Cheddar - not just a cheese, but an amazing cycling destination

I’ve always wanted to cycle in Cheddar Gorge. Situated in Somerset and located in the dramatic landscape of the Mendip Hills, it truly is spectacular.

The area of course is also famous for the birthplace of cheddar cheese!

On the way up Cheddar Gorge

We did three fantastic rides over three days taking in the very best at the region has to offer. A fun and social weekend with buddies from my cycling club.

Friday's ride was a coastal ride starting at Burnham on Sea and then heading towards Uphill, past St Nicholas Church perched high atop the cliffs, where ice creams on the Weston beach with a view out to the dramatic Brean Down Peninsula, were an essential start to the weekend!

Check out my route on Komoot - https://www.komoot.com/tour/2941300506

St Nicholas Church at Uphill

Weston Beach with view of Brean Down

The main ride event of the weekend was the Cheddar Gorge ride rising over 600 feet up through the stunning limestone gorge.

We reach the Mendip Plateau in the area of outstanding beauty. Plateau implies it’s flat though right? Certainly not flat as we explore this stunning landscape. The roads were very quiet bit gravelly in parts and narrow but certainly off the beaten track as we head towards Mells for a lunch stop where there is a delightful café in a beautiful walled garden. https://www.thewalledgardenatmells.co.uk/

Cheddar Gorge

Mells walled garden

Views over the Mendip Plateau

We head back through Priddy and eventually start to reach some flat roads before the fast and steep descent back down Cheddar Gorge to the charming village of Cheddar, then finished off with a drink in the pub garden. We certainly all earned it today.

Check out my route on Komoot - https://www.komoot.com/tour/2944062030

Sunday’s ride was different again. A much flatter route over the Isle of Wedmore and then descending onto the Somerset levels. A very convenient café stop at Sweets tea rooms at the halfway point. A very pretty route and quite different as we pass agricultural fields with dykes either side of the road and through Westhay Moor nature reserve before a descent back down to Cheddar.

On the Somerset Levels

Check out my route on Komoot - https://www.komoot.com/tour/2946156883

A lovely region - one definitely to be explored on a bike!