CAVING IN SOMERSET

Go Caving in Somerset with Mendip Activity Centre

Plunge into the depths of the Mendip Hills National Landscape for a spectacular underground experience! Caving is a great adventure, where you crawl, climb, slide and squeeze through caves rich in human and geologic history to discover magnificent natural features.

When approached with expert instruction, caves are amazing places to discover and they provide a truly unique adventure for everyone from beginners to underground enthusiasts.

There is a cave to suit every ability level and most caves have spacious chambers and incredible natural features to explore! Experienced instructors ensure you feel comfortable every step of the way, and help you create the best version of your own personal adventure.

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Outdoor group walking towards a cave entrance in the Mendip Hills near Cheddar Gorge. Guided caving trips at Mendip combine exploration, geology, and natural beauty.

Caving Experiences at Mendip Activity Centre

Try Caving in Somerset's Sandford Levy

Sanford Levy was first discovered during mining operations. It was used as a secret weapons base during World War II. The story goes that a young local boy stumbled upon it and had to be sworn to secrecy under the Official Secrets Act!

Located about 15 minutes walk from Mendip Activity Centre, Sandford Levy welcomes cavers of all abilities and is the perfect trip for first-timers and families.

This is an instructor-led activity that takes up to 1.5 hours and is available for ages 8+ (or ages 6+ if booked as a private session). Other than the entrance, the entire cave can be walked through.

Sprinkled with beautiful natural features, you'll see gour pools, calcite formations, stalactites, stalagmites and get a first-hand glimpse into geologic and human history, as well as a fun introduction to caving.

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Smiling caver in helmet and muddy boots emerging from a narrow cave entrance in the Mendip Hills. A hands-on Somerset caving adventure with Mendip Activity Centre, perfect for those ready to explore the underground world.

Experience Caving in Goatchurch Cavern, Burrington Combe

Approximately a 15-minute drive from Mendip Activity Centre, Goatchurch Cavern in Burrington Combe is a stalwart of Somerset caving.

Located in the Mendip Hills National Landscape, it has associations with prehistoric people, including witches, and is another great cave trip for beginners looking for something slightly more adventurous. The Mendip Hills are the closest caving destination to Bristol and London.

Your instructor will meet you in Burrington Combe before taking you on an epic trip of up to 3-hours, including the short walk to and from the cave. Crawl, climb, walk and slide your way through the kilometres of passage the cave has to offer.

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Group of cavers in red overalls deep inside a Somerset cave, smiling after a Mendip Activity Centre adventure. A safe, team-led caving experience ideal for schools, families, and first-timers.

Advanced Caving in Somerset's Swildon's Hole

Located in Priddy, Swildon’s Hole is the longest cave in the Mendip Hills. It’s also the site of Britain’s first cave diving attempt in 1934! Guided by your instructor, winding passages formed by water over millions of years take you through impressive chambers and bring you face-to-face with spectacular natural features like fossils and waterfalls.

Swildon’s Hole is a challenging advanced cave and you will get wet so we suggest trying a Caving session in Goatchurch Cavern first if you haven’t caved before.

Swildon's Hole sessions run occasionally throughout the year. Join our caving email list to know first about new caving sessions and future events.

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Mendip caving instructor guiding a participant through a narrow underground passage. A close-up look at Mendip Activity Centre’s supportive, confidence-building caving adventures in Somerset.

Large group of cavers in a spacious underground chamber, smiling and muddy after a Mendip caving session. A sociable, challenging experience that brings people together in the heart of Somerset’s Mendip Hills.

YOUTH GROUP ENQUIRY

Did you know?... Facts about Caves

According to Somerset legend, the Devil himself shaped the Mendip Hills when he carved up previously smooth fields into the rolling, rugged, gorge-streaked landscape of today. He flung earth from Cheddar Gorge into great piles that became Brent Knoll, as well as Flat Holm and Steep Holm out in the Bristol Channel.

Thanks to the Devil’s work (or geology), the Mendip Hills today make up a diverse landscape. Over the years they have grown layers of myth and fact, woven together into a rich tapestry of human and natural history just waiting to be discovered. In honour of the fascinating history of the Mendip Hills, here are some of our favourite stories and facts about this beautiful slice of Somerset:

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The oldest near-complete skeleton found in Britain, known as Cheddar Man, was discovered in Gough’s Cave in 1903. According to radiocarbon dating, Cheddar Man would have walked the rugged Mendip landscape during the Mesolithic period, a transitional time when humans started to shift from hunting and gathering and basic chipped-stone tool-making to agriculture and smooth-tool making.

In addition, Aveline’s Hole, located in Somerset on the northern edge of the Mendip Hills near Burrington Combe, is one of Britain’s most significant caves. Discovered in 1797, it contained numerous human remains and tools dating from the Mesolithic Period. Radiocarbon dating has identified it as the largest known Mesolithic Cemetery in Britain, and ongoing research continues to provide valuable insights into human prehistory.
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Cave tourism boomed in the 1800s and, like today, the Mendip Hills were the perfect place to go for an adventure. Show caves like Cox’s and Gough’s Caves and Wookey Hole became popular destinations, showcasing local myths and stunning natural features. Other sites like the Banwell Bone and Stalactite Caves revealed hundreds of prehistoric animal bones. They were believed to be evidence of the Great Flood from the Book of Genesis, inspiring the Bishop of Bath and Wells to create a unique display using the bones to tell the story of the Flood.
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In very old buildings, you may see traces of a roughly carved mark resembling two overlapping V’s, forming a W or M shape. These are known as witches marks, believed to ward off bad intentions. Usually placed at entry points to a building, these carvings have also been discovered in caves throughout the Mendips, like Goatchurch Cavern, suggesting that people who lived in the caves also practised this method of supernatural boundary-marking.