Cheddar Gorge

An enormous limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills AONB, Cheddar Gorge draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. There are numerous notable features of the gorge, particularly its towering cliff faces, incredible rock pinnacles and formations, and its exceptional views south across the flat Somerset Levels.

The gorge is also home to sprawling cave systems and a series of show caves. It's here that the remains of Britain's oldest complete skeleton were found, dating back 9,000 years and appropriately named, 'the Cheddar Man'.

There is also a herd of feral goats in the gorge, which can often be seen halfway up the cliffs or on the top of the eastern cliff, munching plants. Footpaths cover both clifftops and it's easy to explore the area in depth. The village of Cheddar lies at the southern end and has plenty of cafes, restaurants and attractions.

Parking can be a challenge in high season and on bank holidays, not because there's not much, but because it's such a popular place. Drive up the gorge to find more parking outside of the village.

Cheddar is a gorge lying on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. The maximum depth of the gorge is 137 m (449 ft), with a near-vertical cliff-face to the south, and steep grassy slopes to the north.

At almost 400ft (122m) deep and 3 miles long, this is England’s largest gorge, and with its weathered crags and pinnacles, one of our most spectacular natural sites. It plays host to a varied community of specialized plants and wildlife. It has been named the "Finest Example of a Limestone Gorge in Britain” by the British Geological Survey. It is one of the special qualities of the Mendip Hills Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Cheddar Gorge is Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for wildlife and geology, a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) with 5 sites of national archaeological importance designated within the Gorge