Dog Walks in Cheddar

Cheddar is the village that gave the world its favourite cheese and, rather more dramatically, one of the most spectacular limestone gorges in Britain. The cliffs rise nearly 450 feet on either side of the B3135, and for anyone arriving with a dog for the first time, the sheer scale of the landscape is genuinely startling — you're never more than a few strides from a proper adventure.

The village at the foot of the gorge is geared around visitors, with tea shops, cheese shops and a small cluster of pubs, but most dog walkers bypass the commercial end and head straight for the cliffs. The Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty extends north and east from Cheddar for miles, and the gorge itself is free to walk — a rare pleasure in an area dominated by paid attractions.

Best Dog Walks in Cheddar

The Cheddar Gorge Walk (4 miles, moderate) is the essential route — a steep climb up Jacob's Ladder from the village, along the southern rim with huge drops to your left, across the head of the gorge, and back down the northern side. It's a proper lung-buster of a start, but the views more than justify the effort, and most reasonably fit dogs handle it well. For the same scenery without quite as much climbing, the Cheddar Gorge Clifftop Walk (3.5 miles, moderate) takes a slightly shorter loop along the rim with a couple of breathtaking viewpoints over the road below. Both walks follow grassy and rocky paths, and both reward an early start — the gorge floods with day-trippers by mid-morning in summer.

Planning Your Visit

Park at the small Cliff Street pay-and-display in the village or in one of the lay-bys along the gorge road itself. Dogs should be on leads near the cliff edges — the drops are genuinely serious and there are no fences in many places. Sheep and goats graze the upper slopes (including the famous feral Cheddar goats), so a reliable recall is essential, or stick to leads on the tops. There's very little shade on the rim, so avoid hot afternoons in summer. For longer stays with the dog, Quantock Shepherd Huts south of the Mendips is a peaceful option and a good base for exploring the wider area. Dog walks in Cheddar are short but intense — a morning on the gorge will genuinely wear a lively dog out.