Gough's Cave

The temperature drops ten degrees the moment you step underground. Gough's Cave winds deep beneath the Mendips, revealing a subterranean world that puts most tourist caves to shame. The limestone formations here are proper spectacular - vast chambers where your voice echoes back from caverns you can barely see the ceiling of.

You'll follow walkways through cathedral-sized spaces, past flowstone cascades that look like frozen waterfalls. The formations have wonderfully daft names like the Diamond Chamber and the Swiss Village, but they're genuinely impressive rather than tourist tat. Britain's oldest complete human skeleton was found here too, though thankfully you won't bump into him on your wander.

Families with curious kids absolutely love this place. The underground adventure keeps little ones engaged, though very young children might find the darkness a bit much. Allow a good hour for the full tour, and wear something warm - it's chilly down there year-round.

Located right in Cheddar village, it pairs brilliantly with a stay at nearby holiday parks. Cheddar Woods Resort & Spa sits just over a mile away, while several smaller sites like Owley Woods Glamping offer closer bases for exploring the gorge. The cave makes an excellent rainy day alternative when you're camping in the Mendips.