6 ideas for Mendip walks you'll love

The Mendip Hills is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty located in Somerset. The region offers some of the best walking opportunities in the country, with a variety of beautiful landscapes and incredible sights to see along the way. The 6 Mendip walks below each include fantastic sights that should not be missed during your explorations of this gorgeous area.

Cheddar Gorge

Cheddar Gorge is the biggest gorge in England and this beautiful natural landscape is an ideal place for exploring on foot. There is an excellent 5-mile (8-kilometre) walk which takes you up over the top of the gorge and offers some spectacular views of the surrounding area. The walk is moderate in terms of difficulty and includes some steep climbs. It follows designated footpaths, taking about two hours to complete.

The Wookey Hole Caves and Ebbor Gorge

If you’re eager for a good dose of myth in your Mendip walk then make sure to include a trip to the Wookey Hole Caves in your rambles. These magnificent show caves were reputed to be the home of the Wookey Hole Witch and archaeological finds confirm that humans and animals have lived in and near to the caves for many thousands of years.

The Ebbor Gorge and Wookey Hole walk is a great way to visit the caves as well as the gorgeous Ebbor Gorge which is a national nature reserve. The moderately difficult walk is just under 6 miles long and takes around two hours to finish.

Glastonbury Tor

Fancy an easy stroll that offers amazing views and the chance to visit an iconic landmark? Then a leisurely walk to Glastonbury Tor is an excellent means of enjoying both.

The 2.5 mile long walk begins in the town of Glastonbury and leads to the top of Glastonbury Tor which is regarded as one of the country’s most spiritual locations. At the top you will be greeted with wonderful panoramic views as well as the chance to explore the remains of a church tower dating from the 15th century. Either before or after the walk ramblers may also want to visit Glastonbury Abbey which, according to legend, is the burial place of King Arthur. 

Wells City Walk

The charming city of Wells is the smallest city in England and it boasts a great range of historic and architectural attractions. One of the most famous of these attractions is the stunning Wells Cathedral which is a sight not to be missed during a visit to the city.
The Wells city stroll is an excellent way to discover the delights of this city courtesy of an easy 1.5-mile walk that takes in a number of architectural and historical highlights, including the cathedral.

Black Down

If reaching the highest point in the Mendip Hills sounds like an appealing adventure then point your boots in the direction of Black Down. Not only does the walk to Black Down provide the chance to see striking heathland first-hand but it also offers several other enticing sights for walkers. Keep an eye out for a variety of animals including Exmoor ponies, Devon Ruby Red cattle and several species of birds.

The top of Black Down is known as Beacon Batch and Bronze Age burial mounds can be found here. A bombing decoy town was set up on Black Down during WWII and walkers will be able to see tumps (which are small mounds) that were used to stop enemy aircraft landing here. The walking grade is moderate and the route is 5 miles long, taking around 2 hours to 2.5 hours to complete.

Blagdon Lake

Despite looking and sounding like a lake, Blagdon Lake is actually a 19th century reservoir. Blagdon has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and today provides a home to a range of wildlife including fish, insects and birds.
The shoreline incorporates a number of different landscapes such as grassland, reed beds, bays and wet woodland and the easy 2.5-mile (4-kilometre) Blagdon Lake walk is a great way to explore them.

Superb sights to see in stunning Somerset

The Mendip walks above all take in spectacular sights and enable explorers of all ages and experience levels to discover this wonderful region on foot. Boasting a mix of natural, historic and cultural attractions, walkers won’t be short of intriguing and enticing sights to see during their rambles.