Cheddar Gorge Cheddar Gorge Cheddar Gorge is a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar, Somerset, England. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be over 9,000 years old, was found in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites. The gorge is part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest called Cheddar Complex. Cheddar Gorge, including the caves and other attractions, has become
Mendip Hills and subsequent erosion has resulted in a range of surface features including gorges, dry valleys, screes, swallets and others typical of karst landscapes. These are complemented underground by a large number of caves both beneath the plateau and at the base of the southern escarpment. Wookey Hole is one example of the caves of the area. There are also areas of limestone pavement and other karst features. Dissolution of the limestone produced many of the gorges including Cheddar Gorge and Burrington Combe. Springs are a common feature of the eastern part of the hills, a number of which have associated