Farrant, A R. 2008. A walkers' guide to the geology and landscape of western Mendip. (Keyworth, Nottingham: British Geological Survey.) ISBN 978 085272576 4 The guide is available to purchase from the British Geological Survey https://shop.bgs.ac.uk/Shop/Product/BSP_BWMEND
A walkers’ guide to the geology and landscape of western Mendip
Andy Farrant with contributions from Elaine Burt, Sharon Pilkington, Ian Thomas and Mark Woods
Bibliographical reference: Farrant,A R. 2008. A walkers’ guide to the geology and landscape of western Mendip. Book and map at 1:25 000 scale. (Keyworth, Nottingham: British Geological Survey.) ISBN 978 085272576 4
© NERC 2008. All rights reserved Keyworth, Nottingham: British Geological Survey.
Contents
Useful information
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Rocks of Mendip
The Ice Age
Geology and man
Cheddar Gorge
The Charterhouse area
Blackdown
Burrington Combe
Shipham and Rowberrow
South flank: Crook Peak and Axbridge
North flank: Banwell to Churchill
The Priddy area
South flank: Draycott and Westbury
Wookey Hole and Ebbor Gorge
Wells
North flank: Harptree and Smitham Hill
Geological glossary
Further reading
Figures
Useful information
How to get to Mendip
Car: The Mendips are about 25 km southwest of Bristol, approximately an hour’s drive via the A38, or the A39. From the M5, take junction 20 and follow the A371 to Banwell, Winscombe, Cheddar and Wells, or the A368 to Churchill, Blagdon and the northern flank of Mendip. The B3134, B3135, and B3371 cross the central Mendip plateau via Burrington Combe and Cheddar Gorge.
Rail: Yatton and Weston-super-Mare are both on the national rail network.
Bus: Wells is a hub for local bus services, with National Express coach services from Newcastle, York, Birmingham, London, London Heathrow Airport and Weymouth. Local buses link Weston-super- Mare and Wells via Cheddar and Winscombe, Wells and Bath, Wells and Bristol, Wells and Wookey Hole. There is also the Chew Valley Explorer Bus between Bristol and Cheddar via Burrington Combe and Charterhouse.
Cycle: The National Cycleway Route 3 crosses the Mendip Hills and links the Bath–Bristol Cycle path to Wells.
Tourist information
The Mendips are a popular tourist destination and there are many facilities for visitors. A huge amount of information is available from the Tourist Information Centres located at:
Cheddar Gorge: The Cliffs, Cheddar, Somerset, BS27 3QE. E-mail: cheddar.tic@sedgemoor.gov.uk Tel: 01934 744071. Fax: 01934 744614.
Frome: The Round Tower, 2 Bridge Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1BB. Tel: 01373 467271. Fax: 01373 451733. E-mail: frome.tic@ukonline.co.uk. www.frometouristinfo.co.uk/
Shepton Mallet: 70 High Street, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 5AS. Tel: 01749 345258. E-mail: sheptonmallet.tic@ukonline.co.uk. www.sheptonmallet-touristinfocentre.co.uk
Wells: Town Hall, Market Place, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2RB. Tel: 01749 672552. E-mail: wells.tic@ukonline.co.uk
Sedgemoor Services: M5 (southbound) (Closed Sat & Sun in the winter months).
Tel: 01934 750833, Fax: 01934 750646. E-mail: somersetvisitorcentre@somerset.gov.uk
The Mendip Hills AONB office can provide information on activities within the Mendip Hills AONB. Their office is located in the heart of the Mendips at the Charterhouse Centre, near Blagdon, BS40 7XR, Tel. 01761 462338. Their website has much useful information on the Mendip Hills http://www.mendiphills.org.uk/
Accommodation
Most of the local towns have a variety of hotel, bed and breakfast, hostel and self-catering accommodation. There are also a large number of campsites and caravan sites within easy reach of the Mendip Hills. There is a Youth Hostel in Cheddar. Some local caving clubs also have huts with bunkhouse accommodation.
Details can be obtained from the tourist information sites listed above.
Acknowledgements
This book and map have been produced by the British Geological Survey (BGS) with funding from the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF). The authors, designers and cartographers are based at BGS, Keyworth, Nottingham.
We would like to thank those who have contributed text and photographs. Sharon Pilkington and John Knight (both from Nicholas Pearson Associates) provided information on the wildlife and biodiversity of Mendip, while Ian Thomas (National Stone Centre) provided data on the aggregates industry. Thanks are due to members of the Mendip Society, the Somerset Geology Group, the local Wildlife Trusts and the Mendip Hills AONB office including Jim Hanwell, Jim Hardcastle, Hugh Prudden, Richard Bull, Sharon Pilkington, Mike Simms, John Chapman and Lin Carter, who kindly read proofs of the book or provided useful comments. Thanks are also due to the late John Cornwell, who provided much information on the industrial archaeology of the region, and who sadly passed away during the production of this guide. Paul Stevenson (Palaeoscene) produced the artwork, and the figures were drawn by Paul Lappage (BGS). The University of Bristol Spelaeological Society is thanked for permission to reproduce figures from their Proceedings.
The book was edited by Audrey Jackson and Joanna Thomas, and designed by Adrian Minks. Photographs were taken by Andy Farrant, Sharon Pilkington, Elaine Burt, Paul Witney, Adrian Minks, John Chapman, Mike Simms and Peter Glanvill. Photographs taken by BGS staff are all in the BGS collection. High quality prints can be obtained from BGS photographic services. BGS photographic materials are © NERC.
Photographs courtesy of the Somerset Geodiversity Audit, (funded by the GAAAQ Somerset MIST Project) were taken by Steve Parkhouse, Clive Nicolas, David Allen, David Roche and Peter Scott, are © David Roche GeoConsulting. The full audits are available from www.somerset.gov.uk/somerset/ete/countryside/ geodiversity/
Front cover photograph: Summit of Blackdown, BGS © NERC. Small photographs: Cheddar Pinks, © Sharon Pilkington, The Drainpipe, Goatchurch Cavern, © Peter Glanvill; Crook Peak, BGS © NERC.
Printed in the UK for the British Geological Survey by Halstan & Co Ltd, Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
This guidebook and map has been prepared by the British Geological Survey with funding from the Sustainable Land-Won and Marine Dredged Aggregate Minerals Programme (SAMP) funded through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as part of the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF), administered by the Mineral Industry Research Organisation for The Department of Communities and Local Government.
This publication and references within it to any methodology, process, service, manufacturer, or company do not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, The Department of Communities and Local Government or the Minerals Industry Research Organisation.
Rear cover text
The Mendip area is well known for its gorges, caves and cheese. It is a special landscape, rich in wildlife, heritage and natural resources, and owes much to its underlying geology.
The Mendip Hills have long been visited by geologists and tourists, who come to admire the spectacular rocky gorges, limestone uplands, gushing springs and subterranean streams. For those who wish to learn about the area, this guide gives details of the geology and natural history, and will help you to understand how the landscape is formed. There is something here for everyone, from the keen local walker to the tourist, the ambler and the scrambler. We hope you enjoy exploring the Mendip landscape. © NERC 2008