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Cheddar Gorge

I seem to remember that the first time I went to Cheddar Gorge it was on a school trip. Dark caves, scary stories and an over active imagination must have assured it was quite an adventure at the time. Anyway I visited there recently and while most of it seems to be the same as I remember I did look at the place through different eyes. The caves are just as impressive, although this time I was more interested in the geology and a little less worried about the monsters I once believed lived there.

Cheddar Gorge has most of the things that you would expect form a good tourist destination. Easy access, good parking, good food and plenty to see and do. The main attraction must be Gough’s cave and Cox’s cave. The most impressive one is Gough’s cave. It is said that people were living inside the cave some 40,000 years ago and there is a human skeleton inside the cave which has been there some 9,000 years.

There is an open-top Tour Bus ride, which takes in the local places of importance and interest. If you are looking for something a little more strenuous there are plenty of walks. And if you want something exciting there is climbing, caving and abseiling. Like I’ve already said there is plenty of places to eat and I found a café that served the best fried breakfast I have ever seen or eaten. I can’t remember the name of the café but I can remember that it was a young couple running it. They hadn’t been there long and they were hoping that their business was going to be a success as they really enjoyed living in Cheddar.

There is a very picturesque river running along side the main road and it runs down to the little shopping area. There is a good selection of shops selling all kinds of goods. It is easy to while away a few enjoyable hours in the shops. All in all I think that Cheddar is a good day out.