Attraction in Bristol

Cheddar Gorge in the Mendip Hills of Somerset is the largest natural gorge in Britain, a dramatic limestone canyon three kilometres long and up to 137 metres deep that was carved by meltwater rivers at the end of the last Ice Age and now constitutes one of the most spectacular natural geological features in the British Isles. The sheer cliff faces rising on both sides of the road that passes through the gorge expose a cross-section of Carboniferous limestone that has been folded, faulted and dissolved over millions of years into the complex rock architecture visible in the gorge walls, and the scale and drama of the canyon makes it a genuinely impressive destination. The gorge contains an extensive cave system developed by the same dissolving groundwater that carved the canyon itself. Cox's Cave and Gough's Cave are both open to visitors, the latter containing the most spectacular stalactite and stalagmite formations in the gorge system and the archaeological remains that include the Cheddar Man skeleton, the oldest complete human skeleton found in Britain, dating to approximately 7,150 BC. The discovery of Cheddar Man and the subsequent analysis of his DNA, which revealed that he had dark skin, dark curly hair and blue eyes, attracted considerable public interest when the results were published in 2018. The gorge is managed as a visitor attraction by a private company and the road through it carries a substantial flow of tourist traffic during the summer months, which can reduce the sense of natural drama somewhat. The best walking experience is provided by the clifftop trail, accessible from the gorge floor, that follows the rim of the canyon with views down into the gorge and across the Somerset Levels beyond, a perspective that gives a much better impression of the gorge's true scale than the road below. Cheddar village at the mouth of the gorge gives its name to the most famous cheese in the world, and the Cheddar Cheese dairy provides an opportunity to see traditional cheese-making and taste the local produce.

Clevedon Pier on the Somerset coast of the Bristol Channel is the finest Victorian seaside pier in Britain, an elegant iron structure extending 312 metres into the Bristol Channel on slender octagonal cast iron columns that was completed in 1869 and has been restored following partial collapse in 1970 to serve as an outstanding example of Victorian engineering and seaside culture. The pier received Grade I listed building status, one of the few piers in England to be so designated, reflecting its exceptional architectural and engineering quality. The pier was built in 1869 to allow paddle steamers to dock at Clevedon, the shallow tidal waters of the Bristol Channel and the enormous tidal range making conventional harbours impractical along much of this coast. The paddle steamers that called at Clevedon from Bristol and other Bristol Channel ports brought Victorian tourists in considerable numbers to the seaside town, and the pier served as the arrival and departure point for this traffic until the steamer services declined. The Waverley, the last seagoing paddle steamer in the world, still calls at Clevedon Pier on occasional special sailings. The pier provides excellent views of the Bristol Channel, the Welsh coast across the water and the Severn Estuary to the northeast, one of the most distinctive coastal panoramas in England. The Victorian toll houses, the landing stage and the Gothic pavilion at the pier head retain the character of the original structure and the experience of walking on this elegantly proportioned iron deck above the tidal waters provides a genuinely Victorian seaside experience.