2024 Highlights: Unearthing another year at Kents Cavern
2024 has been an unforgettable year at Kents Cavern, filled with exciting events, welcoming visitors from all around the world and launching a brand new offering!
Let's take a look at our biggest highlights and what's made the year so special. Let's relive the best of Kents Cavern from 2024!
Here’s what happened in 2024 in numbers…
We ran so many different events throughout the year, including:
- Carols in the Caves - 21 shows (Double the capacity from 2023!)
- Cave Cinema – 45 films.
- Santa in the Caves – 92 shows.
- We welcomed 5,470 school children with our educational trips.
- Donated over £3,000 worth of tickets to local charities.
- If you stacked every scone we've sold in our cafe, it would be taller than the Eiffel Tower!!
- And finally, a big shout out to the Tour Guide who conducted the most tours: Laurence spent a whopping 500+ hours in the cave this year showing visitors around the cavern.
So from our tribe to yours, thank you to everyone who supported us this year.
Here’s some of the key things that happened over the last 12 months at Kents Cavern…
January: Historic Inscriptions Research
We continued our project with the teak from Raking Light who are undertaking a series of explorations of certain parts of the cave to look for historic marks and graffiti. The same method was used as the pilot project in 2023 which ensured cave conservation as a priority.
February: Origins of Art
In February, we embraced the Origins of Art over February half term. Visitors could discover how Stone Age people made paint with ochre, drilled holes in shells and teeth to make jewellery, and the strange shapes they carved into stone!
March: Yoga returned & we celebrated locals month
Our much anticipated wellness event, Yoga in the Caves, returned for another year offering true peace and relaxation in the underground. We also gave back to our much loved locals with our fantastic offer during Locals Month - 50% off? Yes please!
April: Paddleboarding in the Caves?!?
Okay, so unfortunately this was just an April Fools Day prank... but it certainly got people talking! Itwas certainly a way of turning some mildly inconvenient flooding into lighthearted humour!
May: Toe-tapping tunes & Maritime merriment!
We celebrated Brixham Pirate Festival with a sea shanty concert with Missin' Tackle! As always, the caves prove to be the most magical setting for musical performances with it's wonderful acoustics.
June: Kents Cavern sponsored Torbay Air Show
Our team traded the caves for the coast! We had an amazing time representing Kents Cavern and supporting Torbay's Air Show. It was fantastic chatting with so many people about the wonders of the caves, and we were thrilled to offer a free gemstone digging activity for children.
July: Loo upgrade!
Toilets don't have to be boring! We unveiled our newly decorated, super quirky loos. We were even nominated for Loo of the Year at the Devon's Top Attraction AGM!
August: 100 Year anniversary, podcasts & tribes!
August was a busy month! First of all, August marks 100 years since Agatha Christie's 'The Man in the Brown Suit' was published which takes inspiration from Kents Cavern for the fictional 'Hampsley Cavern'
General Manager, James Hull and Raking Light's Linda Wilson were featured on a podcast with Tudors Dynasty who found intrigue around an inscription left in the cave in 1571. Watch the Youtube video here!
Lastly, in August we went tribal! Visitors chose their tribe upon arrival; were they gentle, wise and strong like a Mammoth? Loyal, agile and understanding like a Hyena? Adventourous, majestic and proud like an Elk? Or brave, protective and fierce like a Bear? Tribal markings were painted on faces and families explored the Woodland Trail searching for Ice Age animals. What tribe would you join?
September: The Sound of the Underground
Something special took place in the caves this September for the Autumn Equinox. We were delighted to host Sally from Sounds for the Soul at Kents Cavern for a private gong bathing event. The cave came alive with the harmonious echoes and vibrations of the gongs, creating a deeply immersive experience. Guests were enveloped in calming sounds as the natural acoustics of the cave amplified the energy, making it a truly unforgettable event. It was a perfect way to celebrate the changing seasons in a setting full of ancient energy.
October: Halloween at Kents Cavern
October half term saw the caves filled with pumpkin characters for visitors to spot as they went around. We also hosted a huge giveaway for our 'Guess the Weight of the Pumpkin' competition where our sister-sites Bodmin Jail Hotel & Bodmin Jail Attraction donated a fabulous prize of a one-night family break. An absolute bucket-list experience!
November: Carols in the Cave
Due to demand, we over DOUBLED capacity for this years Carols in the Cave! We were thrilled to be listed as one of Woman's Weekly's top Carol concerts in the UK - It's lovely to see this event becoming a much-loved Christmas tradition for our locals, which featured three wonderful local choirs, a Christmas themed cave tour and plenty of festive food & drink.
December: CHEESE!
Our team spent most of 2024 working on a very exciting project. In October, 6 truckles of Quicke's cheese went into our caves in specially built cabinets to begin their ageing process. To be classed as 'cave-aged' the cheese must spend at least 6 weeks underground so our first batch was ready in early December and it went down a hit!
We sold out twice in December and it became apparent Kents Cavern's 'Cave-aged Cheddar' was given prize place on many cheeseboards over the festive season. Feedback was incredible and we are very proud of this new offering. Our cheese is available all year round (subject to availability) and you can purchase it exclusively from our gift shop!
picked.cave.lively
