lucky enough to see the one picking its nose 😂. We did the woodland walk with the bingo hunt which my girls loved, had a snack at the cafe and then slate painting, which is a very reasonable price and very relaxed, they don’t try and hurry you up and out, instead they asked the kids names and talked to them. The team that work/volunteer here are amazing and absolutely made our visit, we will definitely be coming back thank you 🤩
Girls 4 and 7 years old, sorry not many photos but pretty sure that is a sign of how good it is, we don’t touch our phones 😁
Girls 4 and 7 years old, sorry not many photos but pretty sure that is a sign of how good it is, we don’t touch our phones 😁
Written July 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so glad you had a great visit to Carnglaze. It sounds like you had a busy day and managed to do a range of things we have to offer. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future :)
Written August 2, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
wendy jayne c
5 contributions
Sep 2024 • Friends
Amazing experience
What a gem of a place!!
Owner and staff were incredible, couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating.
The caverns are spectacular, the cafe serves delicious coffee and food which was very reasonably priced and piping hot.
Great little gift shop with some unusual gifts.
Attended with friends from a choir in Dorset and we were even encouraged to have a sing in the caverns to appreciate the acoustics which made out trio really special.
Amazing experience
What a gem of a place!!
Owner and staff were incredible, couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating.
The caverns are spectacular, the cafe serves delicious coffee and food which was very reasonably priced and piping hot.
Great little gift shop with some unusual gifts.
Attended with friends from a choir in Dorset and we were even encouraged to have a sing in the caverns to appreciate the acoustics which made out trip really special.
Gorgeous setting and gardens, super staff, easy parking... not one negative!
Would love to attend an event there.
Great experience 👍
What a gem of a place!!
Owner and staff were incredible, couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating.
The caverns are spectacular, the cafe serves delicious coffee and food which was very reasonably priced and piping hot.
Great little gift shop with some unusual gifts.
Attended with friends from a choir in Dorset and we were even encouraged to have a sing in the caverns to appreciate the acoustics which made out trio really special.
Amazing experience
What a gem of a place!!
Owner and staff were incredible, couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating.
The caverns are spectacular, the cafe serves delicious coffee and food which was very reasonably priced and piping hot.
Great little gift shop with some unusual gifts.
Attended with friends from a choir in Dorset and we were even encouraged to have a sing in the caverns to appreciate the acoustics which made out trip really special.
Gorgeous setting and gardens, super staff, easy parking... not one negative!
Would love to attend an event there.
Great experience 👍
Written September 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wow Wendy, thank you! It was a pleasure to have you and your lovely choir visit us at Carnglaze, We hope to welocme you back soon.
Written September 25, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jasmine
54 contributions
Oct 2024 • Couples
An amazing day out, the cave is beautiful with the natural rock pools and echoes of dripping water from the rain. It was very interesting to read about the history of the mines, particularly the myths about mischievous fairies that pranked the miners, and spotting these statues along the way.
The fairy forest next to the cave is a lovely walk and very fun to spot the fairy statues and signs during the trek. The cafe is really great, their hot chocolate and coffee is top tier! The staff are very friendly and helpful. There are also toilets there and free parking onsite.
The fairy forest next to the cave is a lovely walk and very fun to spot the fairy statues and signs during the trek. The cafe is really great, their hot chocolate and coffee is top tier! The staff are very friendly and helpful. There are also toilets there and free parking onsite.
Written October 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Jasmine for a lovely review. We are so glad to hear that you had a great visit. We hope to welcome you back to Carnglaze in the future :)
Written October 23, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
oldsarboy
Wadebridge, UK24 contributions
Sep 2024 • Friends
After much eager anticipation, the sound at last night’s venue proved to be well below standard for the final Cornish event by The Old Time Sailors. Whether the fault lay with their sound mixer, the natural acoustics of the Rum Store or a combination of these, the net result was inaudible and indecipherable vocals which were blasted into the background wall of musical noise which - whilst being very melodic - nevertheless spoiled the enjoyment of this hugely talented, high-energy multi-player ensemble.
The audience layout was, in my opinion, quite simply totally wrong. The left side of the auditorium was standing room only whilst the right side was all seated. This meant that the view of the stage and performers for those who were seated was restricted to half the stage as those standing surged to the front of the auditorium blocking the view.
The audience layout was, in my opinion, quite simply totally wrong. The left side of the auditorium was standing room only whilst the right side was all seated. This meant that the view of the stage and performers for those who were seated was restricted to half the stage as those standing surged to the front of the auditorium blocking the view.
Written September 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback, it is always appreciated and allows us to grow as a venue.
We are sorry to hear you didnt have the best experience, holding concerts in an underground venue means we have to adapt to some fairly unique circumstances. Our sound & lighting guys do the best they are able to with such challenging surroundings. We are sorry you felt it was inadequete on this occasion.
The concert was sold as a standing gig, so chairs were put out on request for those with limited mobility, as we pride ourselves on being an accessible venue to all.
We hope you will return to give us another chance!
Written October 12, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
DWHerts
Hertfordshire50 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
We visited in the afternoon and the whole visit was wonderful from beginning to end. We have a 12 year old coeliac autistic daughter who struggles with crowds and there were none! The other added bonus was we could take everything at a pace that suited her from the magical caverns that we all enjoyed immensely to slate painting and panning for gold. None of it was rushed as they often can be in these places-the result-no meltdowns and just pure happiness! The literal icing on the cake was they had gluten free brownie and hot chocolate in the cafe at the end. Everybody was so friendly, helpful and inclusive and the whole atmosphere was so relaxed and laid back. Thank you for an amazing afternoon!
Written August 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wow, what a lovely review. Thank you so much for taking the time to express what a great visit you had. We are so pleased you all had enjoyed your experience here :)
Written August 22, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Occasionalfable
Paulerspury, UK18 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Dropped in on our way further west and really glad we did. The team are AMAZING - so friendly and welcoming, and checking in with us regularly to make sure everyone was happy. We were really touched that one fabulous guide took careful photos of all the families with their own phones - no cost involved, just a lovely gesture. Another proactively came to help my kids with their gold panning. Overall got the impression that everyone was really dedicated to ensuring their visitors felt welcome and enjoyed themselves. The caverns themselves were magical and really interesting. The woodland walk was beautiful, restful, and clearly a lot of effort had gone in to making it interesting for kids. Nice Roskilly ice cream, nice cafe, nothing overly commercialised. Very much worth the entry fee and the team should feel hugely proud of themselves.
Written August 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wow, thank you for such a lovely review. We are so lucky to have such wonderful staff, I will make sure to pass along your comments to them. It sounds like you had a wonderful time here at Carnglaze :)
Written August 6, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paul T.
Tadley, UK6 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
First ever visit found it to be a great place to visit interesting caverns full of mining history around the site there are woodland walks with hidden objects and themes. Grandkids could pan for gold and win prizes.Very good gift shop and cafe serving drinks ,cakes and icecream with under cover seating area, we spent about 6 hours there just looking at everything. Great.
Written August 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a lovely review, thank you! We are pleased you managed to do a bit of everything we have to offer here at Carnglaze.
Written August 6, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Traveleveryland
Essex736 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
We arrived 10 minutes late for check in. The lady behind the desk was very rude. We had young children who needed the toilet and there are only 2 so was a que. She made it seem that by being late would mean we may not be able to go inside the cave and was asked to wait in the gardens. A lovely lady who gave us the briefing informed us that other people from our time slot was also late and the time slot after us a large group was late. Once inside it took around 15 minutes to see everything. The bar and cafe area was lovely and i think it should be open during the day. Would be a cool and unique experiance to have a coffee and cake inside as the experience is very short for the price. The kids loved the nature trail more, which is just a path going over the top of the cave but has some fun things to spot. Some areas are unsafe with broken fences.
I believe with some updates and training for staff in customer service this could be a lovely family day out. Maybe even a park?
I believe with some updates and training for staff in customer service this could be a lovely family day out. Maybe even a park?
Written August 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ceri a
9 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
The caverns themselves are beautiful, and fascinating to visit. But it took us about 20 minutes to go through them and as a family of 5 it was £32 to visit. They also had gold panning and slate painting but these were extras at £10 per child for both activities, we didn’t do either of them because we’d already spent the £32 for the cave visit and felt charging an additional £30 for extra activities was a bit out of order to be perfectly honest. All in all the caverns were beautiful but it’s a very quick visit especially with kids with you.
Written August 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback, we are sorry you felt it was overpriced. Did you take full advantage of all our offerings on the day such as our woodland walk & fairy garden with free woodland bingo activity and fairy wishes for the wishing tree? We would be happy to welcome you back to Carnglaze to experience these things if you missed them last time.
Written August 21, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Steve V
3 contributions
Nov 2022 • Couples
We had our elopement wedding ceremony here.
The venue is beautiful. Lisa and Tony were just wonderful, helpful and handled our wedding in a very personal and professional way. The caverns were decorated beautifully for our entrance and ceremony, they gave us plenty of time for photographs, music was handled perfectly, lighting, the "altar". It was a truly unique and memorable experience that made our wedding a truly heartwarming experience.
I cannot recommend this venue more wholeheartedly. For its aesthetics, setting, history and for the owners who are just lovely people. If you book an event here, you can do so knowing you will be getting a great experience.
The venue is beautiful. Lisa and Tony were just wonderful, helpful and handled our wedding in a very personal and professional way. The caverns were decorated beautifully for our entrance and ceremony, they gave us plenty of time for photographs, music was handled perfectly, lighting, the "altar". It was a truly unique and memorable experience that made our wedding a truly heartwarming experience.
I cannot recommend this venue more wholeheartedly. For its aesthetics, setting, history and for the owners who are just lovely people. If you book an event here, you can do so knowing you will be getting a great experience.
Written April 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are both attractions - Carnglaze Caverns and Woodlands open in December (during Christmas and New Year break)?
Written March 10, 2023
Dogs are welcome on the woodland walk but not permitted in the caverns.
Written April 2, 2023
There shouldn’t be a problem the paths are well lit - you do have to wear a safety helmet though and they may not have baby size ones ? Best give the Caverns a call to clarify
Written June 25, 2021
How long do you typically spend here? To do the underground tour and walk around the woodland? Thanks!
Written August 2, 2020
Is there an age limit for children to go into the mines? Thanks.
Written May 19, 2020
No age limit but children must ware face masks.
Written August 14, 2020
Are there any small spaces to walk through?
I would love to go but the thought of walking underground in a tight small space is creeping me out!
Written March 7, 2020
There are no tight or small spaces, steps may be slippy but the caverns are very spacious.
Written March 8, 2020
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