Cheddar
A spectacular ravine, the Cheddar Gorge is one of the most famous and often-visited natural attractions in the UK , characterised by towering cliffs of weathered limestone and precariously-rooted bands of undergrowth. In addition to its famous gorge, the sprawling village of Cheddar is internationally renowned for its caves and its much admired cheese.
Beneath the gorge the Cheddar Caves were scooped out by underground rivers in the wake of the Ice Age, and subsequently occupied by primitive communities. Cheddar's two main show caverns are Gough's Cave and Cox's Cave, both worthy of a visit for their sheer scale and breathtaking calcite formations alone. The larger of the two is Gough's wherein is a sequence of chambers with names such as Solomon's Temple, Aladdin's Cave and Swiss Village, all arrayed with tortuous rock formations that resemble organ pipes, waterfalls and giant birds. Cox's Cave contains floodlighting picking out subtle pinks, greys, greens and whites in the rock as well as a set of lime blocks known as the Bells, which produce a range of tones when struck. The spectacular Crystal Quest is a big favourite with visitors as high-tech light and laser shows are played onto gushing waterfalls to striking effect.
In 1903, an almost complete skeleton dubbed ‘Cheddar Man' was discovered in Gough's Cave. These remains are now on display in a nearby museum along with further evidence of human occupation of the caves, including flint and bone tools dating from the Iron Age and the Romano-British period. From a starting point lower down the hill, the 322 steps of Jacob's Ladder wind-up the side of the gorge toward the site of Pavey's Lookout Tower , a novel vantage point offering a magnificent panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.
Standing at the centre of the old part of Cheddar village is an unusual market cross, in reality two crosses in one; a hexagonal superstructure was added to the original 15th cent. preaching cross about a century later. The Gardener's Arms is a traditional 16th cent. country inn, believed to be the oldest drinking house in Somerset ; it is situated to the north of town near the famous caves yet well away from the busy tourist trail.
The term ‘Cheddar Cheese' refers to a recipe developed in the mid 19th cent by Joseph Harding, a farmer and pioneer food scientist from near Bath who made the first scientific investigation into cheese-making. As the name refers to a recipe and not to the place, the cheese can be produced anywhere in the world; however, it is in North Somerset where we find the majority of cheese manufacturers, varying in size from single farmhouses to large-scale dairies, producing the world famous Cheddar Cheese. Local legend has it that cheese was discovered accidentally when a milkmaid left a pail of milk in the nearby caves, only to return later and discover that the milk had turned into a new and very tasty substance. The Cheddar Valley has been home to cheese making for over 800 years, and in the past local caves would be used to store cheese because of their constant cool temperature. Cheddar Gorge Cheese has found its way to many of the country's finest hotels, including Harrod's, The Savoy Hotel and even Buckingham Palace itself
The Cheddar Gorge Cheese Co encompasses several attractions in one, a village that includes a wealth of working craftspeople under one roof. Apart from the opportunity to sample and see cheese-making, visitors can also enjoy fudge-making demonstrations, try their hand at a potter's wheel, see lace and candle-makers plying their traditional trades and much, much more.