AttractionsKids

Cheddar Gorge Review

Cheddar Gorge

www.cheddargorge.co.uk

Reviewed by Shelley East

On a recent family holiday in Somerset myself and the children (aged 2, 4, 5 & 9 years) went on a day trip to Cheddar Gorge. I actually thought that the children would enjoy it more than myself however I was pleasantly surprised!

The whole experience was fun packed and a great day out for families.

Upon arrival we took the open top bus with a tour guide up to the cliffs and was given a funny and informative talk about the history of Cheddar Gorge.

Sat on the top of the double decker open top bus it was a great opportunity to take photos of the spectacular sights and see just how dramatic the cliffs are.

The area is surrounded by natural beauty and the children thoroughly enjoyed being sat on the bus. Once at the top of the hill we went inside Gough’s Caves. We were given handheld electronic audio guides which gave the children lots of information about the caves which included adult settings on the audio guides that gave a more informative talk about each area within the caves. The caves were very interesting and well signposted and lit so we could find our way around and the black cat shadow in the caves delighted my children. We spent a lot of time in the caves exploring the natural habitat.

I can honestly say it was magical! Once at the exit of the caves there were public toilets and a Costa Coffee! Which was a lovely idea to situate in such an establishment. We sat outside Costa on the terrace amongst the hills, cliffs and fresh air and purchased coffee, fresh juice and snacks. It was very relaxing.

We then went to the Cheddar Man Museum of pre-history. There were plenty of activities for the children to do and the museum had lots of interesting things to look at including archaeology, a quiz to do on the way round and informative talks. Being able to hold and touch fur and pre-historic man made tools for hunting food etc… was great fun and all the staff giving talks and information was dressed to look the part of our ancestors! We discovered from the talks how our ancestors survived the ice age period and engaged in all the activities within the museum.

We then went into the Cox's Cave and Crystal Quest. Unfortunately my 2 year old became frightened in here and we had to make a quick exit but the older children loved the mirror pools, dancing fountains, the music and special effects lighting. We then stopped for lunch. The whole of the gorge is lined with tea rooms and ice cream parlours and souvenir shops. We lunched on Cornish pasties and handmade ice creams and had a wander down the hill looking in all the shops and purchasing cider and cheesy cheddar presents and souvenirs to take home for family.

We then decided that we would take the 274 steps up the side of the Gorge to the lookout tower! My legs turned to jelly and it was sheer determination that got me to the top as well as lots of encouragement from my children. Once at the top the view was mesmerising, serene and truly beautiful. It was well worth the exercise up the steps to see it. The whole day was a fabulous opportunity for us to spend the day together having fun as a family and not once did the children say they were bored! An absolutely fantastic place to go whilst on a family holiday it has something for everyone including 3 mile cliff top walks and lots of information on the history and heritage of the gorge. Cheddar Gorge is perfect for those with children and even couples or parties of friends that want a day out with a difference surrounded by nature and conservation and even action and adventure climbing.

A perfect fun filled family day out and a big thumbs up from me!

Rating: 5/5

For more information or to book tickets online and save 15% visit www.cheddargorge.co.uk

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