Your first visit to Kinver Edge and the Rock Houses

When can you visit?

The restored Holy Austin Rock Houses and cafe are open Thursday - Monday, 11am - 4pm from 15 Feb until 1 November. In addition, they are open every day of the week during all Staffordshire and Worcestershire school holidays except the Christmas break. At the start and the end of the year (from 1 Jan - 14 Feb and from 2 November - 31 Dec) they are just open for weekends, from 11am - 3pm, because it's a bit chilly!  Please check here for detailed opening times.

The countryside of Kinver Edge is open all year round, with several free car parks that open at 9am but also free lay-by parking that is open at all times. You'll find a toilet at the Kingsford Lane car park.

How much does it cost to come in?

Entry to the Rock Houses is free for National Trust members and children under 5. You can find prices for tickets for non-members on our website here. We are a charity and rely on the money from membership sales and tickets to look after these special places.

The countryside of Kinver Edge is free to access, and all the car parks are free.

Exploring the Rock Houses

Inside the restored Rock Houses you can soak up the atmosphere of these unusual homes  that are cut straight into the rich red sandstone. One room is a huge cave, others are cosy cottages with furniture, windows and crackling fires. There are volunteer guides in the rooms ready to share stories and  anecdotes of the families that lived here until as recently as the 1960s. If you're feeling hands-on you can have a go at rag-rugging, and there's an activity sheet and traditional toys to entertain the kids.

You might even spot one of the lesser horseshoe bats that now call these caves home, roosting here throughout the winter months and sometimes hanging from the Rock House ceilings. Also look out for the historic carved graffiti - but please don't add any more!

Wandering into the gardens around the houses you’ll find a quaint heritage orchard and working allotments, and plenty of shady spots for a picnic or just to sit and enjoy the spring bulbs. 

Get out into the countryside

In the wider countryside of Kinver Edge you can discover the buzz of wildlife on the heathland, enjoy the heady scent of gorse in spring and sweeping purple of heather in autumn. This heathland area is really important for wildlife and is home to many rare species such as adders, tree pipits, cuckoos and all sorts of bees, butterflies and moths.

There are woodland walks as well, and routes for cyclists and horse-riders. For a short stroll you can stomp ten minutes uphill from the Rock Houses to the site of an impressive Iron Age Hillfort with spectacular views of surrounding counties. If you're looking for a full day out, the purple trail is a good 3 hour walk, or even longer if you stop for picnics!

Pick up a map from the Rock Houses to follow different coloured trails or follow the directions on one of the noticeboards at the car parks.

Time for a bite to eat

Using fruit and veg grown in the allotments, the Rock House tea rooms serve up a treat. The tea room is actually inside one of the former Rock Houses, and serves freshly made sandwiches, cakes, scones, soup, ice cream, cold drinks and a variety of teas and coffees…and rock cakes, of course! You can sit outside with reaching views, or get cosy indoors by the stove. Either way, you'll feel right at home.