Museum

@Wookey Hole

Step Into History at the Wookey Hole Museum

Discover the rich and fascinating history of Wookey Hole in our three museum exhibitions, each dedicated to a different era of our past. From prehistoric discoveries to cave diving milestones and the legacy of paper-making, there’s so much to uncover!

Explore Our Exhibitions

🕵️‍♂️ The History of Wookey Hole Caves

Learn how the caves were formed and the many civilisations that have lived here over thousands of years—including the famous Witch of Wookey Hole.
DID YOU KNOW? The Romans used the River Axe to transport lead from Mendip Hills to the sea. A hoard of Roman coins and pieces of Saxon and Roman pottery have been discovered inside the caves!

Photo courtesy of Joy Bailey

Cave Diving Exhibit

Wookey Hole is home to Britain’s first successful cave dive (1935), where Graham Balcombe and Penelope (Mossy) Powell reached Chamber 7 at a depth of 52m (170ft).
DID YOU KNOW? Wookey Hole was the site of one of the deepest cave dives in history, reaching an incredible 90 metres deep!
The exhibition features modern cave diving footage, including a film by the British diving team that led the 2018 Thailand cave rescue.

The Wookey Hole Paper Mill, dating back to the 1600s, was once the largest in Europe.
See how old fabric rags were transformed into high-quality paper, and try your hand at making paper yourself!
Look up! The large chimney-like vents on the mill once directed valley breezes into drying lofts, where paper was hung for up to 7 days.
DID YOU KNOW? The River Axe still powers a turbine beneath the mill today, generating renewable energy—just as it has for centuries!