Conducted tours by trained guides,give the visitor an hour-long tour of this vast man- made complex of underground caverns created by centuries of quarrying the famous Beer Stone.
The underground quarry first worked by the Romans,supplied stone for 24 cathedrals including Exeter and St.Pauls, parts of Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Hampton Court and Windsor Castle.
Quarried by hand, the smallest blocks weighing 4 tons, the stone was carted on horse-drawn wagons and by barges from Beer beach to its destination, sometimes involving journeys of several hundreds of miles.
Beer stone was much prized by the masons, as freshly quarried it is ideal for fine detail carvings but hardens on exposure to the air, turning a beautiful creamy white colour. Although seen today by the thousands of people who visit these famous buildings, sadly few stop to wonder where the stone came from, or give even a passing thought to the generations of local families who worked here under appalling conditions by the light of tallow candles.
The entrance leads directly into the Roman section, which now houses a small museum containing pieces of Beer stone carved centuries ago by skilled masons, the tools used by the Quarrymen, copies of ancient documents and photographs.
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Beer Quarry Caves