Cheddar Gorge and Wookey Hole

The limestone of the Mendip Hills is riddled with caves and split by gorges, and two of the most spectacular are within easy reach of Hunter's Moon. Wookey Hole is ten miles away, Cheddar Gorge seventeen, and the two can be combined in a single day with a drive across the top of the Mendips between them.

Cheddar Gorge and Caves

Explore one of Britain's most spectacular natural landmarks: a three-mile limestone canyon with cliffs rising 450 feet on either side of the road, carved by meltwater at the end of the last ice age. There are great walks and trails along the cliff tops, with the four-mile circular rim walk taking in both sides and Jacob's Ladder, 274 steps up to a lookout tower with views to Glastonbury Tor and across the Bristol Channel to Wales.

Beneath the cliffs are the famed subterranean stalactite caves. Gough's Cave, where Britain's oldest complete skeleton, Cheddar Man, was found in 1903, runs a quarter of a mile into the hill past underground rivers and chambers; Cox's Cave has a multimedia "Dreamhunters" experience. Cheddar cheese has been made in the village since the twelfth century, and the caves are still used to mature it; the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company is the only maker left in the village and lets you watch the process. Rock climbing, caving and a cliff-top open-top bus are also on offer. cheddargorge.co.uk

Wookey Hole Caves

Wookey Hole Caves are a series of limestone caves in the village of Wookey, two miles from Wells, carved by the River Axe, which still flows through them. Walk through the show caves and caverns, dramatically lit, and meet the Witch of Wookey, a stalagmite said to be a witch turned to stone by a monk from Glastonbury. The caves have been inhabited for 45,000 years and were the site of Britain's first cave-diving explorations; the deepest chambers reach more than 100 metres below the surface. Above ground there is a Victorian paper mill (still making paper by hand), a dinosaur valley, a fairy garden, a circus museum, crazy golf and plenty for children, which makes it a strong family day, especially in the rain. wookey.co.uk

Ebbor Gorge

Between Wookey Hole and the top of the Mendips, Ebbor Gorge is a quieter, wilder alternative: a wooded National Nature Reserve with a steep, rocky path to a viewpoint high above the Levels. Free, dog-friendly on leads, about two miles.

Making a day of it

• Start at Wookey Hole when it opens, then drive up through Priddy across the Mendip plateau and drop into Cheddar Gorge from the top for the most dramatic approach.
• Walk the cliff-top circuit before lunch and visit the caves afterwards.
• Buy cheese, cider and strawberries in Cheddar village to take back to the cottage.
• Return via Axbridge, a beautiful medieval square with King John's Hunting Lodge, or via Wells for evensong.
• Both attractions are busy on summer weekends and bank holidays; go early or midweek.