Deep beneath the Forest of Dean in rural Gloucestershire, a labyrinth of passages winds its way through ancient rock. These are the Clearwell Caves - part natural wonder, part industrial relic - where for millennia people have mined for ochre, the most elemental of colours. Today, the iron-rich caves are managed by Jonathan Wright, the only freeminer in the forest mining for iron and ochre, and his son Wilf, an art historian and curator. Together, they have transformed this subterranean world into a space where geology, heritage and art meet in extraordinary ways.
Jonathan's family have worked these caves since his father, Ray Wright, bought the mine in 1968 and began opening its chambers to the public. Jonathan himself was registered as a freeminer in 1981, which formally grants him the right to dig the historic seams. "Unlike other parts of the country, where mines generally belonged to big landowners, here in the Forest of Dean they were owned by families," explains Wilf. "You'd be mining alongside your dad, your uncles or brothers. It's a tradition that goes back centuries."
At Clearwell, the focus is on ochre, which has been mined at this spot for almost five thousand years. "We even have evidence of tools from the Stone Age and the beginning of the Bronze Age that were used to dig out the pigment, and the way we mine today hasn't changed that much," observes Jonathan. Once extracted, the raw ochre is separated from the surrounding rock using ceramic beads, washed by hand, sieved and dried, and ground using a pestle and mortar. "Ochres are brilliant because they're lightfast, versatile, and incredibly durable," explains Wilf. "We have red and yellow, which are common enough, but the brown is more unusual and the natural purple we get here is found hardly anywhere else in the world. To have four consistent colours is pretty rare.”
Opening the mine to visitors helps subsidise the ochre production, but for the Wright family, it's also a way of showcasing the work that goes into producing the pigment. "It's the only place in Britain where you can actually see it being mined," says Wilf. "People are fascinated when they realise how hands-on the process still is." Jonathan extracts the ochre in small quantities and sends the pigment by mail order to eager customers around the globe. "They used to ship it by the trainload," he says. "Now I post it in small parcels. But it's lovely that people use it - some well-known artists, too. There's something wonderful about the fact that colour from this cave ends up in paintings way beyond its source."
In recent years, Jonathan, Wilf, Wilf’s sister Bea and their mother Heather, an artist herself, have found new ways to utilise the dramatic spaces, which cleverly link back to their colourful heritage. "We always thought it would be amazing to introduce contemporary art into the caves, because it's such a breathtaking environment," says Wilf, of the 10 caverns, which are linked by an astonishing 550 metres of tunnels. To bring that vision to life, they masterminded Back to the Cave, which opened in 2022 and presented contemporary sculpture in the lamplit chambers of Clearwell. Working with Gallery Pangolin, a Stroud-based foundry and gallery, they invited artists from around the world to create works installed as part of the underground exhibition.
The success of the first event led to Back to the Cave: The Full Spectrum, in 2025, a colour-led show featuring seventy sculptures by fifty-nine international artists including Sarah Lucas, Maggi Hambling, Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley, Lynn Chadwick and STIK, whose work was presented next to lesser-known creators. Sixteen of the works were site-specific, some using the ochre itself. “It took three years to plan and three weeks to install, but it was worth it. Seeing art of that quality and of that scale 100 feet underground is something people will have never experienced before," says Wilf, a sentiment Jonathan echoes. “Most people are used to seeing art on white walls. Down here in the lamplight its completely out of context, which makes you focus on the work quite differently.”
Completely independent and self-funded, Clearwell also has the freedom to host other unusual events. Over the years, the Wrights have staged ticketed parties with fire eaters high on the rocks, welcomed Swedish throat singers, and even hosted a Greek classical pianist seeking a truly unconventional stage for her farewell performance. "She invited all her friends and gave an incredible concert," remembers Wilf. The caves don't follow a strict program - if something sparks their imagination, the Wright family will bring it in. "That's the fun part," concludes Jonathan. "If we see something that interests us, we’ll try to make it happen. Then hopefully, everyone else will be interested too."
Jonathan wears our Organic Cord Chore Jacket, Donegal Wool V-Neck Cardigan and Rory Organic Cord Trousers. Wilf wears our Vibrant Check Wool Overcoat, Wool Cashmere Sweater and Alfie Garment Dyed Herringbone Trousers.
Words by Claudia Baillie.
Photography by Sophie Davidson.
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