Trevor Ford, sb, 96pp including 32 page colour section, Landmark Publishing 2008

Despite the fact that visitors have been marvelling at the Peak Cavern in Castleton and the Eldon Hole nearby for over 200 years, we have had to wait until now to read a book on all the various systems which have been found Author and the Peak’s foremost geologist, Trevor Ford, spent his early years exploring the caves and is the first to admit that age has now robbed him of the ability to go underground again. This is a pity, for his worthy successors have found two enormous systems – Titan and Leviathan – which are the deepest in the country. Even if you have no desire to set off on a 500ft descent of one of these monsters, or wade through passages full of fast flowing water, the fantastic work of underground photographer Paul Deakin shows you what you may be glad you are missing. Paul’s incredible technique and skill has produced images of passages stretching into the distance. Even the vast height of Titan and Leviathan were mastered as cavers were caught by his lens, making their descent hundreds of feet above him Trevor Ford describes the cave systems (and there are many) in detail and tantalisingly speculates on others which have been lost or offer potential sites for new discoveries. There are numerous plans and diagrams as well as the photographs mentioned above ‘Castleton Caves’ will be an eye opener to most casual observers of caving.