Your ultimate guide to Cheddar Gorge walks

Rugged and incredibly beautiful, Cheddar Gorge in Somerset is Britain’s largest gorge and measures around 450 feet in depth and 3 miles long. Well known for its rock climbing potential, the landscape is also ideal for walking. Various breathtaking routes will suit everyone from keen outdoor enthusiasts to those just out for a relaxing stroll in pretty surroundings.

Here's our guide to some of the best Cheddar Gorge walks.

Walks with exceptional views

It’s hard to beat the magnificent views from the cliff tops of the gorge. Starting from Cheddar Village you can take a National Trust walk up along the cliff tops. This walk is the classic gorge walk, about 4 miles long and of moderate difficulty.

On your way you will pass the Lookout Tower which offers impressive views of the surrounding area if you climb to the top. The walk also provides an opportunity to spot some local wildlife if you’re lucky, such as dormice, newts, bats, water voles, peregrine falcons and goats.

The route does get steep in places, so you may want to rest along the way with a picnic while you drink up the views.

If your party has inexperienced walkers or young children in it, instead of walking all the way round the gorge you could choose to do part of the route and then head back down. You can also take gentle strolls around the village of Cheddar which gave its name to cheddar cheese (which you should definitely try while you are here!).

A tougher route that will reward you with spectacular views for your efforts, is the 7 mile Cheddar Valley Railway Walk. This walk takes in lots of interesting sights and views, including an old railway tunnel, and views across the Somerset Levels and down to the Bristol Channel.

Another option if you are feeling energetic is to see how quick you can climb the 274 steps up Jacob's Ladder to the lookout tower. It's another 48 steps to the top of the tower if you can bear it!

There are several pushchair and wheelchair friendly walks in the area too. The walk to Black Rock lime kiln is suitable for everyone and just 1 mile long. This route can be continued on through the Velvet Bottom Nature Reserve to Charterhouse where you can enjoy a nice tea. There is also a great walk around Cheddar Reservoir that is easy for all and offers good picnic spots.

Be awed underground

Even if the sound of exploring caverns doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you’ll be glad you caved in and agreed to a wander through the Cheddar Gorge Caves. There are two caves open to the public within the gorge. Gough’s Cave is a stunning stalactite cavern where Britain’s oldest skeleton known as Cheddar Man was discovered. The audio guides for the cave will entertain and educate all visitors.

Cox’s Cave offers superb calcite sculptures, mirror pools and fountains, as well as enchanting music and colourful lighting. The cave also links to the Crystal Quest attraction which offers fantasy fun that all the family can get involved in.

Ticket prices and other attractions

Cheddar Gorge is private land but can be explored at your leisure with a Gorge and Caves day ticket which costs around £16 for adults and £10 for children aged 5 to 15 when bought online, with kids under 5 getting free entry. The gorge and caves are open every day except 24 December and 25 December.

There are shops to browse and refreshments to enjoy if all of the walking and exploring has given you an appetite.

The Museum of Prehistory is also excellent for discovering the history of Cheddar Gorge and offers fun hands-on activities and demonstrations for kids as well as diverse attractions that will keep adults entertained too.

Gorge yourself on amazing views and wonderful attractions

The beautiful Cheddar Gorge and its associated attractions provide a brilliant day of fun for younger and older visitors. Whether you’re keen to try the cliff-top walk or prefer to meander through the village of Cheddar and to stroll through the base of the gorge to the caves, you won’t be disappointed by this striking natural feature.