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Cheddar Gorge & Wells, Somerset 5th - 7th February 2010 [1] |
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This was, to my knowledge at least, the first visit of our hiking club to Cheddar Gorge. It was the first walk of the 2010 season and a month before my much-anticipated departure to South America and my Patagonian adventure - in fact I had soon acquired the nom de plume of Patagonian Pete, courtesy of John Adams, the rascal, who had another trick up his sleeve. The hostel itself, allied to the YHA, is located in the heart of the town of Cheddar, between the A371 and B3135. It is compact, well-equipped, as well as being neat and tidy. The room allocation was organised as follows: |
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Since the hostel was located in the residential area of Cheddar, this requires navigation through part of the town in order to reach the start of the Cheddar Gorge walk, passing the Riverside Inn and Restaurant up to the car park located on the left-hand side, at the base of the road cutting through the gorge, along The Cliffs (on the B3135). This is where, on the opposite side of the road, a stairway known as Jacob's Ladder leads off to the right, joining a path running along the southern side of the gorge. At the top of Jacob's Ladder is an iron lookout tower, with 48 steps leading to a circular viewing platform. Here we found a couple of feral goats, having been introduced for the purposes of conservation grazing, to control the spread of undesirable scrub. When feral goats reach large populations in habitats which are not adapted to them, they may become an invasive species with serious negative effects, such as removing native scrub, trees and other vegetation. From here the path continues along what is known as the West Mendip Way, reaching the B3135 at the top of the gorge at Black Rock, near a small car park. Crossing the road, a distinctive track cuts through woods in Black rock Nature Reserve, reaching a disused quarry. |
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Here we stopped for a tea break though temperatures seemed to have dropped and I was certainly beginning to feel colder. Further along, the forest gave way to rolling hills, wetlands and grassland. Instead of turning west along the West Mendip Way, we continued straight on. This was Blackmoor Reserve, a landscape altered by lead mining during the industrial age, now being reclaimed by nature. Long before the arrival of the Roman Legions in Britain, the ancient Britons discovered lead within the Mendip hills. It was close to the surface making it easy to get at with hand tools. Lead mining continued with the Romans and the Victorians reworking the site. As new technologies developed, the slag heaps could be worked again. This was truly an industrial landscape with many workers, even children, buildings and chimneys, clouds of smoke, a light railway and horses with carts taking the lead to Bristol for sale. Lead from Mendip has been found as fishing weights in medieval villages on the Somerset levels. All that is left of nearly 2000 years of mining history, remains locked into the landscape. |
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Crossing the wetlands shrouded in mist, I stopped to remove a fleece from my rucksack so as to apply another layer of clothing. It was then that I noticed a few stones in the pack, realising instantly that they had obviously been placed their deliberately by someone. John Adams owned up later as the guilty party, justifying his actions by saying that I needed them to improve my fitness levels for my forth coming Patagonian trip. Passing between Manor and Warren Farms close to Charterhouse, a hamlet in the Mendip Hills AONB, we reached a road very close to a Roman fort. Turning west, we continued on across the muddy landscape until we reached the pine forest plantations at Rowberrow Warren, just east of Shipham. Passing through the plantation, we turned south-east and emerged along a path near Tynings Farm. from here we walked along a minor road for a while, passing Ashridge Farm in the process. The road reached a dead-end and we found ourselves on a path once more that lead us directly back into the town of Cheddar. |
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In the evening, we headed off to a pub in Cheddar for dinner. This may have been at the Kings Head in Silver Street, though I do not recall the event. On the way back on the Sunday, I paid a visit to Wells and its splendid Cathedral, where I met before passing by Stonehenge, which I had never seen before. It was a splendid weekend though I would not describe the walk as being particularly challenging or spectacular, however, there is sufficient of interest in Cheddar to warrant revisiting again one day, particularly with a view to exploring the caves. |
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Links to other websites: Cheddar Gorge hostel - webpage Mendip Hills AONB - website Cheddar village - website Cheddar Gorge cheese - a website Cheddar Gorge and Wookey Hole, home of spooks, cannibals and witches - website Sacred destinations: Wells Cathedral - webpage |