Cheddar Gorge is a picture perfect gorge nestled in the heart of the Somerset countryside that has been attracting visitors for centuries. People flock to the area to see this ancient natural wonder, marvel at the caves, take a tour of the village and see where Cheddar Cheese actually came from.
One of the most popular activities at Cheddar is to drive along the winding road that makes its way through the limestone gorge, which creates one of the most amazing drives in the country. The cliffs of the gorge can reach a height of 500 feet making them the highest inland cliffs in the country. The view from the road is fantastic and the views from the cliff path that runs along the top should not be missed either.
For those who prefer a more leisurely view of the gorge, then a tour on the open top bus is a great idea. The bus will take you up a dry prehistoric river bed, past mill ponds fed by underground rivers, through the famous Horseshoe Bend and beneath The Pinnacles, which are three fingers of rock that reach 450 feet up in to the air. Knowledgeable guides will point out spectacular sights and give fascinating facts as you make your way through the gorge providing you with an amazing insight into the 300 million year old natural wonder.
Cheddar Gorge is home to a number of fascinating caves with Gough's Cave and Cox's Cave amongst the most popular. Gough's Cave is regarded by some as the most beautiful cave in all of Britain. The multi-level phreatic caves were created between 500,000 and 15,000 years ago. The caves has been a home to people since the Stone Age and Cheddars most famous resident, Cheddar Man was buried here 9,000 BP, he is the oldest complete skeleton to be found in Britain and DNA test have proved that some of his descendants still live in Cheddar. Cox's Cave looks magical with its mirrored pools and colourful calcite formations. The cave has such a mystical feel that there is a special Crystal Quest taking you to a fantasy world of magic and adventure.
One of the best ways to reach the top of the gorge is to climb Jacob's Ladder, fear not though it isn't an actual ladder it is the name give to the 274 steps that lead up the side of the gorge. Once you have climbed all 274 steps you will find the look out tower offering some amazing views of the gorge and surrounding area.
This article was written by Thom Sanders on behalf of Bailbrook Lodge providing Bath Bed and Breakfast ideal for a Short Breaks in Bath.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thom_Sanders
This video was awarded a diploma at Festival of Dokumentary Film "Camera 300" in Macedonia, November 2009 and was shown at the festival.
Cheddar Gorge is a limestone gorge in the United Kingdom, near the village of Cheddar in the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in 1903.
Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,00013,000 years ago) have been found. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites.
Cheddar Gorge, including the caves and other attractions (village stores and stalls etc), has become a tourist destination. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, following its appearance on the 2005 television programme Seven Natural Wonders, Cheddar Gorge was named as the second greatest natural wonder in Britain, surpassed only by Dan yr Ogof caves. The gorge attracts about 500,000 visitors per year.
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