Cheddar sits at the foot of the most dramatic limestone gorge in England — a 137-metre-deep canyon cut through the Mendip plateau. Above the gorge, the Mendip plateau opens into wide, windswept walking country with far-reaching views.

A busy tourist village at the gorge entrance, Cheddar is best used as a base for the Mendip plateau. The gorge rim walk is one of the finest short routes in the south-west.