The best walks and hikes around Mendip

Exploring the Mendip Hills

Some of the best hiking trails around Mendip explore the limestone hills of the same name. Characterised by steep slopes, spectacular gorges, rocky outcrops and a high windswept plateau, you can make hiking in the Mendips as strenuous or as relaxing as you like. Many trails cross heathland where you might just catch sight of an Exmoor pony amongst the heather, whilst trails through wooded combes of ash and maple provide habitats for a variety of wildlife.

Having a gorge-ous time

The Mendip Hills are probably most famous for their astounding gorge scenery. Cheddar Gorge is the largest in the UK at three miles long (five km) and 400 feet (122 m) deep. Some of the finest hikes around Mendip explore its famous weathered crags, historic caves and impressive limestone pinnacles. Clifftop routes here are awe-inspiring, as are the views. It is one of the most spectacular landscapes in England.

Near the delightful village of Wookey Hole is Ebbor Gorge, boasting dramatic cliffs and popular caverns of its own. An adventure here places you amongst magnificent limestone scenery and superb woodland trails. You are welcome to bring the dog along, as long as they are kept on a lead.

Arthurian legend on the Isle of Avalon

One of the most popular objectives for walks in Mendip is Glastonbury Tor. This isolated hill rises from the flat land of the Somerset Levels and its distinctive conical form is clearly visible for miles around. It is topped by the roofless St Michael’s Tower, all that remains of an ancient church. Once known as the Isle of Avalon, it is rich in mythology – the setting for many great stories and legends. In one such tale, King Arthur was said to have sought refuge here having been fatally wounded in battle.

A pilgrimage to the top rewards you with a massive 360o vista of Dorset, Wiltshire, the Mendips, the Bristol Channel and South Wales. Head here for sunrise and, if you are lucky, the summit will be an enchanting island above the low-lying mist that often floats along the damp, surrounding lands.