Caves are slimy, wet, cold, dark and weirdly shaped and yet they can be so delicate, graceful and enchanting, it’s a bit puzzling! The Cheddar caves are a magnificent example of this and are in my opinion one of UK natural gems.
There are 2 caves which are different but equally stunning, the Cox’s and the Gough’s caves. The Cox’s cave is the smallest with a big concentration of stalactites, stalagmites and other geological curiosities when the Gough’s cave is much bigger, more complicated but also has more of the masterpieces like the so-called Saint Paul Cathedral.
The downside of the place is that it is run as a tourist attraction, full mode… There is for example a ‘crystal quest’ in the Cox’s cave, a bus to drive you up the street when it’s really not that far, shops & coffee shops lined up, expensive entrance fees, queues and so forth… The gorge is protected by the UK National Trust but it seems that they do not manage the caves which is probably too bad.
But please don’t let this put you off. If you walk into the caves with the wish to see the beauty beyond the tacky installations, you will not be disappointed.
Cheddar Gorge Village
The Cox’s Cave
The Cox’s Cave
The Gough’s cave
Saint Paul’s Cathedrale
The Gough’s cave
The Gough’s cave
Cheddar George
Just a lovely drive leaving the Cheddar Gorge
The technical bits:
The Cheddar Gorge are located near the town of Cheddar which is very close to Bristol in Somerset (South West of England).
Yes, Cheddar is the home of the cheddar cheese. You can still see and actually smell some cheese maturing in the Gough’s cave!
Official website:
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cheddar-gorge/
A lovely way to spend the week-end away from the hustle of London. Take the train from London to Bristol, rent a Zipcar car, drive to the Cheddar Gorge, then continue to Glastonbury and head to Bath to spend the night and relax on Sunday before heading home!
The image below is my favorite picture from the caves. If you like it as much as I do and would like a print, head over to Society6!
You can find my profile here: http://society6.com/misscoco
If you don’t know Society6, let me tell you it’s quite a wonderful place where you can find lots of arts and goodies from prints to phone cases, card, clocks and tote bags amongst other things.
If you’re interested but can’t find what you are looking for, just ask me and i’ll see if I can make it available for you.
