Visit Cheddar, Somerset Places

Welcome to Visit Cheddar, Somerset Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Cheddar, Somerset

  

Cheddar, Somerset Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Cheddar, Somerset

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Cheddar, Somerset history

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Britain’s oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in Cheddar Gorge in 1903. The name Cheddar comes from the Old English word ceodor, meaning deep dark cavity or pouch. The village of Cheddar had been important during the Roman and Saxon eras. There was a royal palace at Cheddar during the Saxon period.

Cheddar, Somerset landmarks

The market cross in Bath Street dates from the 15th century, with the shelter having been rebuilt in 1834. It has a central octagonal pier, a socket raised on four steps, a hexagonal shelter with six arched four-centred openings. The shaft is crowned by an abacus with figures in niches, although the cross is now missing.

Cheddar, Somerset geography / climate

The area is underlain by Black Rock slate, Burrington Oolite and Clifton Down Limestone of the Carboniferous Limestone Series. Evidence for Variscan orogeny is seen in the sheared rock and cleaved shales.

Gorge and caves

Cheddar Gorge is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar Caves, where Cheddar Man was found in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. The caves contain stalactites and stalagmites.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

There are several large and unique Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) around the village. Cheddar Reservoir is a near-circular artificial reservoir operated by Bristol Water. The reservoir is supplied with water taken from the Cheddar Yeo, which rises in Gough’s Cave in Cheddar Gorge and is a tributary of the River Axe.

Quarries

Batts Combe quarry and Callow Rock quarry are two of the active Quarries of the Mendip Hills. The limestone at this site is close to 99 percent carbonate of calcium and magnesium (dolomite)

Climate

Cheddar has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F) The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds.

You can visit Cheddar, Somerset places with Walkfo Cheddar, Somerset to hear history at Cheddar, Somerset’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Cheddar, Somerset has 32 places to visit in our interactive Cheddar, Somerset map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Cheddar, Somerset, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Cheddar, Somerset places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Cheddar, Somerset & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 32 audio facts unique to Cheddar, Somerset places in an interactive Cheddar, Somerset map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Cheddar, Somerset Places Map
32 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Cheddar, Somerset historic spots	Cheddar, Somerset tourist destinations	Cheddar, Somerset plaques	Cheddar, Somerset geographic features
Walkfo Cheddar, Somerset tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Cheddar, Somerset

  

Best Cheddar, Somerset places to visit

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Cheddar, Somerset has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Cheddar, Somerset’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Cheddar, Somerset’s information audio spots:

Cheddar A.F.C. Cheddar Association Football Club is a football club based in Cheddar, near Wells in Somerset. They are currently members of the Western League Division One and play at Bowdens Park.

Cheddar Palace The Cheddar Palace was established in the 9th century in Cheddar, Somerset. It was a royal hunting lodge in the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods. Nearby are the ruins of the 14th-century St Columbanus Chapel. Roman artifacts and a burial have also been discovered.

Market Cross, Cheddar Cheddar Market Cross in the village of Cheddar within the English county of Somerset dates from the 15th century. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and Grade II* listed building. It has been restored and rebuilt several times, including twice since 2000 when it has been damaged in traffic accidents.

Cheddar Complex The Cheddar Complex is a 441.3 hectare (1090.5 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Cheddar around the Cheddar Gorge and north east to Charterhouse in the Mendip Hills, Somerset. It is part owned by the National Trust, commercial landowners including the Marquess of Bath’s Longleat Estate.

Gough’s Cave Gough’s Cave is 115 m (377 ft) deep and is 3.405 km (2.12 mi) long. It contains the Cheddar Yeo, the largest underground river system in Britain.

Charterhouse Cave Charterhouse Cave, on the Mendip Hills in Somerset, is the deepest cave in southern England. The cave is located in a valley known as Charterhouse House in south-west Somerset.

GB Cave GB Cave is a cave between Charterhouse and Shipham in the Mendip Hills, in Somerset. The cave was first entered on 19 November 1939, after ten months of digging, by the University of Bristol Spelæological Society. The entrance to the cave is kept locked, and access is controlled by the Charterhouse Caving Company.

Cheddar Reservoir Cheddar Reservoir is an artificial reservoir in Somerset, England, operated by Bristol Water. Dating from the 1930s it has a capacity of 1350 million gallons (6,140,000 cubic metres) It is supplied with water taken from the Cheddar Yeo river in Cheddar Gorge.

Cheddar Ales Cheddar Ales is an independent, artisanal brewery located in the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England. Head brewer Jem Ham previously worked 15 years at another local brewery before going out on his own.

Visit Cheddar, Somerset plaques