650 Steps and still climbing.

Only takes you to the top of the Gorge and then you walk back.

Cheddar Gorge with a clear blue sky again.

We left camp on foot this morning heading into Cheddar. The first Cheddar Gorge tour bus left just after 10am and we wanted to be on it to avoid the crowds should they eventuate As it turned out only two tour coaches pulled into town along with a couple of dozen cars so there were no crowds today.

All sorts of minerals can be found in the Cheddar Gorge.

The rugged sides of the Cheddar Gorge.

When you consider that the gorge was completely submerged under the sea a couple of million years ago it’s amazing what has taken place over the march of time. The caves are still being explored but this entails underwater scuba diving which is not for the faint hearted not being able to see where you are going or what is up or down.

A Stalagmite and a Stalactite join up in Gough's Cave.

Water and minerals created these beautiful formations inside Gough's Cave.

Richard Gough’s obsession with the cave opposite where he lived in the gorge lasted from 1892 to 1898 when he opened the cave to the public in 1899. He spent all his spare time along with his son’s exploring and clearing access to the different caverns until he found what is now known as Aladdin's cave and St Pauls Cathedral. Those early visitors must have felt like explorers themselves as the caves must have been very wet and muddy and not like we found today.

Water and minerals created these beautiful formations inside Gough's cave. They feel like glass.

What natural element created what looks like snake skin?

The Cox’s Cave just down the road was quite different and they have set up an audio visual display along the lines of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. In the final section it is very dark and in the flash of a camera we spotted what we thought was a hooded dummy standing by an entrance covered by a curtain. I pulled the curtain aside and went in closing the curtain behind us. All of a sudden the curtain opened but there was nobody there. We didn’t think anything of it until another couple came in and we found that they had not touched the curtain when it opened and closed. Supposed dummy must have been a staff member having a bit of fun scaring the customers.

The last task for the day was the 274 steps up Jacobs ladder to the 4 mile cliff top walk. We took our time having breaks at the various information boards along the way and we reached the top in reasonably good condition. Once at the top the next thing was the tower, another 47 steps, but the view at the top was tremendous.

274 steps to the top plus 47 up the tower.

The look out tower at the top of Jacobs Ladder. Cheddar Gorge.

We walked part of the cliff top walk where we found some wild Soay Goats. By this time we decided it was time to head back down to the valley floor as we still had a twenty minute walk back to camp.

A Soay wild goat who wasn't too upset by my presence.