Cheddar is gorgeous (sorry)

When I was a really little kid my nan took me on a coach trip one summer holiday on Sheasby's coaches to Wells Cathedral and Cheddar Gorge. I remember practically nothing about the journey except trying to convince the coach driver that I wasn't a grockel (West Country slang for a tourist - it means 'cabbage' in Cornish) as I had Dorset blood and that my nan bought me a necklace with a Coke bottle pendant on it, of which I was inordinately proud and which inevitably turned my skin green. My mum went once in her pram and my dad went as a small kid too. Apart from these early trips none of us have been to the gorge. This is unsurprising, as it's only about 50 miles from our family haunts in Dorset but takes over two hours on the dreadful roads of the South West.

However, it's well worth the visit, if you can actually get to the gorge. Due to recent flooding the majority of the road is closed to traffic and there is simply a 'Road Closed' sign with no diversionary signs. Our sat nav was most perturbed.

The first place we visited was Gough's cave which was where the most complete Mesolithic human skeleton ever to be found in Britain was dug up in 1903. It also has great limestone cave features: loads of stalactites and stalagmites.











It also has some real cheddar cheese stored there to mature.




Alongside those limestone features that always make me think of dragons' innards







Afterwards we went to another cave: Cox's cave. This one also has lots of karst features alongside a faintly hilarious recreation of Lord of the Rings. The wraiths made me giggle but a falling portcullis made me almost jump out of my skin.







I also bought my right to a cream tea by climbing Jacob's Ladder to the top of the gorge: there were about 300 steps and I really felt the final 100. At the top was a lookout tower and I am so proud that I have conquered my fear of heights sufficiently to climb it and view the gorge and Somerset levels from on high.




View of Glastonbury Tor




The gorge itself






Afterwards we went to - where else - a cheddar cheese making dairy and tried the wares.











And the afternoon ended as all afternoons in the West Country should:




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