Cheddar Gorge — Attraction in Cheddar

Cheddar Gorge is an absolute gem of a village in the middle of the Somerset countryside. Stunning views and a fantastic drive through the gorge. Parking is ample with free spaces deeper into the gorge although the parking charges are fairly reasonable close to the main village, if a little awkward to pay (there are cash only parking meters but if you wish to pay on the mobile app beware as the mobile network is non existent and you will need to sort at the information centre or guest services)

Walking along the main road you will find a selection of gift shops, boutiques, sweet shops and restaurants / coffee shops - all free of charge to visit and perfect for buying gifts for those back at home. The real attraction lies with the caves. Goughs Cave is by the far the largest, and to walk through this is a must. The audio tour is brilliant and provides a complete history of the discovery and development of the cave system. Cox's cave is a little further down the gorge and is a much smaller cave that tells the story of mans development through the ancient times with a holographic show projected onto the walls of the cave. The tour takes around 20 minutes and can be a little intimidating to smaller children and would not be recommended to those with claustrophobia as the tunnels do become very narrow.

After exciting Cox's cave you can take the 274 steps of Jacob's ladder which provides an amazing view of the gorge, road and surrounding areas. Unfortunately we ran short of time and so did not take the gorge walk which takes around 3 hours.

I would recommend if you staying in the area and have a full day to spare that you take a trip here and prepare to be left in awe, this place has been on our wish list of places to visit for some time and it did not...

The cheddar gorge is absolutely beautiful. During our one week stay in Somerset we visited the cheddar gorse 3 times. There is plenty of car parks that are chargeable between 9am-5pm everyday including bank holidays by the gorge and a car park in the village which is in operation until 9pm. We actually visited after 5 as it was quieter and plenty of free parking. A lot of people also come here for rock climbing. If you plan to do the cliff top hike, there are a few routes. If you start from Jacobs ladder you will need to pay for this which is included in the price of the cheddar cave ticket at £20.95 per adult and £15.70 per child. It is a very steep climb. (To come down via the Jacobs ladder is free) But if you are not planning on visiting the cave you can actually walk up via a side road called the lippiatt which is a side road with edelweiss cafe on the corner. Turn left on lynch lane and this will take you on a gradular slope up to the cliff top. There is also a lookout tower which is free but it was closed when we arrived after 7pm. (The caves close at 5 so I believe the lookout tower also closes at this time) Once you get to the top enjoy and take in the lovely views, but beware on windy days to not stand too close to the cliff edge. Please do wear comfortable walking shoes. The path can be very slippery if wet with lots of loose pebbles and sharp rock. Also plenty of mountain goats around. The clifftop walk I would say is of an intermediate level hike. But some can find it very challenging. We spent quite some time taking photos and enjoying the scenery so we didn't do the full cliff top circular walk as the sun was setting but have heard the circular clifftop walk takes...

Last visited Cheddar Gorge about 8 years ago loved it then and still love it now. Finally plucked up the courage to go up Jacobs Ladder despite asthma, fear of heights and a arthritic knee I'm so glad I did ( yes even with the burning lungs half way up) the views are spectacular. Once down we made our way into Cox's cave it was very well thought out with just your group standing on a mat with pressure points underneath that started the film which are projected onto the cave walls, once the film ended you followed the running man into the next section which the group before you had just left. This meant you were only with the people who you were travelling with, excellent idea in these covid risk times, that is until the group behind you get scared and come through into your part while beating a hasty retreat and scare the life out of you, at least it made the 10 & 11 year old I was travelling with giggle because the scared ones were all adults. We next visited Goughs cave where we were given age appropriate audio guides this meant you could go round at your own leisure, I have been in here before but it is still fascinating. After a spot of lunch in the tea rooms opposite we headed into the prehistoric museum although informative with lots of pictures and written information this has very little hands on for excited children. The independent shops are great for gifts and plenty of eateries for all tastes. Overall it was a wonderful day and I will definitely be back. Very popular with bikers (pedal and motor) so if you want to whizz through (don't know why you would) don't visit...