Terms and Conditions

Please read our terms and conditions carefully: to make sure that you understand what our terms and conditions tell you, and if you have any questions please contact us using the details set out below.

 

CLEARWELL CAVES TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

Clearwell Caves is an ancient iron mine (“the Caves”), open to the public and still producing ochre pigment.  We offer activities and events throughout the year for which we sell advance tickets. The activities and events at the Caves are based around the old workings of the mine so be aware that pathways in the mine are steep and wet in parts (depending on the weather), so please come prepared wearing stout footwear with flat soles and good grip. The pathways are not suitable for persons with walking difficulties and not suitable for mobility scooters.

 

THESE TERMS

 

These terms and conditions together with our Privacy Policy set out the terms and conditions (“Terms”) upon which Clearwell Mine Management Ltd (“we”, “us”, or “our” ) provides activities and events at the Caves (“Activities and/or Events”) to you and your guests (“you” or “your”).

Please read these Terms carefully before buying a ticket to Clearwell Caves (“Ticket(s)”). By buying a Ticket and/or gift voucher (as set out in Clause 8), you agree to be bound by these Terms. These Terms tell you who we are, how we will provide Tickets for Activities and Events to you, what to do if there is a problem and other important information. If you think that there is a mistake in these Terms, please contact us to discuss as we intend to rely on these Terms in relation to the purchase of Tickets by you.

These Terms apply to the sale of Tickets only and do not apply to the sale of products from our shop.

 

INFORMATION ABOUT US

 

We are Clearwell Mine Management Ltd, incorporated and registered in England with company number: 3047218. Our registered office is Clearwell Caves, The Rocks, Clearwell, Coleford, Glos, GL16 8JR.  Our VAT number is: 484737210

You can contact us by telephoning 01594 832535 or by writing to us at Clearwell Caves, The Rocks, Clearwell, Coleford, Glos GL16 8JR or by email: info@clearwellcaves.com.

If we have to contact you we will do so by telephone or by writing to you at the email address or postal address you provided to us when purchasing Tickets.

When we use the words “writing” or “written” in these terms, this includes emails.

 

HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS

 

Tickets for Activities or Events may be purchased via our website or by telephone on 01594 832535.

We do not accept orders for tickets from persons under the age of 18. By placing an order with us, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old.

Please be aware that some Activities and Events at the Caves are by pre-booked ticket only.

Payment for Tickets must be made in full at the time of booking either by credit card or debit card. We also accept cheques or cash if booking in person at the Caves.

 

BOOKING CONFIRMATION

 

Upon purchase of a Ticket from our Website, you will receive an email from us (“Confirmatory Email”). Our acceptance of your order for Tickets(s) will take place when we send you the Confirmatory Email to accept it at which point a contract will come into existence between you and us.

We will assign a Ticket reference number to you which will be set out in the Confirmatory Email.

Please check the booking details set out in the Confirmatory Email and/or the Tickets (if applicable) carefully as soon as you have received them as it is your responsibility to check the accuracy of the details set out in the Confirmatory Email and Tickets.  You must advise us as soon as possible of any mistake in the booking set out in the Confirmatory Email. In the case of a mistake in the details set out in the Confirmatory Email, we will use our reasonable endeavours to ensure participation for you and your party in the Activity or Event you intended to book if this is practical for us or try to offer you an alternative Activity or Event if this is possible.

The Confirmatory Email constitutes your proof of purchase so please keep it in a safe place.  Please check that you have received the Confirmatory Email of your booking following purchase of the Tickets. If you do not receive the Confirmatory Email or the Tickets as expected, please check in your spam folder before contacting us to request that the Tickets be resent. We take no responsibility should you not receive the Confirmatory Email due to reasons beyond our control e.g. blocking, junk or spam filtering.

 

The Confirmatory Email together with the credit card used to pay for the Tickets (or, if the card holder is not attending, a signed letter of authorisation from the card holder) must be presented at the main entrance with your Ticket.

Only Tickets purchased directly from us are valid for admission. Tickets purchased from unauthorised third parties, including online auction sites, are not valid for entry.

 

 

 

TICKETS – GENERAL TERMS

 

One Ticket purchased entitles one person entry to the Caves or an Activity or Event on a single occasion. Once you have exited the Caves or an Activity or Event, you will need to purchase a new Ticket to re-enter the Caves or an Activity or Event.

All persons entering the Caves for an Activity or Event must hold a valid Ticket that must be retained at all times and must be available for inspection if required by any member of our staff. Failure to produce a valid Ticket on request may result in your removal from the Caves or an Activity or Event. At the entrance, tickets are better printed out but they may be scanned from a smartphone screen if the Pdf attachment ticket QR code or barcode can be presented.

 

Tickets remain our property at all times.  We reserve the right to require the immediate return of the Tickets at any time and to refuse entry to or eject you from the Caves or any Activity or Event, if you fail to comply with these Terms.

Tickets are non-transferable and void if altered. Tickets that we reasonably suspect have been transferred or altered will not be honoured. Tickets are not for resale. Any such resale shall have the effect of rendering that Ticket void.

 

Tickets will include entry to the Activity or Event described, but not necessarily to all areas of the Caves, as we may have to close areas off for safety or to allow maintenance and updating.

From time to time, we may decide at our absolute discretion to issue Tickets under special promotions (“Promotional Tickets”) but Promotional Tickets will be available subject to availability and subject to any terms and conditions affecting the particular promotion.

 

ALLOCATED ENTRY TIME (TIMED TICKETS)

 

You will be given the opportunity to select a date and time for arrival at the Caves for an Activity or Event (an “Allocated Entry Time”) (subject to availability) during the online or telephone booking procedure and this will be shown on your Confirmatory Email or Ticket (as appropriate). For those wishing to redeem a valid gift voucher, please call 01594 832535 to arrange your Allocated Entry Time.  It is your responsibility to arrive in time for your Allocated Entry Time.

 

You must not join the line for entry to the Caves until your booked time. Please arrive at the Caves in good time for your Allocated Entry Time although you will not be allowed onto the entry line, or access into the Caves for your Activity or Event before your Allocated Entry Time. We hope to ensure everyone enters during their half hour Allocated Entry Time; this may not always be possible due to the number of people still underground at busy times, but you will then be given priority as spaces become available.

 

Visitors who miss their Allocated Entry Time are not guaranteed entry to the Caves.  Our staff will advise visitors who have missed their Allocated Entry Time of the next available time slot but at busy times it may not be possible to find a time on the same day in which case it will be necessary to re-book an Allocated Entry Time.

Once an Allocated Entry Time has been issued, if you need to alter the booking, it will be necessary to call 01594 832535 for you make changes to the day and/or time of entry into the Caves or the time of your Activity or Event. Any ticket transfer is dependent on ticket availability at the preferred date and time.

 

ALTERATIONS TO BOOKINGS

 

There is an administration charge of £5.00 every time a booking is changed.

 

We reserve the right to amend an Allocated Entry Time once it has been issued to you but we will notify you as soon as we become aware that this is necessary.  Should we have to amend your Allocated Entry Time by four (4) hours or more, you may choose to accept the new Allocated Entry Time, arrange another mutually agreeable Allocated Entry Time with us via our telephone booking line or cancel the Ticket whereupon we will refund you all the monies you have paid to us for the Ticket(s).

 

GIFT VOUCHERS

 

Gift vouchers may be available for purchase via the Website.

A gift voucher entitles one person to visit the Caves, to undertake an Activity or Event and is valid for one year from the date of purchase. Before visiting the Caves, the gift voucher holder must phone the office on 01594 832535, to book his or her Allocated Entry Time. Timeslots are subject to availability. All children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

 

Please be aware that only one gift voucher recipient can be entered per transaction. If you are intending to send gift vouchers to different addresses please book each one as a separate transaction.

Please protect the gift voucher and treat it as cash.

 

CANCELLATION

 

Where we are unable to offer the booked Activity or Event due to circumstances over which we have no control, or where key personnel or materials are unavailable (without which we cannot run the Activity or Event) we will try to contact you to cancel the Activity or Event as soon as we become aware of the need to cancel and offer you alternatives where applicable or a full refund of the cost of the Activity or Event.

 

We will use our reasonable endeavours to be open and operational during published opening hours but in exceptional circumstances we reserve the right to close the Caves on any given day, whether for security or any other reason, without notice. In the event of such closure you may exchange your Tickets or have a full refund at your choice.

 

Should you wish to cancel a Ticket, you must notify us immediately by email (info@clearwell caves.com) upon receipt of which the Confirmatory Email and/or Tickets shall become void. Where a Ticket has been cancelled by you and the Activity or Event is operating as normal we may deduct 20% or the £5.00 minimum charge from the price paid by you for the Tickets as reasonable compensation for the net costs we incur as a result of your cancellation. There are no refunds for cancellations made within 24hrs of the Activity or Event.

 

PRICE AND PAYMENT

 

Subject to any contrary terms agreed in writing between us and you, our charges for tickets shall be calculated at our current rate as shown on our Website. Payment in full is due at the time of booking. The charges include the cost of purchasing the Activity or Event and include VAT at the current rate.

 

Where multiple forms of payment have been used we reserve the right to refund any card payments back to the card used, any more monies due on the refund or amendment, may be refunded by cheque. Once purchase of the Tickets has been made, no other offers can be used in conjunction with the purchase. Any online offers or discounts are for limited quantities and periods only and may not be available on bookings for Tickets made by phone or in person.

Where Ticket prices vary according to age, the following provisions generally apply except special events which may vary:

 

• A person of 17 years or older visiting the Show Caves is classed as an Adult;
• A person aged between 4 and 16 years (inclusive) on a Show Cave visit, is classed as a Child;
• For children aged 3 and under, no admission fee will be charged.
• Persons with a valid student card will be eligible for Concession rate.
• A carer accompanying a full paying disabled person, on production of a valid carer card or official letter of proof are free.
• Persons in receipt of a state pension are eligible for Concession rate.
• A Child on a ‘Deep Level’ trip is anyone aged between 7-17 years old.
• Children on ‘Deep Level’ trip must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, who must sign a statement to this effect.

 

Prices for special Activities or Events and the qualifying ages will vary depending on the Activity or Event. This particularly applies to ‘Deep Level’ visits and our ‘Christmas at Clearwell Caves’ Event. See the Events pages for more details.

 

Group tickets for parties of fifteen or more may be available at discounted rates. Please contact our telephone booking line on 01594 832535 for more information.

Our prices for Tickets stated on our Website vary from time to time.  When buying a Ticket either via the Website or by telephone, the total price will be confirmed to you.  We reserve the right to correct any pricing errors even after we have sent you the Confirmatory Email or Tickets (as appropriate) as soon as we become aware of the error. You will be entitled to a refund if as a result of this error, there is a price increase which you consider is excessive.

Ticket prices are in UK Sterling and include VAT at the current rate.

 

DISABLED VISITORS

 

The Caves are not easily accessible by people with walking difficulties the practicality of such a visit depends on the person involved. We encourage a free advance visit by a carer to assess suitability before the actual visit. Please telephone 01594 832535 to arrange this.

 

Underground access is possible for wheelchair users but the terrain is difficult and requires two able bodied persons to push/pull the chair through in many places. We encourage the helper/s to investigate the route (free of charge) to assess suitability before the proposed visit. The route through the Caves is unsuitable for mobility scooters.

 

One carer free when accompanying a disabled person, on presentation of a Carers card or official letter of proof – one free carer per paying disabled person.

 

CHILDREN

 

Children (under 16 years of age) must be accompanied by a person aged 16 years or over whilst visiting the Show Cave. Young persons (children) under 18 years old undertaking a Caving Activity or other Event beyond the Show Cave, must always be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian who signs to this effect. Children must remain under the supervision and control of their responsible person throughout their visit.

Prices and ages applicable to children will vary with the Activity or Event. Please check our Website for details at the time of your booking.

 

HEALTH AND SAFETY

A variety of special effects (including smoke machines, sudden loud effects and strobe lighting) may be used in certain areas within the Activities or Events.  It is recommended that visitors with high blood pressure, heart conditions or other pre-existing medical conditions ask our staff for further details and if unsure avoid an Activity or Event at which such special effects are used.

From time to time our staff may draw visitors’ attention to certain health and safety procedures to which visitors must adhere, including use of safety equipment or fire evacuation.

 

YOUR CONDUCT

 

Whilst you and other Ticket holders undertake Activities or Events, you and your guests must comply with all directions of our staff, relevant health and safety notices, policies and announcements made available to you.  Do not go beyond barriers or climb on rocks or walls, unless instructed by a member of our staff.

 

Any breach of any of these Terms or any unacceptable behaviour by you or your guests that is likely to cause damage, nuisance, injury to any other visitor or member of our staff or to the Caves itself shall give rise to the right of our staff to eject you immediately from the Caves.

We shall have the right to refuse admission or to eject you and any other Ticket holder from the Caves if in our reasonable opinion, granting you admission might be a risk to our property, the safety of others and/or affect the enjoyment of an Activity or Event by others and in particular (but without limitation) where there is a breach of the following rules:

• No smoking;
• No pets or animals underground except for pre-arranged guide dogs and hearing dogs;
• No consumption of food or drink outside the designated areas without our express permission;
• No offensive weapons;
• No access to any area of the Caves other than areas designated for access by visitors;
• No unnecessary noise (whether from mobile phones or personal stereos or otherwise) or behaviour likely to annoy or offend other visitors or intimidate our staff;
• No use of illegal drugs.
• No consumption of alcohol except at authorised places and events under licence by the Caves.

If you breach the Terms due to your conduct, we may deduct or charge you reasonable compensation for the net costs we will incur as a result of your breach.

 

SECURITY

 

In the interests of safety, you may be asked to submit to a search of your person or belongings and anyone refusing to submit or found to be in possession of materials which we believe to be dangerous or unsuitable will be denied entry or removed from the Caves.

We are only responsible for loss or damage to cameras, equipment or any personal belongings brought into the Caves if the loss or damage results from our negligence. Please keep your personal belongings with you at all times, or securely locked in the lamp room (if undertaking a ‘Deep Level’ activity.)

 

We will use our reasonable endeavours to make dedicated car parking available for use by those holding valid Tickets to the Caves free of charge if possible. You are required to arrive in time to be ready to enter the Caves at the correct time of entry shown on your Ticket irrespective of the availability of any dedicated car parking. We are only responsible for loss or damage to any vehicle (or any property left in a vehicle) if the loss or damage results from our negligence.

 

OTHER WEBSITES

 

We may provide links on our Website to websites or resources of other companies. These links are provided for your information only and we have no control over those sites or resources.

 

PHOTOGRAPHY

 

From time to time we or other authorised third parties on our behalf may take photographs at Clearwell Caves that include images of our visitors. We believe that it is in our legitimate interests to take such photographs and to use them to advertise and promote the Caves and our business in general, for example, on our website, social media sites and pages, and in our brochures.

We will, however, seek your consent to use your photograph if the photograph we have taken features you, alone or with other people, in the foreground and as the main subject of the photograph, rather than, for example, engaged in an activity in the background of a photograph.

We will also seek consent from the parent or legal guardian before using any photograph of a child (meaning under 16 years of age).

In all other cases your consent will not be required.

We may edit, modify and use photographs in accordance with these terms and the terms of our [Privacy Policy] and will not be required to pay you or any third party for the use of any photograph used in accordance with these terms and the terms of our Privacy Policy.

You acknowledge that we will own the copyright and all other rights in such photographs, and you agree to waive all moral rights in such photographs and to sign such documents as we may reasonably require to give legal effect to the same.

 

The taking of recordings, or photographs with handheld cameras is allowed in all areas of the Caves without permission apart from within Theatre Events.  The use of flashes, tripods and other specialist photographic equipment requires specific permission.  Photographs and recordings are for you to enjoy for your own personal, private, non-commercial purposes only.  Commercial uses require specific permissions. Unless permission has been granted by us, recordings, pictures and images cannot be reproduced in any format or media other than for private viewing.

 

TRADE MARKS AND COPYRIGHT

 

The materials incorporated within the Caves and the Activities and Events including, without limitation, any sets, props, wardrobe, text, graphics, images, artwork, illustrations, photographs, booklets, animations, music, video, audio, audio-visual works, designs, logos, software and any other content (together, “Material”) are protected by copyright, patents, trade secrets or other proprietary rights owned by us and/or our licensors and/or Heather Holland (“Intellectual Property Rights”).  Some of the characters, logos, products or other images incorporated within our Activities and Events including our ‘Christmas Fantasy’ are also protected as registered or unregistered trademarks, trade names and/or service marks owned by us or Heather Holland “Trade marks”). All such rights are reserved.

 

You must not use our Material or any of our Intellectual Property Rights without obtaining a licence to do so from us or our licensors.

 

EVENTS OUTSIDE OUR CONTROL

 

If we are unable to provide the Activity or Event which you have booked, due to a delay outside our control then we will contact you as soon as possible to let you know and we will take steps to minimise the effect of the delay. Provided we do this we will not be liable for delays caused by the event outside our control, but if there is a risk of substantial delay (4 hours or more) you may contact us to end the contract and receive a refund for the Activity or Event for which you have paid but which you cannot receive.

 

OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE

 

If we fail to comply with these Terms, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaching these Terms or our failing to use reasonable care and skill, but we are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. Loss or damage is foreseeable if either it is obvious that it will happen or if, at the time the contract was made, both we and you knew it might happen, for example, if you discussed it with us during the sales process.

 

We are not liable for indirect losses which happen as a side effect of the main loss or damage and which are not foreseeable by you and us (such as loss of profits or loss of opportunity).

We are not liable under these Terms for any loss or damage cause by us or by our employees or agents in circumstances where:

there is no breach of a legal duty of care owed to you by us or by any of our employees or agents; and any increase in loss or damage resulting from breach by you of any of these Terms.

 

HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

 

We only use your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.  Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and store personal information about you, and tells you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you. For details, please see our Privacy Policy.  Please take the time to read our Privacy Policy carefully to make sure that you understand how it applies to you, and [contact us] if you have any questions…

 

 

VARIATION

 

We have the right to revise and amend these Terms from time to time by notifying you or placing updated Terms on the Website.  You may not vary these Terms unless agreed in writing with us.  You will be subject to the Terms in force at the time that you bought Tickets to the Activities/ Events.  You may wish to print a copy of these Terms with a date-stamp for future reference.

 

WAIVER

 

If we do not insist immediately that you do anything you are required to do under these Terms, or if we delay in taking steps against you in respect of your breaching these Terms, that will not mean that you do not have to do those things and it will not prevent us taking steps against you at a later date.

 

OTHER IMPORTANT TERMS

 

Each of the paragraphs of these Terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect

This contract is between you and us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce any of its terms. Neither of us will need to get the agreement of any other person in order to end the contract or make any changes to these Terms.

 

LAW AND JURISDICTION

 

These Terms are governed by English law.  Any dispute arising from, or related to, such Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. However if you are a resident of Northern Ireland you may also bring proceedings in Northern Ireland and if you are a resident of Scotland, you may bring proceedings in Scotland.