Gerry passed away on Wednesday 13th January 2021, he was admitted to the Royal United Hospital in Bath, with Coronavirus.
Gerry was one of the last Greatest Showmen, he is going to be missed by everyone.
The family have politely asked for a period of privacy at this time.
Somerset’s oldest and spookiest attraction is set to treat visitors this Halloween, with an array of chilling attractions for everyone who visits during the Autumn half term (between 24 October and 1 November 2020).
Whether you want to head out for a day trip or take a short-break at the Wookey Hole Hotel, there is something for everyone at the Wookey Hole Resort.
A Frightfully Good Day Out…..with the wicked Witch!
This Halloween guests can expect the choice of day or evening ticket options. All tickets will include seeing / meeting the infamous Witch of Wookey of Hole in her new Grotto mixing potions in her bubbling cauldron!
Ghostly goings-on the NEW GHOST TRAIN!
The latest addition to the Home of Halloween is the ghoulish Ghost Train! With creepy characters and eerie surprises, this is a must-see for all Halloween fans…be brave, be bold, be prepared for scares and thrills!
Great value and so much fun, whatever the weather!
With all the Spooktacular attractions included in the admission ticket, visitors will have a magical time exploring…
• See our infamous Witch of Wookey Hole in her Grotto
• Spectacular Show Caves, rich in beauty and history
• Terrifying Ghost Train
• Walk amongst the animatronic dinosaurs in Dinosaur Valley
• Haunted Pirate Island Adventure Golf
• Ghoulish Penny Arcade
• Chilling Crazy Mirrors
• Creepy Cave Museums
• Eerie Paper Mill
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner – the Witchy Way!
• For those that want to add a little extra to their day, you can arrive early to have breakfast with the famous Witch of Wookey Hole! She will be appearing at Captain Jack’s Restaurant between 8:00 – 10:00am.
• Lunch and dinner is also served in Captain Jack’s Restaurant, with table service and speedy delivery, this is a great way to fill those tums with a nourishing, home cooked meal and refreshments.
Wookey Hole Resort offers something for everyone….Hotel, luxury lodges with hot tubs, holiday park and world famous attraction Wookey Hole Caves, a day out or weekend away is sure to keep all the family happy.
With our unique selection of accommodation, world renowned caves and the home of the Wookey Hole Witch, Wookey Hole is a bustling Resort full of life and fun!
Located in stunning Somerset, surrounded by beautiful countryside and the rolling Mendip Hills, a short break of relaxation and adventure can be had when staying at the Wookey Hole Resort.
Escape the Everyday and take a trip to Wookey Hole Resort this Autumn.
KEY INFORMATION
Event information and ticket prices:
Halloween tickets
Adults £16.50
Children (3-14 years) £13.50
OAP £13.50
Under 3s free of charge
Breakfast with the Witch of Wookey Hole:
Locally sourced and freshly prepared, our hearty cooked breakfast includes:
• Adults £9.99: Butchers pork sausage, bacon, beans, hash brown, grilled tomato, mushrooms and your choice of egg
• Children £7.99: Butchers pork sausage, bacon, beans, hash brown and your choice of egg
• Breakfast is served in Captain Jacks Restaurant from 7.00 – 10.30 am
• The Wookey Hole Witch appears at breakfast between 7.30 – 10.30 am
Wookey Hole Hotel Halloween Package:
For more information about Wookey Hole and its spooky attractions this season, please visit www.wookey.co.uk/halloween.
Enjoy an eggs-tra special Easter at Wookey Hole
4 – 19 April 2020
Don’t make any eggs-cuses this Easter! Enjoy this special time of year at Somerset’s oldest and biggest attraction, Wookey Hole. With a cracking range of seasonal activities and egg-citing things to do, Wookey has something for everyone – whatever the weather.
For a magical and unforgettable Easter, hop down to Wookey Hole for a day full of family fun and bunny times.
Meet the Witch…
The Wookey Witch has egg-reed to meet visitors this Easter, so make sure you keep your ears up and your eyes peeled for the chance to meet her – but beware the stench of her rotten egg cauldron and egg-stravagant spell book filled with Easter yolks!
Just for Easter…
Bring the whole family along for a cracking time as you take part in Wookey’s exciting Easter trail! You must uncover the egg-sclusive clues and discover the secret word to win a delicious Easter egg – but be careful the clues don’t scramble your brain!
Feel the thrill of Wookey’s live circus shows…
With resident circus showman, Gerry Cottle, celebrating his 50th anniversary in showbusiness this year, prepare to be amazed with the return of the famous Wookey Hole Circus Shows!
And it doesn’t stop (t)hare…
Egg-splore Wookey’s stunning caves or step back in time and wander through the prehistoric Valley of the Dinosaurs and enjoy watching ‘The Lost World’ in 4D. With a variety of over 20 attractions from pirate-themed adventure golf and penny arcade games, to the Wizard’s play castle and a magical mirror maze, there is sure to be something for even the most adventurous characters this Easter. So, what are you waiting for? Come and discover the magic!
To make this Easter one to remember, you can save a m-egga 15% on standard day tickets when you book online*. All tickets include the full Wookey Hole experience, with over 20 thrilling attractions, a historical tour of the famous caves and participation in any of the fun Easter egg-stras.
Welcoming over half a million visitors each year, Wookey Hole is renowned for offering guests a unique and memorable experience throughout its historical caves and tours, seasonal events and 20 fantastic attractions within the venue. For more information about Wookey Hole and its famous attractions, please visit www.wookey.co.uk.
The Wookey Witch is cooking up a romantic recipe for Valentine’s Day this year. Focusing on love, blessings and commitment, the famous witch will perform her first ever hand blessing ritual in the stunning underground caves.
Lit by candlelight and surrounded by millions of years of untouched history, the underground caves are the perfect setting for this romantic gesture. Bringing a touch of magic to the celebration, the Wookey Witch will perform individual blessing for couples visiting the tourist attraction next week, free of charge.
In any tradition, a hand blessing is a ritual that is meant to draw two people closer together. Hands are considered to be a connection to the heart, and so the hand blessing ceremony symbolically brings two hearts together. The Wookey Witch will perform this blessing for all guests wishing to participate on Friday 14 February 2020, from 11am until 2pm.
The Wookey Witch comments, “Wookey Hole is Somerset’s oldest and biggest attraction, and I’m exciting to bring an extra bit of magic to this romantic celebration. I’m known for having a heart of stone, but I’ll soften it for this one day. We look forward to spreading the love with all our visitors!”
Wookey Hole will open its caves especially for this special Valentine’s Day blessing, so guests wishing to participate should register their interest via the Facebook event (pinned post): www.facebook.com/WookeyHole.
Welcoming over half a million visitors each year, Wookey Hole is renowned for offering guests a unique and memorable experience throughout its historical caves and tours, seasonal events and 20 fantastic attractions within the venue.
A world first took place at Wookey Hole Caves yesterday, when renowned exploration artist Philip Gray created painted artworks for the first ever time in a cave, over 19 feet underwater. He created two pieces of work he entitled Pioneers of the Dark (low res image attached)and The Source of Light.
For the challenge, Philip dove down with his paints, canvas, easel and breathing apparatus, to reach his location. His paintings illustrated the scene 84 years ago, when Penelope Powell and Graham Balcombe first plunged into the dark waters at Wookey Hole to complete the world’s first cave dive.
Footage of the dive is available on request. Please find images for your download here, which includes pictures of the dive itself and the finished pieces: https://we.tl/t-BytaQJ07ET
The paintings will go on display in the Cave Diving Museum at Wookey Hole, where they will join a new display about the world’s first cave dive in 1935. Other items in the collection include early examples of deep-sea diving equipment used to explore the caves in 1935, such as diving helmets, boots and pumps.
Philip comments: “My passion for art is equalled only by my passion for exploration and discovery, and I always push myself to the limit of what is possible to create my artwork. It made perfect sense to me to paint this iconic scene from 84 years ago, deep underwater, in the atmospheric caves at Wookey Hole where the first ever cave dive took place.”
Philip has travelled the world creating stunning one-of-a-kind paintings of places never seen before. His previous projects have included painting the “lost” Lion City in China (Shi Cheng), painting in Antarctica on the side of an iceberg and even climbing Mount Everest to paint.
Philip’s previous paintings within caverns have been within the reaches of natural light, but this time his Wookey Hole cave painting needed to be illuminated with artificial light. It was the first time anyone has achieved a painting in such conditions.
For further information, interview requests or footage of the dive, please contact jenny@adpr.co.uk or zak@adpr.co.uk.
One of the world’s greatest showmen is bringing a touch of magic to Somerset’s oldest attraction this summer
With a £1 million programme of illusions from around the world, circus legend Gerry Cottle is giving the floor to his daughter Sarah, granddaughter Ellen, and a talented team of ladies for Wookey Hole Caves’ newest family show, Hocus Pocus.
Presented by the cave’s three resident witches, this unique show is led by a cast of nine women and for the first time it will be the men who all play victim to the girls’ ghoulish stunts. The 90-minute show includes spectacular and mind-boggling illusions such as The Fire Spiker, The Eclipse, and the Excalibur illusion.
Sarah Cottle leads the cast and was instrumental in helping her father create this illusion show, where girls are finally getting the glory. Sarah has been a circus performer since the age of 12, following in her dad’s footsteps and travelling all over the world.
Sarah said: “Our talented cast has spent months formulating the very best illusions from our experiences across the world and we cannot wait to welcome young and old to this extraordinary new show. We want to shock, delight, and make you part of our dazzling world of magic and intrigue – you won’t be disappointed!”
Sarah’s daughter Ellen has just completed a 100-date Circus of Horrors tour, and performs what has been hailed the “fastest and funkiest” Hula Hoop act, ever; Stef Usher and Ameya Williams perform the big illusions while Craig Attmere performs the sensational ‘Jaws of Death’ with just 30 seconds to escape.
Directing Hocus Pocus is Willie Ramsay, stunt coordinator at Pinewood studios, Shepperton, and Leavesden, who has been involved in films such as Pan, King Arthur, Fantastic Beasts, Malificent, Mamma Mia, Star Wars, and of course, Roald Dahl’s Witches. Gerry Cottle’s grandson Whistle Cottle, also appears in Hocus Pocus, making it a true family act.
Wookey Hole Caves was bought by Gerry Cottle and his family 15 years ago and welcomes over 250,000 visitors each year. The circus school trains 40 young people who perform during weekends and school holidays.
Exactly 84 years to the day after the world’s first ever cave dive, extreme artist Philip Gray will paint underwater at the top Somerset attraction
A world first is taking place at Wookey Hole Caves on July 14, where renowned exploration artist Philip Gray will paint for the first ever time in a cave, over 19 feet underwater. Philip’s painting will illustrate the scene 84 years ago, when Penelope Powell and Graham Balcombe first plunged into the dark waters at Wookey Hole to complete the world’s first cave dive.
For the challenge, Philip will need to dive down with his paints, canvas, easel and breathing apparatus, to reach his location. He’ll then stay there until the painting is complete.
The masterpiece will go on display in the Cave Diving Museum at Wookey Hole, where it will join a new display about the world’s first cave dive in 1935. Other items in the collection include early examples of deep-sea diving equipment used to explore the caves in 1935, such as diving helmets, boots and pumps.
Philip comments: “My passion for art is equalled only by my passion for exploration and discovery, and I always push myself to the limit of what is possible to create my artwork. It made perfect sense to me to paint this iconic scene from 84 years ago, deep underwater, in the atmospheric caves at Wookey Hole where the first ever cave dive took place.”
Philip has travelled the world creating stunning one-of-a-kind paintings of places never seen before. His previous projects have included painting the “lost” Lion City in China (Shi Cheng), painting in Antarctica on the side of an iceberg and even climbing Mount Everest to paint.
Philip’s previous paintings within caverns have been within the reaches of natural light, but this time his Wookey Hole cave painting attempt will need to be illuminated with artificial light. It will be the first time anyone has achieved a painting in such conditions.
The Wookey Hole Witch has cooked up a cauldron full of treats for visitors to Somerset’s magical inland attraction this Easter.
With more than 20 indoor and outdoor attractions included in the ticket price and an Easter gift for each child, Easter at Wookey Hole Caves provides a whole day out with enough excitement to keep the whole family entertained.
Running from 6-28 April the Easter break also includes games and competitions as well as the usual history and mystery the attraction is known for.
As ever, the Witch of Wookey Hole will be lurking in the shadows ready to meet, greet and cackle with guests while the numerous soft play areas, adventure playgrounds, mirror mazes and specialist museums onsite provide family fun whatever the weather.
The 4D cinema is showing a new movie for 2019 – Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 4D experience – which will take audiences on an unforgettable adventure and the Circus Show will be performed daily in the Big Top Theatre.
The world-renowned cave tours will be running daily to educate and excite guests. The labyrinthine cave system made up of caverns and tunnels is famous the world over and, with recently discovered new caves, visitors will be amazed by the vast spectacle of natural beauty.
If the British Springtime weather is kind there is plenty to do outdoors too. Dinosaur Valley and the new life-sized animatronic dinosaurs that live there are waiting to be explored and Pirate Adventure Golf also provides al fresco fun.
There will be another Easter Trail and Treasure Hunt, with visitors hunting letters to uncover the secret word and receive an Easter treat.
Wookey Hole Caves’ renowned circus shows offer dazzling displays including hula hooping, trapeze and roller skating – prepare to be amazed and enthralled by the thrill of our high energy, fast moving show.
And in the last week of the holidays the resort will be running a circus skills workshop from Tuesday to Friday 23 – 26 April – adding a third week to the holidays to accommodate visitors from outside our region.
The Wookey Witch said: “The great thing about Wookey Hole is the fantastic value for money it offers. Nowhere else will you find such an eclectic collection of top-quality attractions under one ticket price.
“There’s enough to do here to keep everyone happy and interested all day long, which for parents with a whole two week break to plan, is invaluable.
“There’s even the option to stay at Wookey Hole Hotel and Bucklegrove to extend the fun even further and explore what else Somerset has to offer.
“Easter is a great time to visit – the weather is usually looking up and our Egg-stravaganza event is really special for visiting children.”
Those who book a hotel break at Wookey Hole Hotel and Bucklegrove over Easter will get their attraction tickets and breakfast for free.
The Easter package for a family of four also includes one night’s accommodation, a round of adventure golf, £100 of savings on local days out, free fun packs for kids and free entry into the Mill and children’s play barns in the evening. Prices for this start from just £139 based on two adults and two children sharing.
Tickets for Easter at Wookey Hole can be booked online with up to 15% off. Visit www.wookey.co.uk for more information.
Shifting sediments deep beneath the Mendip Hills have revealed a complete ceramic pot as well as the top of another and pottery sherds dating back to the Roman occupation.
The first pot – round with a narrow neck and small pouring handle – was discovered along with two sherds from a larger pot some four metres down in the underwater passages connecting chambers three and four at Wookey Hole Caves in Somerset.
The top section of a second pot, similar in style, turned up in the resurgence, or cave mouth, a few weeks after the first items were recovered.
Divers Michael Thomas and his son Robert were training when they made the original discovery.
The pot and sherds were taken to former Time Team regular and Roman specialist Mark Corney for identification.
Miranda Litchfield from Wookey Hole Caves said: “To find a complete pot is extremely rare. To find these items inside a cave system is rarer still. We are eagerly awaiting the results of the investigation to try and date and better identify the pot and shards found. It is very unusual to discover a pot in such excellent condition.”
Cave divers Michael and Robert Thomas had swum around a metre off the normal route and caught a glimpse of the pot in their torch beams.
Michael Thomas’ photograph is taken of the first pot in situ, covered in a layer of silt which up until 2019, had kept this treasure completely hidden.
“Vince Simmonds’ photograph shows the first pot after a professional cleaning. This photo was taken prior to it being sent to a specialist for investigation.
“It’s fantastic to think how the cave system keeps surprising us, revealing artefacts of this quality and obvious antiquity.
“The scope for further controlled underwater excavations is tantalising. Wookey Hole Caves is often regarded as the ‘Mecca’ of UK cave diving and what lies beyond the water’s edge, could be a treasure trove of ancient relics – just waiting to be discovered.”
Initial examination suggests all the items were late third-fourth century flasks or flagons from the Oxford or New Forest pottery industries – which were active during Roman rule.
Miranda Litchfield went on: “It is hoped to display the finds in the Cave Diving museum once identification work has been completed. With all new artefacts and discoveries, part of the professional process is to make them accessible to the public.
“This might turn out to be one of the greatest archaeological discoveries ever made at Wookey Hole Caves.”
Many items have been washed out of the caves over the years including skulls and bones from what is believed to be a burial chamber deep in the heart of the Mendips. These chambers have long since been flooded by the River Axe.
In June 1946 a skull, bones and a Romano-British pot were discovered just upstream of The Witch. Pottery is often identified as grave goods – containers for food for the journey to the after-life.
Circus of Horrors – 18th / 19th October 2018
After taking to the road over 22 years ago and touring all over the world the phenomenon returns with its latest brand new incarnation “Psycho Asylum”.
The spectacular features an amazing amalgamation of bizarre & fantastic circus acts act’s all woven into a sensational shock / horror storey and the darkest of magic – taking the show to a whole new level, it’s driven by a mainly original soundscape & performed with a forked tongue firmly in each cheek, you’ll certainly Die Laughing.