Oliver Bowerman is on his way to inherit the family’s cave business in the stunning Yorkshire Dales, in a tale of family heritage and extraordinary living. What began as a dashing purchase nearly two decades ago has grown into a very popular tourist destination from which generations of the Bowerman family have come to own.
When Oliver was only five years old, his parents came home with a decision, quite out of the blue, to buy Stump Cross Caverns-an ancient cave system near Gateley Bridge. Initial advertising described it as the “once in a lifetime” opportunity that marked an extraordinary family journey.
For young Oliver, the thought of growing up near a cave always excited and scared him in equal measure. “I remember coming down to the cave for the first time and being terrified,” recalls Oliver, describing his childhood fascination for the mysterious underground world. In fact, by the age of seven, he was exploring the 350 million-year-old cavern system 100 times over, in a way that made natural wonder a part of himself.
Building a Family Business
Over the years, Oliver’s parents, Lisa and her husband, transformed the caverns into a thriving tourist destination. For Lisa, the decision to invest in the caves was made during a family holiday, surprising her three children with the announcement. “They didn’t even know what a cave was,” she said with a laugh.
Lisa has been at the helm for over 20 years, watching the business grow and develop and seeing its role in education and tourism. She feels it is now time to pass the torch. “To hand it over to someone with such a vision for the future is incredibly exciting,” she says, reflecting on her son’s readiness to lead.
A Vision for the Future
Oliver plans to open part of the cave that people could not enter before by removing the rock and soil to gain access for visitors safely. The bold project makes the area that could not be seen before accessible and gives a glimpse of unseen caverns.
“It’s very thrilling to share this unexposed part of the cave system with the public,” Oliver explains. Still, he recognizes that this means a lot of work that requires the expertise of an engineer from the excavation.
Lisa was dubious about the amount of workload at first, but fully supports her son now, saying, “He has it all figured out; we can’t wait for what’s to come.”
From being a discovery of lead miners in the 19th century, Stump Cross Caverns has had a history through various owners turning it into a tourist attraction. And now, with Oliver, it is all set to carry on the magic of this place in the psyche of the visitor with new discoveries and innovative experiences.
As the Bowerman’s step aside and turn the reins over to a new generation, the tale demonstrates how passion and vision could take a weird purchase and meld it into a lasting legacy.
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