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Home , Blagdon Lake, Bleadon, Bleadon Hill, Burrington Combe, Cheddar Gorge, Chew Valley Lake

OS EXPLORER MAP OS EXPLORER MAP OS EXPLORER MAP OS EXPLORER MAP 141 141 154 153

GRID REFERENCE GRID REFERENCE GRID REFERENCE GRID REFERENCE A WILD LAND VISITOR GUIDE VISITOR ST 476587 ST466539 ST578609 ST386557 POSTCODE POSTCODE POSTCODE POSTCODE READY FOR BS40 7AU CAR PARK AT THE BOTTOM OF BS27 3QF CAR PARK AT THE BOTTOM BS40 8TF PICNIC AND VISITOR FACILITIES, BS25 1DH KINGS WOOD CAR PARK BURRINGTON OF THE GORGE NORTH EAST SIDE OF LAKE ADVENTURE BLACK DOWN & BURRINGTON HAM LAKE CROOK PEAK Courtesy of Cheddar Gorge & Caves

This area is a very special part of Mendip.Open The internationally famous gorge boasts the highest Slow down and relax around this that sits in The distinctive peak that most of us see from the

heathland covers Black Down, with Beacon Batch at inland cliffs in the country. Incredible cave the sheltered Chew Valley. Internationally important M5 as we drive by. This is iconic Mendip limestone

its highest point. Most of Black Down is a Scheduled systems take you back through human history and are for the birds that use the lake and locally loved by the countryside, with gorgeous in the summer ADVENTURE Monument because of the from the late all part of the visitor experience. fishing community. and rugged outcrops of stone to play on when you get

Stone Age to the Second World War. to the top.

Travel on up the gorge and you’ll be faced with Over 4000 ducks of 12 different varieties stay on READY FOR FOR READY and Ham are to the north and adventure at every angle. Look up and you’ll see wild the lake from late July to February and many other Crook Peak has been important as a landmark and TAKE A STEP ONTO THE

designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for the sheep, goats and climbers perching on the cliffs. rare species come and go. The fishing is also of an boundary from very early times, and the origins of the

wildlife habitats. Today goats are on the steep slopes, international standard, check the website below for name are unclear although it is believed that ‘Crook’ Remember, the area gets more rain than normal A WILD LAND LAND WILD A with ponies and cattle roaming across the grasslands open dates and how to get permits. comes from the ‘Cruc’ meaning ‘peak’, and the higher you go the colder and windier it controlling the scrub. making it Peak Peak. will be. Dress accordingly and pack the right kit for your adventure.

AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY NATURAL OUTSTANDING OF AREA Take your knowledge to a deeper level and

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THE MENDIP HILLS MENDIP THE find out more about the area at discoveringblackdown.org.uk cheddargorge.co.uk bristolwaterfisheries.co.uk/chew-valley-lake nationaltrust.org.uk/mendip-hills mendiphillsaonb.org.uk

NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL, YOUR GUIDE TO A GOOD DAY OUT NATIONALLY PROTECTED OS EXPLORER MAP OS EXPLORER MAP OS EXPLORER MAP OS EXPLORER MAP 141 141 141 141 We want you to have a great adventure and leave with The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty designation GRID REFERENCE GRID REFERENCE GRID REFERENCE GRID REFERENCE happy memories. By following the Countryside Code you recognises just how special the area is and that the ST526509 ST421560 ST518492 ST558541 can help look after yourself and this special area: experience you have here needs conserving and enhancing. POSTCODE POSTCODE POSTCODE POSTCODE THE COUNTRYSIDE CODE – BA5 3BB CAR PARK BY VILLAGE GREEN BS25 1DH BA5 1EL CAR PARK ON PELTING BS40 6DA RESPECT, PROTECT, ENJOY THE AONB UNIT AND THE DROVE, SOUTH OF AONB PARTNERSHIP • Be safe – plan ahead and follow the many signs • Leave gates and property as you find them • For the protection of plants and animals (and the Due to the special nature of the Mendip Hills AONB a PRIDDY KINGS WOOD DEER LEAP WOODS views) take your litter home Partnership of local, regional and national organisations • Keep dogs under close control and always clean looks after the landscape. The AONB Unit works to make Explore this ancient woodland that is the gateway An evergreen forest with a surprise at its heart. up after your dog people aware of the AONB and coordinate effort to make it to different routes. Hike up to Wavering Down and then Follow the ‘easy-going’ and you’ll discover the • Consider other people better for everyone. onto Crook Peak, or drop down onto the Strawberry Line last remaining smelting chimney on Mendip with and walk or ride through the long tunnel where the trains superb views across the Chew Valley. Please also park in designated car parks not in field For further information about this: used to take strawberries from Mendip to markets and gateways or on the verges. Don’t leave valuables on hotels in London. The 48m cuts through ADDITIONAL INFORMATION display in your car. MendipHillsAONB.org.uk here if you’re up for the challenge? forestry.gov.uk/EastHarptreeWoods [email protected] ADDITIONAL INFORMATION If you experience access difficulties on Public Rights of Way, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page on our nationaltrust.org.uk/mendip-hills 01761 462338 website for the contact details of local authority Rights of Twitter: @MendipHillsAONB Way teams. Instagram: @mendiphillsaonb Facebook: Mendip Hills AONB OS EXPLORER MAP PLANNING YOUR EXPERIENCE ON THE 141 Youtube: Mendip Hills AONB MENDIP HILLS GRID REFERENCE ST548513

POSTCODE BA5 3AS

The Mendip Hills Fund Help the fund that helps the hills! The Mendip Hills Fund gives grants to local projects that look after the place and & STOCKHILL the community. The limestone of Mendip gives Priddy its special FOREST Jaw-dropping views out (on a clear day) across the OTHER SITES FOR YOU TO DISCOVER: character. The muted colours and sense of space Levels, with Tor and Nyland Hill in You can help the fund by leaving a donation for the wildlife created by the cottages and buildings around the Nature has reclaimed this lead site to form a front of you, along with many of the small ‘islands’ that sit HILL badges available in pubs and shops in the area. Or local Green, with its unique hurdle stack, are the essence flowing landscape of tall grasses hiding ponds. The within the marshes of the . SHUTE SHELVE HILL businesses ask their guests to add a little to the of the Mendip plateau. This historic village and lead mining finished in 1908 but the habitats that have HOLE CAVES bill which goes to the fund. surrounding landscape reveal evidence of humans formed here are amazing for watching wildlife. Walks Walk into the middle of the field to find the abandoned CHEDDAR GORGE & CAVES dating back to the last ice-age 10,000 years ago. up to North Hill, Mendip’s second highest hill and medieval farmstead nestled on the fertile slopes, a barn Or text MENDIPHILLS to 70085 to donate £3. This costs LAKE Priddy Nine Barrows can all start here. Sitting next and collapsed ash tree mark this spot. From this field £3 plus a standard rate message. Alternatively, you FOREST to the Mineries is Stockhill Forest, a large modern you can travel along the distinctive southern slopes of For downloadable walk routes, guides, leaflets, can opt to give any whole amount up to £20, by texting plantation that has lots of paths and ‘easy-going’ trails. the Mendip Hills and link to places like and links to tourist information centres and more go to MENDIPHILLS together with the amount you would like to . mendiphillsaonb.org.uk donate (eg. MENDIPHILLS 10 will donate £10). Postcodes in the countryside cover large areas.

Please also use a map. To find out more ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The Mendip Hills AONB is on OS Explorer maps 141, somersetcf.org.uk/special-projects/mendip-hills-fund priddyparish.org forestry.gov.uk/StockHillForest swheritage.org.uk/deer-leap 153 and 155 CHEW VALLEY A SPARSELY POPULATED PLATEAU DRYSTONE WALLS criss-cross the LAKE 4 with settlements of Mendip stone along 9 plateau dividing the farmland grazed by A LANDSCAPE the line where the water emerges sheep, beef and dairy cattle. The walls are from underground. Dark skies give you an vital lifelines for wildlife like adders, they are A368 incredible view of the stars at night. perfect for basking on and make a safe way READY FOR LIFE A38 of moving from one place to another. BLAGDON PRIDDY IS THE ONLY VILLAGE ON THE The Mendip Hills is a surprising and distinctive LANGFORD PLATEAU AND SUMS UP THE TOUGH CHURCHILL landscape south of and rising above BURRINGTON WEST CHARACTER OF MENDIP. STEEP SOUTH-FACING SLOPES A368 HARPTREE the Somerset Levels. It’s full of adventure and SANDFORD DOLEBURY BURRINGTON atmosphere for you to experience. 10 OF FLOWER-RICH LIMESTONE A368 WARREN HAM THE DIVERSE GEOLOGY THAT IS GRASSLANDS come to life in the summer. There are 12 ‘special qualities’ you need to A371 B3134 B3114 5 EASILY SEEN ranges from to BLACK DOWN experience on the Mendip Hills. These experiences in a small area making it one of the CROOK PEAK AND WAVERING DOWN ARE WESTON-S-MARE ROWBERROW FOREST are what makes the Mendip Hills special. SPECTACULAR PLACES WHERE YOU CAN best places in the country to appreciate the HUTTON A370 relationships between geology, landscape MOVE ALONG THESE SLOPES AND LOOK OUT CHARTERHOUSE EAST HARPTREE M5 B3371 and natural history. ACROSS SOMERSET. WOODS EBBOR GORGE WILL GET YOU UP CLOSE THE EVIDENCE OF HUMANS dating back AND PERSONAL TO THE ROCKS. on KING’S WOOD CHEDDAR B3134 500,000 years. monuments, barrows SHUTE SHELVE B3135 1 11 the north and south slopes offer rich CROOK PEAK GORGE & HILL CAVES and through to World War 2 sites are habitats of national and international BLEADON WEBBINGTON prominent features on the plateau. Romans THE CAVES for their wildlife, geological, A371 importance for a wide diversity of wildlife A39 CHEDDAR STOCKHILL B3135 and Victorians left a mining landscape that 6 archaeological importance. Avelines Hole is like dormouse and bats. RESERVOIR FOREST nature is reclaiming. the oldest burial site in Britain and Goughs GREEN Cave in Cheddar Gorge is one of the most STEP INTO KINGS WOOD TO GET A TASTE OF PRIDDY STOCKHILL FOREST AND EAST HARPTREE important Palaeolithic sites in Europe. THESE WOODED COMBES. WOODS ARE PLACES WHERE YOU CAN STILL SEE THE OLD MINING LANDSCAPE. BURRINGTON COMBE IS THE SAFEST

PLACE TO SEE CAVE ENTRANCES WITHOUT VIEWS TOWARDS the Mendip Hills from A371 DEER LEAP GETTING MUDDY. IF YOU WANT TO 12 , Quantocks, the Somerset Levels A TOUGH LANDSCAPE FAMOUS FOR GO FURTHER CONTACT AN OUTDOOR and Moors and Chew Valley. EBBOR GORGE A39 2 ADVENTURE AND GETTING IN TOUCH ADVENTURE COMPANY. WOOKEY HOLE WITH NATURE. The geology has created THE VIEWS OUT including across the WOOKEY HOLE incredible opportunities for , climbing CAVES THE LIMESTONE AQUIFER feeding the to Wales and the Somerset and cycling. But the tranquility allows quieter of Cheddar, Chew Valley and Levels to and the activities like bird watching and simply 7 WELLS Blagdon lakes provides habitats of local and Somerset coast. walking. international importance for birds. BURRINGTON COMBE IS A GREAT PLACE TO START YOUR ADVENTURE. IS DESIGNATED A SPECIAL PROTECTION AREA FOR BIRD SPECIES. DISTINCTIVE LIMESTONE RIDGE 3 with windswept plateau, punctuated by spectacular dry valleys and gorges, ancient THE CHEW VALLEY is the sheltered, and depressions, and impressive 8 farmed landscape with fields divided with rocky outcrops. hedges, that contrasts the windswept plateau. CHEDDAR GORGE PROBABLY THE SINGLE BEST KNOWN LIMESTONE FEATURE IN BRITAIN.

CROOK WINSCOMBE SHIPHAM CHEDDAR CHEDDAR EBBOR WOOKEY CITY OF PEAK VILLAGE VILLAGE RESERVOIR GORGE GORGE HOLE WELLS

HOW THE GROUND BENEATH OUR FEET WAS FORMED

CHEDDAR BLACK DOWN BURRINGTON LIMESTONE GORGE COMBE LIMESTONE

ANDSTONE NDSTON S NDSTON S NDSTON S SANDSTONE S SA E T SA E T SA E T SANDSTONE E O E O E O N N N M M M OLDER ROCKS I E I E I E OLDER ROCKS OLDER ROCKS L OLDER ROCKS L OLDER ROCKS L OLDER ROCKS

GEOLOGICAL TIMESCALE IN MILLIONS OF YEARS 416M 359M 299M 251M 200M 2.6M DEVONIAN ERA CARBONIFEROUS ERA PERMIAN ERA TRIASSIC ERA JURASSIC ERA QUARTERNARY ERA

South of the equator, sand deposited In tropical seas near the equator, shell Mountain building as continents Hot desert north of the equator. Arctic tundra with long cold The sandstone has now become be seasonal rivers in a desert fragments from sea creatures settled on collide. The layers of rock were Mountain tops were eroded and flash winters and brief summers. exposed and can be seen on Black environment formed into sandstone. the seabed and turned into limestone. folded up to form the Mendip Hills. floods started to carve out the gorges Melting snow and ice created Down, high above the gorge of and combes. torrents of water that deepened Burrington Combe. the gorges and combes.