How to spend 3 days in Cheddar, Somerset

UK staycations are here to stay. After longer drives to Cornwall and the Lake District from Bishop’s Stortford, we decided to pick somewhere a little closer. We ended up settling on Cheddar in Somerset – yes it is the place that cheddar cheese was founded! It was just over a 3 hour drive and we found a beautiful, reasonably priced lodge just outside the village with a hot tub which sealed the deal.

Bath itself it only a 20 minute drive from there as well (and 45 minutes from Cheddar). We had visited fairly recently so didn’t incorporate it into our itinerary but we can thoroughly recommend Bath Thermae Spa with its stunning rooftop spa overlooking the city.

Day 1 in Cheddar, Somerset

We spent our first day in the village of Cheddar. It is small with the ability to walk from one end to the other in around 15 minutes. We parked at the bottom at Cliff Street Car Park which is ￡5.50 for all day parking. There is also parking slightly further into village in dedicated car parks and we saw a sign for car parking all day for ￡3 at The Riverside pub at the bottom of the village. As you wind through the gorge at the top of the village, there are laybys that you can park in.

Cheddar Gorge

We started off our day walking through the picturesque village with mini waterfalls and bright coloured houses and shops and making our way up the windy gorge.

Cheddar Gorge

Cheddar Gorge is a Limestone Gorge with towering limestone cliffs on either side of the road. When we visited in September there wasn’t too much traffic going to / from the village so it felt pretty safe to wander upwards through the gorge on foot by the road, but always have your eye out for cars!

There are several walks that you can navigate your way around in Cheddar Gorge. I found this blog post helpful in explaining the different options. Jacob’s ladder has reopened since Covid where you can climb 274 steps to the top and 48 more to get to the Lookout Tower. It’s ￡22.95 for an adult ticket which also includes entry to Gough’s Cave and Cox’s Cave.

There is also a longer, steeper circular walk which is free. From reading various posts it certainty looks like a great walk with some fantastic views. Another walk we tried was the Black Rock walk – the entrance is at the top of the drive through the gorge with parking in a layby. We started the walk but a couple of gates were closed and you could only access via climbing sty’s so we had to give it a miss. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be much information online to guide people on what routes are open or closed.

Where to eat and drink in Cheddar Village

For a small village, there are plenty of places to eat and drink in Cheddar. First up, you must visit the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company who offer self guided tours in their small cheese factory which is inside the shop to allow you to watch the cheese being made first hand. They are open from 11.30-3pm and tickets are ￡2.50. You can return at anytime of the day to catch a different part of the cheese making process. They also offer free tastings in the shop of vintage and mild cheddar, creamy cheddar, tomato and onion cheddar, port infused cheddar and their cheese straws. There are individual cheeses to purchase as well as bundles. We absolutely loved the cheese straws!

Cafes, restaurants and pubs in Cheddar

• Lion Rock Tea Rooms is based towards the top of the village and is a cute tearoom with an eye-catching bright blue exterior with florals. It has been trading as an independent café since 1908 and has won several local awards. The interiors are a mixture of a typical floral tea room mixed with retro décor. We tucked into cheddar scones with chutney and cream (couldn’t resist!).

Cafe Gorge is situated opposite the Lion Rock Tea Rooms with a small terrace area and friendly service. There is an extensive menu available including fresh pies, pastries, sandwiches and toasties. The ploughman’s we had was a large portion which was delicious.

The Riverside Inn is a traditional pub situated at the bottom of the village serving food and drink. The pub section is split into two and has a couple of cosy corners for drinks.

Zen Thai is a great Thai restaurant in Cheddar with ingredients either locally sourced or imported directly from Thailand. The food and service were excellent and we can recommend the Dumplings, Orange Chicken and Duck Tamarind. The spiciness of the dishes can also be adjusted to suit your personal palate!

The Cider Barn was conveniently located on the Strawyberryfield Park grounds where we were staying. It had a real local bar feel to it with most people seeming to know each other. They serve sourdough pizzas (which were average) and on Thursday have a steak night. If you love cider, this is the place to try some local specialities including Hedgers, North Street and Harry’s.

We also heard good things about La Rocca (Italian food) and The Bath Arms (a hotel restaurant).

Cheddar Reservoir

Situated less than a 10 minute drive from the village is Cheddar Reservoir which is a great space for a walk. The circular, flat walk takes around a hour. It isn’t very sheltered from the wind so be warned!

Day 2 in Cheddar, Somerset

After a morning in the hot tub we made our way to Wells, which is the smallest city in the UK! It is also one of the prettiest – we would definitely be keen to stay there next time we visit Somerset and it must feature in your 3 days in Cheddar, Somerset.

Where to go in Wells

The cathedral in the heart of the city is an absolutely stunning sacred 12th century building and the first cathedral in Europe designed solely in the Gothic style. It is open from 7am-7pm April to September and 7am-6pm October to March and is free to enter, although a donation is recommended.

You can see it in all its glory outside in the gardens. Once inside you can admire the scissor arches, the Wells clock, St Katherine’s chapel and much more.

After visiting the cathedral, you can walk around the side to access Vicars’ Close in less than 5 minutes. The close which was completed in 1363 was originally designed as lodgings for the men of the choir. It is now the only completely medieval street left in England.

The Bishop’s Palace Gate house and garden in Wells has been home to the Bishops of Bath and Wells for over 800 years and is surrounded by a moat with access via a drawbridge. You can venture around and across the moat for free but access to the palace and gardens is ￡15. Entrance does include a year’s free pass which is useful if you live locally.

If you visit Wells on a Wednesday or Saturday, there is a local market with food stalls and artisan crafts.

There are also plenty of walks around Wells including Ebbor Gorge and Wookey Hole.

Where to eat and drink in Wells

There are plenty of cafes, pubs and restaurants in Wells to eat and drink. We visited the following:

• Fosso Lounge is an all day café and lounge serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have special offers during the week so check out their website before visiting. The food is a mixture of tapas, burgers, salads and more.
• The Flapjackery is a must visit if you love flapjacks! They have a wide variety of gluten free flapjacks including Lemon Drizzle, Caramel Latte, Passion Fruit and Dark Chocolate and Black Forest brownie individually and in mixed gift sets. They also donate some of their income to Wells Cathedral.
• The Crown at Wells is a pub, hotel and restaurant near the Cathedral which was built in the 15th century. It’s a cosy local pub which great for a drink in between all the shopping.

Bishop’s Eye Wine Bar family-run, independent wine bar, restaurant and wine shop in a Grade II listed building serving all daY wine, charcuterie, cocktails and more. It has an outside terrace area which is great for people watching and a cosy upstairs areas with window tables, sofa’s and stool seating. There are a number of wines on tap, by the glass and the bottle so you can easily pass a few hours here!

The Fountain Inn is a family run gastro pub with seating available over two floors. We thoroughly enjoyed the Beer Battered Haddock served with chunky chips and the Duo of local award winning pork sausages with mustard mash. The service and food was great so would definitely recommend a visit.

We had also originally booked The Greek Tavenra but sadly they had to close temporarily due to Covid. Reviews online are excellent and the food looks great.

Day 3 in Cheddar, Somerset

Day 3 in Cheddar was spent exploring Glastonbury which is a 25-30 minute drive from the village.

Glastonbury Tor

Our first stop was Glastonbury Tor which has a deep history and several legends. It is reported that Jesus came to Glastonbury as a boy traveling with Joseph of Arimathea who was a tin merchant and had travelled to the South-West for this valuable metal. This legend apparently inspired William Blake to write the famous poem ‘Jerusalem’ which I always sang at school!

We parked at RJ Draper & Co factory (Chilkwell St, Glastonbury BA6 8DB) which is the closest parking to the beginning of the climb up to the Tor. It is ￡3 for 3 hours and ￡5 all day which is slightly cheaper than the in town parking. Back on the main road, you cross the road and turn right down Chilkwell Street where you will pass the Chalice Well and Gardens on your left. At Wellhouse Lane turn left and you will see a small pedestrian lane signposted to the Tor. You will then reach the entrance to the National Trust land where you go through a gate to start the climb up.

The walk to the top from this direction is well paved and only slightly steep in places. A slow walk takes around 25-30 minutes with a couple of photo stop offs. If it’s a windy day, you will definitely feel it as it’s an open space so wrap up! There is a little bit of cover within the Tor if it is windy / rainy. Spend time at the top taking in the fresh air and views of the Isle of Avalon and Somerset.

The Chalice Well

On the way to town from Glastonbury Tor, we stopped off at The Chalice Well, a quiet sanctuary and gardens which is a place of meditation and quite reflection. The idea is to facilitate a connection between people, nature and sprit so it’s encouraged to turn phones off, be quiet and find spaces within the gardens to close your eyes and mediate. It is open every day from 10-4.30 and there is no need to pre-book. Tickets are ￡4.60.

Glastonbury Town

The town is a 10 minute walk from the Chalice Well with plenty of shops, cafes and spiritual shops. Unlike other towns, many of the Glastonbury shops are painted in vibrant colours with impressive street art. Glastonbury Abbey is situated in the centre of town and is ￡11 entry if you fancy a visit.

We had lunch at Abbey Tea Rooms where they offer afternoon tea, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, cakes and more! It was a cute tea room and service was friendly.