At age five, Oliver Bowerman was surprised when his parents announced they were moving to a cave. Rather than a Stone Age lifestyle, his family had purchased Stump Cross Caverns, a tourist attraction in Yorkshire Dales.
The Bowermans acquired the cave system in 2003 after responding to a newspaper ad describing it as a “once in a generation” opportunity. Originally discovered by lead miners in the 19th century, the caverns became a tourist site in 1926 under Septimus Wray’s ownership.
Now, 22 years later, Oliver is taking over management from his mother Lisa. After completing his psychology degree, he joined the family business, bringing fresh ideas including plans to open a new section previously accessible only to potholers.
“To be in a position to hand it over to somebody with such an amazing business brain and such a vision for the future, it’s quite exciting,” Lisa said, who will remain involved in education and creative aspects while Oliver leads business decisions.
Starting January, a two-year excavation project will begin to make the new cavern section publicly accessible. The expansion requires significant engineering work but will allow visitors to experience previously unseen chambers.
The unique family business has sparked interesting reactions over the years. “When I said ‘oh, we have a cave’, the look on people’s faces was quite interesting,” Oliver recalled of his university days.
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