Everything about Cheddar totally explained
Cheddar is a large
village and
civil parish in the district of
Sedgemoor in the
English county of
Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the
Mendip Hills north west of
Wells.
Village status
Cheddar is a village. The adjacent settlement of
Axbridge, although only about a third the population of Cheddar, is a town. This apparently illogical situation is explained by the relative importance of the two places in historic times. While Axbridge grew in importance as a centre for cloth manufacture in the
Tudor period and gained a charter from
King John, Cheddar remained a more dispersed mining and dairy-farming village until the advent of tourism and the arrival of the
railway in the
Victorian era.
This situation is unlikely to change in the near future, with the residents of both Axbridge and Cheddar proud of their settlements' respective status and the inevitable friendly local rivalry between the two.
Twinning
Cheddar is
twinned with the following towns and has an active programme of exchange visits:
Local produce
The village is famous for having given its name to
Cheddar cheese which is the most popular type of
cheese in the United Kingdom. Although the cheese is now made worldwide, only one producer remains in the village itself.
Cheddar's other main produce is the
strawberry, which gave name to the now disused
Strawberry Line railway that ran from
Yatton to
Wells. In the 1960s, when the rest of the line was closed and all passenger services ceased, the section of the line between Cheddar and Yatton remained open for goods traffic, to provide a fast link with the main markets for the strawberries in
Birmingham and
London. The former station has become housing and a trading estate, and is the starting point for a cycle path along the old track to
Axbridge, passing the
Cheddar Reservoir, an
SSSI for its large population of wintering waterfowl, and the home of a sailing club.
Cheddar Ales is a small brewery, based in the village, which produces beer for pubs in the local area.
Landscape
Gorge and caves
Cheddar is also famous for
Cheddar Gorge, the largest
gorge in
England, and for the
Cheddar Caves, including
Cox's cave,
Tyning's Barrow Swallet and
Gough's Cave where the remains of
Cheddar Man were found. Nearby is
Wookey Hole and
Ebbor Gorge.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
There are several large and unique
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) around the village including
Cheddar Reservoir and
Cheddar Wood. By far the largest is called
Cheddar Complex and covers of the gorge, caves and the surrounding area. It is considered important for both biological and geological features.
Quarries
Close to the village and gorge are
Batts Combe quarry and
Callow Rock quarry two of the active
Quarries of the Mendip Hills where
limestone is still extracted.
History
There is evidence of occupation from both the Neolithic and Roman periods in Cheddar. The remains of a Roman villa have been excavated in the grounds of the current vicarage. An alternative possible meaning is from Ceodre or ceod meaning a pouch referring to the caves or gorge.
William Wilberforce saw the poor conditions of the locals when he visited Cheddar in 1789. He inspired
Hannah More in her work to improve the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers.
Amenities
Cheddar has a number of active service clubs including Cheddar Vale
Lions Club, Mendip
Rotary and Mendip
Inner Wheel Club. The clubs raise money for projects in the local community and hold annual events such as a fireworks display,
duck races in the Gorge, a
dragon boat race on the reservoir and concerts in the grounds of the nearby St Michael's
Cheshire Home(External Link
).
There are three schools: Cheddar First School, Fairlands Middle School and
The Kings of Wessex School, which has a leisure centre with an indoor swimming pool. Cheddar village also has a
Youth Hostel and several camping/caravan sites, including several large ones with many facilities. There is a
Church of England parish church with a tall tower in the typical Somerset style, and also churches for
Roman Catholic,
Methodist,
Baptist and other denominations, including a community Church which meets at the Kings of Wessex, senior school.
Notable buildings and structures
Saxon palace
In the 10th century the
Witenagemot met three times at the
Saxon palace in Cheddar. The ruins of the palace were excavated in the 1960s and are located in the grounds of
The Kings of Wessex School, together with a 14th century chapel dedicated to St Columbanus.. Roman remains have also been uncovered at the site.
St Andrew's Church
The
Church of England parish church is dedicated to
St Andrew and dates from the 14th century. It was restored in 1873 by
William Butterfield. It is a grade I
listed building and contains some 15th century
stained glass and an altar table of 1631. The
chest tomb in the chancel is believed to be to Sir
Thomas Cheddar and dated 1442. The tower, which rises to, contains a bell dating from 1759 and made by Thomas Bilbie of the
Bilbie family.
Market cross
The market cross in Bath Street dates from the 15th century, with the shelter being rebuilt in 1834. It has a central octagonal pier, socket raised on four steps, hexagonal shelter with six arched four-centred arch openings, shallow two stage buttresses at each angle, and embattled parapet. The shaft is crowned by an abacus with figures in niches, probably from the late 19th century although the cross is now missing. Rebuilt by
Thomas, Marquis of Bath. It is a
Scheduled Ancient Monument (Somerset County No 21) and grade II* listed building.
It was recently restored after being seriously damaged in a road traffic accident.
Hannah More's Cottage
Philanthropist educator
Hannah More founded a school in the village in the late 18th century. Her first school, a 17th century house now named Hannah More's Cottage, is a grade II listed building that's used by the local community as a meeting place.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Cheddar'.
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