The "Grips", as they are known locally, are a network of valleys bounded by cliffs near to the village of Clowne in Derbyshire. In the cliff sides are several fissures and small caves.

Who excavated in the Grips?
Leslie Armstrong investigated a number of these sites in 1924, although it is not always clear from his note books which sites he did excavate. One interesting site was The Sepulchral Cave or Bone Cave.

Who used Sepulchral Cave?
Buried within the cave Armstrong found the remains of several people enclosed by a wall of limestone blocks. Radiocarbon dates and pottery found with the burials show that these were deposited during the early Neolithic. This evidence is part of a growing amount of information that early farmers settled in the Creswell area and used the caves to dispose of their dead.