Cheddar Caves & Gorge

Cheddar Gorge, a place of wild and rugged beauty, is a karst limestone and calcareous grassland nature reserve and home to many rare plants and animals, including endangered Greater Horseshoe bats. Cheddar Caves, inhabited by our ancestors up to 40,000 years ago, were discovered by Messrs Gough & Cox, enterprising Victorian showmen, and are world famous for their spectacular stalactite and stalagmite decorations, whose beautiful colours are mirrored in pools of water. Easy-to-use audio-guides in English, French and German tell the story of the caves’ formation and discovery. These caves also fired the imagination of JRR Tolkien, author of the trilogy “Lord of the Rings”, on his honeymoon visit in 1916. “The Crystal Quest”, our own dark-walk fantasy adventure, creates a similar world of elven magic and bold adventure underground – because everyone knows that dragons live in caves…..

Our new museum of pre-history, “Cheddar Man & the Cannibals”, explores 40,000 years of British pre-history, with demonstrations of Stone Age survival skills and beautiful cave art. But can you face the truth about why our Homo-sapiens ancestors, throughout the world for most of pre-history, were cannibals? From April to September, an open-top double-decker bus takes you on a sightseeing tour through Cheddar Gorge, beneath rocky pinnacles rising sheer above you, the home of the Peregrine falcons. There are 274 steps to reach a lookout tower for stunning views of this limestone countryside, then a 3-mile cliff-top walk right around Britain’s biggest gorge, climbing 400 ft above the road, through this internationally important nature reserve.

All these attractions are included in your “Caves & Gorge Explorer Ticket”; so allow at least 4 hours to fit everything in.

For more adventurous thrill-seekers, who are looking for high adrenaline action, try our Rock Sport Outdoor Pursuits. Adventure Caving Expeditions or Climbing & Abseiling 1 ½ hour sessions, with all equipment provided, led by qualified sports instructors, take place daily on our well-equipped, well-maintained sites registered with the National Adventure Activities Licensing Authority. Minimum age 11 years and minimum height 4’8”. We recommend that you book in advance to avoid disappointment.