GORDON Hanley took on more than a room with a view when he decided to buy into property.

For taking over the cottages owned previously by his stepfather meant that he also took on the caverns on the land.

Mr Hanley, a larger-than-life figure who stands 6ft 6in tall, left his jobs in sales and marketing to go into partnership with his mother at the well-known Stump Cross caverns, near Pateley Bridge.

That was back in 1980. Since then, he and his wife Sue have been responsible for developing the popular caverns by getting a visitor centre up and running, along with a conference room and tea-room, putting running water on the site and opening up new caves.

Mr Hanley, 58, has been involved with the caverns, which were owned by his stepfather's family, since he was a 12-year-old boy working as a guide.

When his stepfather died, Mr Hanley decided to give up sales and marketing for other people and began to market the caverns he knows like the back of his hand.

He said: "It was a challenge, but one which I wanted to take. It's been a seven-day-a-week job, but we have met some wonderful people - and many eccentric people too - who want to study various aspects of the formation."

The couple have held events such as corporate days and motor cycle trials on the Dales site in their attempts to create a thriving business.

But, the time has come to let them go. Their two sons are not interested in running the caverns, so Mr Hanley has decided to sell them and retire.

"We intend to go round the world and enjoy ourselves visiting other countries and their caverns.

"We have both worked very hard and enjoyed it, especially meeting so many people, but you are a long time dead so we decided now was the time to quit."

The caverns are up for sale at an asking price in excess of £675,000. They were last sold in 1926 for about £400.

"Yes, it was difficult to put a price on the site, which totals 11 hectares. But, the way house prices are going up and the fact that the site has a two-bedroom cottage in a quiet and lovely location, add that to a thriving business and the valuation isn't excessive.

"There is a great deal of potential here. Other show caves could be opened up to bring in more revenue."

The caverns were discovered in 1858 by lead miners. They are self-guide, lit and handrailed caverns stretching for many miles. Seventy steps lead into them.

"There are another four miles which are not as yet open to the public.

"We get all kinds of people here. Apart from school parties, scouts and guides etc, we get potholers and scientists studying drip rates, old animal bones and pollen dating back 400,000 years. I have learned lots of things myself from these studies."

Mr Hanley explained how the caverns came about. "Originally, the caverns were mined by the Romans. They are what are called active caves, warm in winter, cool in summer.

"Some 350m years ago, the rock was a warm shallow sea near the equator. The plates of limestone sediment have, over the millions of years, gradually moved to this site."

The caverns were included in the Guinness Book of Records in 1963 when Geoff Workman stayed down them for 105 days.

"He came out with poor eyesight, long hair and very smelly," said Mr Hanley, who is also a member of the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association.

"I'm not as fit as I was, but over the years I have gathered the necessary heavy rescue equipment together, so I help in this way nowadays."

Had he ever had to rescue anyone from the caverns? "No. The only people likely to get lost are potholers and if any of them ever got lost or stuck, I wasn't told about it. They must have organised their own rescue."

"I have always loved the caverns and been interested in all the history they have given up.

"It will be a wrench in many ways to let them go, but there are caverns all over the world asking to be looked at while we still can," he said