Shepherd's huts near Cheddar

You don’t have to use too much imagination to think of the most popular things to do in Cheddar.

• Firstly, there’s saying “cheese” at the gorge, and then there’s gorging yourself on cheese! A ticket to visit the Cheddar Gorge tourist attraction includes entrance to a three-mile cliff-top walk around the top of the gorge; the Museum of Prehistory; and Gough’s Cave, where Cheddar Man, the oldest complete skeleton in Britain was discovered. The soaring Cheddar Gorge walls reach 400 feet in places, and the show caves are just a taste of what lies beneath the Mendips, making climbing and caving popular activities here.
• In the village of Cheddar, at the lower end of the gorge, the Cheddar Gorge Company shares information about the cheese-making process for Britain’s best-loved cheese.
• Walking, cycling, and horse riding are good ways to enjoy the landscape and terrain.
• Another show cave and more family-friendly attractions can be found at nearby Wookey Hole.
• Further afield, Wells, Glastonbury, Longleat Safari Park, and Bath are all within an hour’s drive and easily visited on days out during a camping holiday in Cheddar.

Cheddar is right on the edge of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), a range of limestone hills in Somerset’s northeast. Hidden within the hills are deep gorges, rocky outcrops, and the pretty lakes of the Chew Valley. Cheddar is a good camping base for checking out the AONB, or there are camping, glamping, and caravan sites dotted around the Mendip Hills, although wild camping isn’t allowed.

Southwest of Cheddar lies England’s first AONB, Quantock Hills, a relatively small area of heath, woodlands, parklands, and agricultural land. Campers staying in Cheddar can easily visit the Quantock Hills on a day trip for hiking, cycling, and wildlife-viewing adventures. There are also many campsites at the base of the hills that allow visitors to access the AONB on foot or by bike.