Charterhouse Cave

Deep beneath the Mendip Hills lies one of Somerset's most accessible underground adventures, just minutes from the famous cheese-making town of Cheddar. Charterhouse Cave offers a proper caving experience without the need for specialist gear or crawling through impossibly tight spaces.

Unlike the commercialised show caves dotted around the area, this feels genuinely wild. You'll duck through low passages, squeeze between limestone walls, and emerge into cathedral-sized chambers where your torch beam disappears into the darkness above. The silence down here is complete - no traffic, no voices, just the occasional drip of water that's been slowly carving these tunnels for millennia.

Families with confident older children will love the adventure, though anyone claustrophobic should probably stick to Wookey Hole instead. Bring proper torches and wear clothes you don't mind getting muddy. The cave stays a constant cool temperature year-round, so pack layers even on blazing summer days.

From any of the holiday parks around Cheddar - whether you're staying at Cheddar Woods Resort or camping at Petruth Paddocks - this makes for a brilliant half-day expedition. Allow two hours including the walk from the car park through Charterhouse village. Well worth combining with a stomp across the dramatic plateau above.