Cheddar Gorge is an underrated location in England, and I didn’t know it existed 2 hours before exploring it. I’m definitely glad I found out about it, because it is stunning!

Let’s see why you should visit.

 

explore england uk - cheddar gorge

 

Here’s everything we’ll cover: simply click on any part to skip straight to it.

 

Where is Cheddar Gorge?

Interesting Facts

Exploring Cheddar Gorge

Visiting the Cheddar Gorge Caves

How to get to the gorge?

Tips for your visit

 

Where is Cheddar Gorge?

Cheddar Gorge is located in Somerset, a county in South West England.

 

 

It’s a short 40 minutes drive from Bristol, so it’s definitely a good spot to explore if you’re staying there or if you’re doing a UK road trip in this area.

I drove to it from the Jurassic Coast, it took me around 2 hours.

 

cheddar gorge full view

 

Interesting Facts

I personally love learning a few quick & interesting facts about a location before visiting it. So here are some interesting Cheddar Gorge facts for you:

  • the gorge is made of limestone
  • The gorge max. depth is 137 meters (449 feet)
  • Cheddar Gorge was formed around 1,2 million years ago

 

cheddar gorge england

 

  • it’s the largest gorge in the UK
  • Britain’s oldest complete human skeleton was discovered in Cheddar Gorge Caves in 1903. Cheddar Man is around 9,000 years old

Alright, now that you know more about Cheddar Gorge, let’s explore it together!

 

Exploring Cheddar Gorge

When we were driving towards Cheddar Gorge, I remember thinking “this doesn’t look anything like a gorge”. The scenery around the area is the same English countryside that you see everywhere in the country, big open fields. I couldn’t image a big gorge suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

But this is precisely what happened. As you’re driving, the landscape abruptly changes, and you’re surrounded by huge walls.

 

cheddar gorge imposing cliffs

 

Can you spot the car on the image above? Yep, this place is massive!

Driving in the gorge is absolutely epic, and it’s such a stark change from everything else in England.

 

cheddar gorge s curve

 

The main thing to do in Cheddar is driving through the gorge, and it’s free, so enjoy it! However, you can also experience the gorge by walking in it, and on top of it!

 

running in cheddar gorge

 

There are several parking spots along the road, within the gorge, made to allow drivers to pull over, and enjoy the breathtaking scenery around them.

You can see 2 of the parking lots in the picture below: one in the foreground, and one in the back at the end of the road:

 

cheddar gorge and cheddar gorge village

 

Hiking Cheddar Gorge

If you want to experience the gorge from a different perspective, you can fly your drone (that’s what I did), or you can climb it (yes climbing Cheddar Gorge is very popular). But don’t worry, you can also hike to the top!

The Cheddar Gorge hike is free, as long as you don’t climb Jacob’s Ladder. The views you get from the top are stunning.

To hike on top of the gorge, simply follow the map below:

 

 

Park your car in designated parking spot, and take the Cheddar Gorge Walk Path.

Walking along the edge, all the way to Cheddar village below will take you around 30 minutes. Then, you can return to your car by walking inside the gorge; that way, you will also experience the gorge from below.

 

cheddar gorge hike

 

Or you can simply go back from where you came from if you’d rather stay above the gorge.

 

If you’re looking for other stunning hikes in England, check out the following guides:

Hike from Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove

Hiking Worbarrow Bay

 

Visiting the Cheddar Gorge Caves

Unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to visit the caves, as I did a quick stop to Cheddar Gorge while on my way to Bristol Airport from the Jurassic Coast.

If you have time, you can also visit Cheddar Gorge Caves: a big cave with different chambers, formed more than 500,000 years ago.

 

cheddar gorge caves

The caves in Cheddar Gorge Caves are among the finest of the country, and are worth a visit. Gough’s cave, one of the many caves, is the largest and most impressive.

You can also visit St Paul’s Cathedral, chambers of cave with crazy rock formation, or Solomon’s Temple, another chamber with huge spires.

Finally, the caves are used to store the famous Cheddar cheese, and you’ll see plenty of cheeses on shelves in the car.

 

How to Get to Cheddar Gorge

You have several options to reach it.

 

cheddar gorge planet mars

 

By car

Cheddar Gorge is close to Bristol. If you’re coming from there, take the A38 for about 40 minutes and you’ll reach the Gorge.

From London, it’s a 2h45 drive.

 

By train

You’ll need to reach Bristol first. Take the train to Bristol, then take the train in Temple Meads to Weston-super-Mare.

From Weston-super-Mare, take FIRST Bus 126 (or bus 826 on Sundays) to Cheddar. This takes around 45 minutes.

 

 

Tips for your visit

To help you make the most out of your visit, here are a few tips:

  • wear proper shoes if you plan to hike on top of the gorge
  • hike for free by following the map above
  • don’t stop in the middle of the gorge with your car
  • use designated spots to stop
  • watch out for other drivers, people often get distracted by the view

 

I hope this guide helped you plan your trip, or add this spot to your list of things to see in England!

If you have any questions, simply ask me in the comments below.