Eldon Hole in Buxton | Atlas Obscura

Located on the southern flank of Eldon Hill (etymologically “Elves’ Hill”), the peaceful landscape has a hidden evil scar of just a hundred feet long and twenty feet wide.

Long before 18th-century geologists dared to measure its depth, Eldon Hole was feared as a “bottomless pit.” In 1636, the philosopher Thomas Hobbes famously wrote of a stone dropped into the abyss: “The lowest deep descending, it broke through Hell and the centre.”

The folklore surrounding the hole is as grim as the shadows within:

• The Gibbering Victim: During the reign of Elizabeth I, the Earl of Leicester reportedly lowered a man into the depths on a rope. He never reached the bottom. When he was finally hauled back up, he had become a “gibbering idiot,” so traumatised by what he saw in the darkness that he died just days later without uttering a coherent word.
• The Goose and the Devil’s Arse: A persistent local myth tells of a goose that fell into Eldon Hole, only to emerge miles away in the Peak Cavern (colorfully known as the Devil’s Arse). The bird was alive, but its feathers were allegedly singed black by the fires of Hell.
• The Murderer’s Secret: In the 1700s, tourists were regaled with the tale of a traveler murdered by his guide and tossed into the hole, a fate considered particularly horrific because his soul was thought to have been delivered directly to the abyss.

Reality Beneath the Surface

It wasn’t until 1770 that a geologist named Mr. Lloyd officially debunked the “bottomless” theory by reaching the floor. However, the truth he found was nearly as spectacular as the myth.

At the bottom of the 180-foot vertical shaft lies a massive, widely sloped cavern (70 feet high and 100 feet wide) packed with ancient stalagmites and stalactites. Early explorers claimed the space was vast enough to house St. Paul’s Cathedral. Modern cavers still find a “snow plug” at the bottom well into the summer months, where the sun’s rays never reach hell’s frost.

Recent archaeological digs have even uncovered human remains and animal bones dating back over 2,000 years, suggesting the site may have been used for Iron Age rituals, sacrifices, or simply swallowed innocent wanderers.

Just a stone’s throw away lies a vanished wonder: the Ebbing and Flowing Well at Barmoor Clough. Once a natural siphon that caused water to pulse in and out of stone troughs at a rate of 1,000 gallons per minute, it was considered a supernatural pulse of the earth. Though the “heartbeat” of the well hasn’t been seen for years—likely due to changes in the local water table—the site remains a testament to the Peak District’s strange, subterranean plumbing.

At least that’s what folklore tells us. No ebbing and flowing has been reported at either well for many years. Also, many years ago it was thought that elves lived on Eldon Hill and local people said that there were ‘elves on t’hill’ hence the name Eldon Hill.

Today, Eldon Hole is a popular spot for experienced cavers, though it remains fenced off for the safety of hikers. Whether it leads to Hell or just a very deep cave, the “Elves’ Hill” remains one of England’s most atmospheric natural enigmas.