Heights of Abraham: ‘We bought the most unusual business, a place with woods, caves, and a house - and transformed it into an underground overground tourist attraction’

A loved up couple from London, Andrew and Vanessa Pugh, had been flicking through The Daily Telegraph when they spotted a classified ad for ‘a most unusual business, a place with woods, caves, and a house.’

It was 1978, when Andrew and Vanessa spotted the ad for the Heights of Abraham in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire.

On a whim they drove to view the site. It had been perfect timing as Andrew, a motorsports enthusiast, had met Vanessa who was a PA in London when he decided to give up death-defying sports.

The Matlock Bath Parish Council website describes their story as ‘fate.’ The rest, as they say, is history.

The Heights of Abraham spans over 60 acres of woodland. In the Roman times this area was popular with lead mining until lead started being imported in the 1800s.

The Great Masson Cavern and the Great Rutland Cavern were then transformed into a tourist attraction by former miners.

Later came the Victoria Prospect Tower in the grounds which was built to celebrate Queen Victoria’s reign in 1844. Riber Castle and Willersley Castle are just a stone's throw away.

In its Victorian heyday, the Heights were the place to go. Its popularity had dwindled until the Pugh family took over with Andrew and Vanessa at the helm.

After a gruelling start to the summer season, the couple who later married, then had a groundbreaking idea ten years after taking over.

Due to the steep ascend to The Heights, in Victorian times donkeys were used to transport customers to the top but now the couple found a modern solution which would propel the tourist attraction into one of the UK’s best - cable cars.

Last year Andrew and Vanessa, now in their eighties, celebrated 50 years since taking over the Heights and 40 years since launching the cable cars.

Now the thriving attraction in Matlock Bath draws tourists nationwide to experience this quintessentially British pleasure ground complete with cave tours, a vista restaurant and museum.

History has now come full circle as Andrew and Vanessa have passed down the day-to-day running of the estate to their son Rupert and his wife Sophie.