I've done it. I've finally reached my last trip report from our 2014 vacation in Europe. The finally tourist spot that we visited was the Cheddar Caves in village of Cheddar in Somerset.
In my first years of college, I had my heart set on being an Anthropology major and the Cheddar Caves were often mentioned in my classes. In 1903 the remains of a Mesolithic era male skeleton were found in Gough's Cave in the Cheddar Gorge. This find marks Britain's oldest and most complete skeleton. The remains are in London's Natural History Museum, but we were able to tour the cave and see the spot where the "Cheddar Man" was found.
We paid just under nineteen pounds per ticket for adults and Felix was free, because he was still under five. The entrance fee included an audio tour, which even had a special setting for children. We thought that Felix might be bored, but he really enjoyed the audio tour. It made him laugh. The cave was very dark and he was a bit apprehensive and mildly scared. It wasn't enough to have to leave, but it might be too intense for some children. There are many places where the ground is wet and uneven, so sensible shoes are a must.
A funny thing happened when we were waiting in line to buy our tickets. There was a group in front of us and they were blind. They held up the line, because a supervisor had to be called when the ticket attendant couldn't answer their question. They wanted to know if they could play a flute in the caves! The answer was yes, but sadly, we didn't hear any music during our visit. I wondered how they managed with the uneven ground, that I found tricky to navigate.
Our visit was brief, as this was just a short detour on our way home from our holiday in Cornwall. I'd love to come back and spend more time in the beautiful Cheddar Gorge.
The best reason to return, is the cheese. Yes, this is the birthplace of cheddar cheese! Awesome right?
This is a picture of cheese being aged inside of the cave.
Come for the caves and eat some cheese. Cheddar is a worthy addition to your England vacation itinerary.