We demonstrate that U-Pb dating is a promising method for secondary carbonate materials of Quaternary age and older by obtaining a 2 0 6 Pb*/ 2 3 8 U age for a speleothem with high U (>10 μg g - 1 ) and very low Pb (<10 ng g - 1 ) that is supported by an independent 2 3 0 Th age. Thermal ionisation mass-spectrometry was used to determine the U and Pb isotopic ratios and concentrations for subsamples of a stalactite from Winnats Head Cave, Peak District, UK. We obtained 2 0 6 Pb/ 2 0 4 Pb ratios up to 50, and determined a 2 0 6 Pb*/ 2 3 8 U age of 248 +/- 10 ka, which is within error of the 2 0 7 Pb*/ 2 3 5 U age of 333 +/- 79 ka and a-spectrometric U-Th age of ~255 ka. For samples of Tertiary and Quaternary age, the initial state of U-series disequilibrium is an important consideration and, as with most radiometric dating techniques, the mineral must have remained closed to U, Th, Pb, and all intermediate daughters. We show that dense calcite speleothems are ideal in this respect and that no loss of Rn has occurred. Unlike U-series disequilibrium methods, U-Pb dating has no upper limit and, hence, materials of Quaternary age older than 0.6 Ma can be analysed to investigate landscape development, paleoclimate, hominid evolution or hydrogeochemistry in carbonate terrains.