Cheddar Gorge
If you go down to the Mendip Hills today you’re sure of a big surprise... in the shape of England’s largest gorge. Jen and Sim Benson know the way!
One of the many wondrous things about great landscapes is their ability to surprise. And, tucked into a sleepy corner of Somerset, Cheddar surprises more than most. England’s largest gorge brings an unexpected level of drama to the gently rolling Mendip Hills, from whose grassy plateau a sheer limestone crag plummets 137m straight into the earth.
Gazing down into this unlikely void from the top of the hills makes you wonder how it’s so well hidden. The caves below the gorge have their own surprises too... Discovered here in 1903, Cheddar Man is Britain’s oldest complete human skeleton, thought to be at least 9000 years old.
The gorge and its surrounds are split into the much-commercialised southern half, owned by the Longleat Estate, and the wilder northern half, owned by the National Trust. The popular attractions of Gough’s Cave, Pavey’s Lookout Tower and Jacob’s Ladder all lie in the south, but to the north are by far the best bits for walking, with sweeping hilltop ridges, glorious views, verdant valleys and precipitous cliff edges all awaiting exploration. The area is rich in wildlife too – look out for rare creatures including dormice, yellow-necked mice and the large blue butterfly; wild birds from peregrine falcons to the grasshopper warbler; and the fascinating local flora, some of which – like the Cheddar pink – grow wild nowhere else in Britain.
The walk’s high point, also the summit of the Mendip Hills, is Beacon Batch at 325m. Schedule a stop here to take in the fine views out across the surrounding Somerset countryside and down to the twin lakes of the Chew Valley. The final miles follow the wonderfully named grassy valley of Velvet Bottom as it winds its way back towards the gorge.