A woman who visited the Giant’s Cave overlooking the Avon Gorge in Bristol has slammed its size and ease of access.
Katherine H scaled the hill to the Clifton Observatory in July and said the staircase below ground was “very restricted”.
“It could only house a small giant”, she added in her three-star review of the attraction on TripAdvisor.
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Her post read: “The tunnel down to the giants cave is VERY restricted with no warning signs before entry. The cave at the end could only house a small giant. It’s not all that.”
In the review’s title, Katherine also wrote: “It’s not in my top ten.”
The cavern is a natural phenomenon, formed in the limestone cliff overlooking the gorge, is also known as Ghyston’s Cave or The Foxhole.
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For centuries the only way to access it was by climbing down from the ground above or by scrambling up the slope from below.
Now people can get there from the Clifton Observatory using a 61-metre tunnel which ends in the viewpoint over the Avon, 78 metres above the valley floor.
Grant journeyed to the spot in June, but soon ran aground, and went online to give the attraction just two stars out of five.
He said: “The caves are an interesting idea, and the view of the bridge is probably very good, but don’t even think about going if you’re over 5 feet tall or have any problems with claustrophobia.
“We clearly went there on a busy day, because it soon became clear we would never make it to the bottom of the caves.
“There are a number of places where it’s impossible for two people to pass, so unless the place is empty you’ll be going backwards and forwards until you give up or have a panic attack (as someone did when we were attempting to get access).”
A TripAdvisor reviewer using the name BatteryMan1 also visited the Giant’s Cave in June and had a great time – however, he mentioned that people with mobility problems might struggle to get there
.
(Image: Western Daily Press)
In 2017, a Canadian tourist called Johneo found that out the hard way. He summed up his review as “Observatory interesting. Caves a complete disaster”.
He warned others: “The caves turned out to be a complete disaster for us. Both of us have knee replacements and there were no warnings of any kind about the uneven steps, the low roof in places, wet floors and inadequate handrails, NOR WERE WE WARNED.
“Passing people coming up or down was a nightmare. We both ended up paying for this visit for several days with knee and back problems and I am very fit walking several miles each day.
“I DO NOT RECOMMEND the CAVES to anyone with any mobility problems of any kind. On arriving at the outlook at the bottom of the caves there was nothing that could not be seen better outside.”
But many people have been visited the attraction recently and had a lovely time – as can be seen in their reviews.
“OldBoy” spent the day there in July and said: “Nice place to visit, & we were lucky with the weather. Stairs down were a bit cramped but nothing to moan about.”
A Leicester tourist who went by “Dreijerss” on TripAdvisor also had a good time and wrote: “Although this was short and sweet it was still fun and something that we will remember!
“Walking down the very cramped stairway was fun and kept us laughing! The views were spectacular!”
And David W made wonderful memories there last year. He said: “We had the most fantastic wedding ceremony at Clifton Observatory. The staff were exceptionally friendly, helpful, and well organised.
“The staff went above and beyond to help us create a special day, even moving the date at the minute.
“Our guests really enjoyed exploring the tower and caves and we particularly loved having drinks on the rooftop terrace with the stunning view!”
The Clifton Observatory has been approached for comment.
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