• AONB
• Archaeology
• Geology
• Wildlife
• Quarrying

Wildlife

Walking on Mendip is a Somerset safari. On south facing slopes insects such as the Chalkhill Blue, flutter by in flower rich grasslands, peregrines dive between the limestone towers of Cheddar Gorge and ravens cruise lazily on summer thermals. Adders bask on rocks before hiding at the sound of approaching ramblers.

Spring brings wooded vales and copses of majestic limes are carpeted with bluebells whilst the hazel shrubs are busy with foraging dormice and roe deer follow well worn tracks at dusk and dawn.

In summer nightjars can be heard with their nocturnal churring to find a mate and horseshoe bats can be seen hawking along woodland edges hunting for the cockchafer.

Autumn nights are alive with the hooting of young tawny owls; the night hiker will start at the ghostly drift of barn owls hunting voles and shrews in the coarse grass below.

Cold winter ponds become hotspots for ducks and wading birds such as snipe and woodcock.