A natural wonder

CHEDDAR is unique, with its distinguishing feature the natural phenomenon of Britain’s largest gorge.

The stunning gorge is a beautiful natural creation meandering down from the top of the Mendip Hills for about two miles, with numerous footpaths giving keen walkers and ramblers the chance to explore its every detail.

A variety of wild plants can be discovered growing throughout the gorge and you may even find the rare Cheddar Pink. With its fragrant flowers, it is unique to the area.

Cheddar is also home to two famous underground cavern complexes - Gough’s Cave and Cox’s Cave. Both are dramatic and beautiful, but very different.

Gough’s Cave has a quarter mile of cathedral-like caverns, carved out over a million years by ice age meltwaters. It leads to the magnificent diamond chamber and Solomon’s temple.

In 1903 ‘Cheddar Man’ was discovered in the cave. Britain’s oldest complete skeleton, it was buried there 9,000 years ago.

The Crystal Quest, a dark-walk fantasy adventure full of wizards, goblins, fairy princess and a smoke-breathing dragon was created in the cave 100 years ago.

Cox’s Cave is smaller and is beautifully coloured with narrow passages winding between calcite formations and magical mirror pools. The stunning image has been sculpted by nature over a million years.

Between March and October you can take a Gorge Tour on an open top bus, accompanied by a guide and narrator. You can also see traditional Cheddar cheese being made in the premises of the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company. For those with a sweet tooth there is a confectionery factory where visitors can watch sweets being made and then choose from the variety of tasty treats on offer.

The gorge itself is home to a variety of individual shops selling trinkets, souvenirs, crafts and Somerset cider. Cheddar has many restaurants, pubs and cafes offering a range of food from traditional English fare to Oriental cuisine. There is also a leisure centre, riding stables, fishing and golf.

What more can you ask for in a day out?

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