Heights of Abraham
![](../I/m/The_Heights_of_Abraham_Cable_Cars.jpeg)
![](../I/m/The_Great_Masson_Cavern.jpeg)
The Heights of Abraham is a tourist attraction in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, England. It consists of a hilltop park on top of Masson Hill, accessed by a Gondola cable car from the village. Amongst the attractions in the park, which has been open since Victorian times, are cavern and mine tours. The cable car was opened in 1984 and is 568 metres (1,864 ft) long and climbs 169 metres (554 ft).
The Heights are named after the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Heights of Abraham, in Quebec, Canada, where James Wolfe died in battle.
Show caverns
There are two caves at the Heights of Abraham, the Great Masson Cavern and the Great Rutland Cavern, both previously mined for lead minerals. It is said that the lead mining in this area began in Roman times, reaching its heyday in the 17th century. The miners are now long gone but in the process of excavating the rich mineral deposits they left behind a large network of caverns and passageways dating back millions of years. Now, regular guided tours allow visitors to retrace the miners' footsteps.
External links
- Map sources for Heights of Abraham
Coordinates: 53°07′26″N 1°33′54″W / 53.12378°N 1.56511°W