| Mendip Hills | |
|---|---|
The Mendip Hills as seen fromCrook Peak nearCompton Bishop | |
Location of the Mendip Hills in theUnited Kingdom | |
| Location | Somerset, England |
| Coordinates | 51°18′N2°44′W / 51.300°N 2.733°W /51.300; -2.733 |
| Length | 30 km (19 mi) |
| Width | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Area | 200 km2 (77 sq mi) |
| Established | 1972 |
| Governing body | Mendip Hills AONB Partnership |
| Website | www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk |
TheMendip Hills (commonly called theMendips) is a range oflimestone hills to the south ofBristol andBath inSomerset, England. Running fromWeston-super-Mare and theBristol Channel in the west to theFrome valley in the east, the hills overlook theSomerset Levels to the south and theChew Valley and other tributaries of theAvon to the north.[1] The highest point, at 325 metres (1,066 ft) above sea level, is Beacon Batch which is the summit area atopBlack Down. The hills gave their name to the former local government district ofMendip, which administered most of the local area until April 2023.[2] The higher, western part of the hills, covering 198 km2 (76 sq mi) has been designated anArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which gives it a level of protection comparable to anational park.[3]
The hills are largely formed fromCarboniferous Limestone, which is quarried at several sites.Ash–maple woodland,calcareous grassland andmesotrophic grassland which can be found across the Mendip Hills provide nationally important semi-natural habitats. With theirtemperate climate these support a range of flora and fauna including birds, butterflies and small mammals. Thedry stone walls that divide the pasture into fields are of botanical importance as they support important populations of the nationally scarcewall whitlowgrass (Draba muralis).
Mendip has seen human activity sincePalaeolithic andMesolithic times with a range of artefacts being recovered from caves.Neolithic,Iron Age, andBronze Age features such asbarrows are numerous with over 200scheduled ancient monuments recorded. There is evidence of mining in the Mendips dating back to the late Bronze Age, which increased after the Roman invasion, particularly for lead and silver aroundCharterhouse. The difficult conditions in the area were noted byWilliam Wilberforce in 1789, which inspiredHannah More to begin her work improving the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers. In the 18th and early 19th centuries 7,300 ha (18,000 acres) of the common heathland on the hills wereenclosed. In World War II a bombing decoy was constructed on top ofBlack Down at Beacon Batch. More recently, the mast of theMendip transmitting station,micro-hydroelectric turbines and awind turbine have been installed.
There are severalquarries on the Mendip Hills. Some of the stone is still carried byMendip Rail; the other railways in the area closed in the 1960s. Although the RomanFosse Way crossed the hills, the main roads generally avoid the higher areas and run along the bottom of the scarp slope on the north and south of the hills. The western end of the hills is crossed by theM5 motorway andA38. Further east, and running almost north to south, are theA37 andA39. A wide range of outdoor sports and leisure activities take place in the Mendips, many based on the particular geology of the area. The hills are recognised as a national centre forcaving andcave diving, as well as being popular with climbers, hillwalkers and natural historians.Wookey Hole Caves and some of the caves inCheddar Gorge are open asshow caves; however, many of thecaves of the Mendip Hills are only accessible to members of caving clubs. Long-distance footpaths include theMendip Way andLimestone Link.
There has been a great deal of debate, over the course of decades if not centuries, about the provenance and meaning of the toponym 'Mendip', and as late as 2000, two leading place-name scholars felt able to remark that "Mendip is probably best regarded as unsolved".[4] However, an idea put forward in a 1986 paper, by one of the UK's leading academic place-name researchers, seems to have regrettably fallen beneath the radar, and has not had the widespread currency that it deserves. The author of the article was Richard Coates, now Emeritus Professor of Linguistics at the University of the West of England. Following a review of earlier evidence, Prof. Coates suggested that Mendip is a hybrid name, part British and part Old English. He posits a first elementmönïð, from Primitive Welsh, meaning 'a hill', and Old Englishyppe, 'a hunting dais'. The strong sense of the word in its entirety is 'an upland area used for hunting'.[5] The logic and elegance of this explanation is extremely clear - the Mendip plateau had been used explicitly as a hunting ground by the Anglo-Saxon kings, something strikingly reinforced by the (possibly apocryphal) story of King Edmund, in the middle of the 10th century, escaping death by a whisker as the stag he was chasing plunged to its death over Cheddar Gorge, his own horse only pulling up short at the last minute on the very lip of the cliff. The Normans placed Mendip under Forest Law for the same reason.
The rockstrata known as the Carboniferous Limestone were laid down during theearly Carboniferous Period, about 320–350 million years ago.[6] Subsequently, much of northwestern Europe underwentcontinental collision throughout the latePaleozoic Era, culminating in the final phases of theVariscan orogeny near the end of the Carboniferous, 300 million years ago. Thistectonic activity produced a complex suite of mountain and hill ranges across what is now southern Ireland, south-western England,Brittany, and elsewhere in western Europe.[7]


As a result of the Variscan mountain-building, the Mendip area now comprises at least fouranticlinalfold structures, with an east–west trend, each with a core of olderDevonian sandstone andSilurianvolcanic rocks.[8][9] The latter are quarried for use in road construction and as a concrete aggregate.[10] The Mendips were considerably higher and steeper 200 to 300 million years ago,[11] and subsequenterosion has resulted in varying geological features including gorges, dry valleys,screes,swallets and others typical ofkarst landscapes. Beneath the southernescarpment and plateau arecaves. There are also areas oflimestone pavement and other karst features. Dissolution of the limestone produced many of the gorges includingCheddar Gorge andBurrington Combe.Springs are a common feature of the eastern part of the hills, a number of which have associatedtufa deposits.[10]
Black Down is amoorland area, with its steeper slopes covered inbracken (Pteridium) and its flattersummit inheather (Calluna) and grasses rather than the pasture which covers much of the plateau.[12] The main body of the range is an extended plateau, 6–8 km (3.7–5.0 mi) wide and generally about 240 metres (790 ft) above sea level.[13]
In some places lead and zincores have mineralised the limestone and thedolomiticconglomerate. From the time ofRoman Britain until 1908, the hills were an important source of lead.[14] These areas were the centre of a major mining industry in the past and this is reflected in areas of contaminated rough ground known locally as "gruffy". The word "gruffy" is thought to derive from the grooves that were formed where the lead ore was extracted fromveins near the surface.[15] Other commodities obtained includedcalamine (zinc ore),manganese, iron, copper andbaryte.[16] The eastern area reaches into parts of theSomerset Coalfield.[17]
North and east of the Mendips the Carboniferous Limestone layers are found in the subsurface and are exposed inAvon Gorge, and are overlain by younger strata inDundry Hill and theCotswolds,[18][19] whereoolitic limestone ofJurassic age is found at the surface. West of the main Mendip plateau the Carboniferous Limestone continues inBleadon Hill andBrean Down, and on the islands ofSteep Holm andFlat Holm in theBristol Channel.[20]
The hills gave their name to the rare mineralmendipite, anoxohalide oflead withchlorine with formula Pb3Cl2O2 which was first described in the area. A sample of mendipite was found at the head ofEbbor Gorge.[21]
Along with the rest ofSouth West England, the Mendip Hills have atemperate climate that is generally wetter and milder than the rest of England. The annual mean temperature is about 10 °C (50 °F) with seasonal anddiurnal variations, but the modifying effect of the sea restricts the range to less than that in most other parts of the United Kingdom. January is the coldest month, with mean minimum temperatures between 1 and 2 °C (34 and 36 °F). July and August are the warmest, with mean daily maxima around 21 °C (70 °F).[22] In general, December is the dullest month and June the sunniest. The south-west of England enjoys a favoured location, particularly in summer, when theAzores High extends its influence north-eastwards towards the UK.[23]
Cumulus cloud often forms inland, especially near hills, and reduces exposure to sunshine. The average annual sunshine is about 1,600 hours. Rainfall tends to be associated with Atlanticdepressions or with convection. In summer, convection caused by solar surface heating sometimes forms shower clouds, and a large proportion of the annual precipitation falls from showers and thunderstorms at this time of year. Average rainfall is around 800–900 mm (31–35 in). About 8–15 days ofsnowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, with June to August having the lightest; the prevailing wind direction is from the south-west.[22]
A combination of the rainfall and geology leads to an estimated average daily runoff from springs and boreholes of some 330,000 m3 (72 million imperial gallons). Bristol Waterworks Company (nowBristol Water) recognised the value of this resource and between 1846 and 1853 created a series of tunnels, pipes, and aqueducts called the "Line of Works", which still carry approximately 18,200 m3 (4 million imperial gallons) of water a day toBarrow Gurney Reservoirs forfiltration and then on to Bristol and the surrounding areas. This collection and conveyance of water from theChewton Mendip andEast andWest Harptree areas is accomplished by the effect of gravity on the runoff.[11] Water from the Mendips is also collected inCheddar Reservoir, which was constructed in the 1930s and takes water from the springs in Cheddar Gorge.[24]



The area hosts three semi-natural habitats of national importance:ash–maple woodland (Fraxinus spp. andAcer spp.) often with abundantsmall-leaved lime (Tilia cordata),calcareous grassland andmesotrophic grassland.[10]
Much of the Mendips is open calcareous grassland, supporting a widevariety of flowering plants and insects. Some parts aredeciduousancient woodland, and some have been used intensively for arable agriculture, particularly since World War I. As the demand for arable land in Britain declined, some areas were returned to grassland, but the use of fertilisers and herbicides has reduced biodiversity.[10] Grazing by rabbits, sheep and cattle maintains the grassland habitat.
Of the many bird species found in the Mendips, theperegrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), which has gradually recolonised the area since the 1980s, is particularly significant. It breeds on sea and inland cliffs and on the faces of active and disused quarries. The upland heaths of the west Mendips have recently increased in ornithological importance due to colonisation by theDartford warbler (Sylvia undata), which can be found at Black Down andCrook Peak. In Britain, this species is usually associated with lowland heath. The woodlands atStock Hill are a breeding site fornightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus) andlong-eared owls (Asio otus). The Waldegrave Pool, part ofPriddy Mineries, is an important site fordragonflies, includingdowny emerald (Cordulia aenea) andfour-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata). Waldegrave Pool is the only Mendip breeding site for downy emerald dragonflies.[10] In 2007 the first confirmed sighting of ared kite (Milvus milvus) on the Mendips was made at Charterhouse.[25]
A range of important small mammals are found in the area, including thehazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) and bats. The hazel dormouse is restricted largely tocoppice woodland and scrub, while the bats, including the nationally rarelesser (Rhinolophus hipposideros) andgreater horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum), have a number of colonies in buildings, caves, and mines. A rare and endangered species, the greater horseshoe bat is protected under theWildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and is listed in Annex II of the 1992European Community Habitats Directive.[26] Amphibians such as thegreat crested newt (Triturus cristatus) have a wide distribution across the Mendips and are often found in flooded disused quarries.
Several rare butterflies are indigenous to the area, including the nationally scarcepearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne),Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina), andwhite-letter hairstreak (Satyrium w-album). Thelarge blue butterfly (Maculinea arion) became extinct in the hills in the late 1970s.[10] Thewhite-clawed crayfish is also nationally rare and is a declining species with small populations in a tributary of theMells River and theRiver Chew.[27]
Thedry stone walls that divide the pasture into fields are a well-known feature of the Mendips. Constructed from local limestone in an "A frame" design, the walls are strong yet contain no mortar; many have been neglected and allowed to disintegrate, or have been replaced or contained by a mix of barbed wire and sheep fencing. These dry-stone walls are of botanical importance as they support important populations of the nationally scarcewall whitlowgrass (Draba muralis).[28] Amongst the plants which occur in the area are theCheddar pink (Dianthus gratianopolitanus),purple gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum),white rock-rose (Helianthemum apenninum),Somerset hair-grass (Koeleria vallesiana), andstarved wood-sedge (Carex depauperata).[10]

TwentyPalaeolithic sites have been identified in the Mendips, of which eleven representfaunal remains andlithic artefacts recovered from caves. The remaining eight sites refer to surface lithic discoveries, and the artefacts found include points, scrapers, and handaxes. Twenty-sevenMesolithic finds are represented by flint and chert lithics.[29] Large numbers of artefacts have been found nearNeolithic,Iron Age, andBronze Age features, such as thebarrows and forts aroundPriddy and atDolebury Warren.[30] The caves of Cheddar Gorge have yielded many archaeological remains, as flood waters have washed artefacts and bones into the caves and preserved them in silt. TheCheddar Man, Britain's oldest complete skeleton, was found inGough's Cave, part of theCheddar Complex.[31]
Within the Mendip Hills AONB, good evidence exists for 286 definite examples of round barrows,[32] including thePriddy Nine Barrows and Ashen Hill Barrow Cemeteries.[33][34][35] TheHistoric England Archive holds over 1,200 entries for the area, and there are over 600listed buildings,[36] in addition to over 200scheduled ancient monuments.[37] These protected monuments range from prehistoric barrows and hillforts to the Black Down bombing decoy from the Second World War.[36]
Settlement on the Mendip Hills appears to fall into two types. The first, apparent in the Neolithic andBronze Age Britain periods, and repeated on a small scale in the Middle Ages and post-medieval era, comprised occupation by self-sufficient groups in small communities or isolated farms. The second was represented in theIron Age Britain andRoman periods by large sites with specialist functions, existing by virtue of their ability to exert power over lowland producers. From the Iron Age onward the ownership of land took on increasing importance, with large landholdings based on the mines or on stock grazing, denying settlers access to the plateau or forcing them off the hills.[38]
There is evidence of mining dating back to the late Bronze Age, when there were technological changes in metal-working indicating the use of lead. The Roman invasion, and possibly the preceding period of involvement in the internal affairs of the south of England, was inspired, in part, by the mineral wealth of the Mendips.[39]
William Wilberforce's visit to Cheddar in 1789, during which he saw the poor circumstances of the locals, inspiredHannah More to begin her work improving the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers.[40] Under her influence, schools were built and children were formally instructed in reading and Christian doctrine. Between 1770 and 1813 some 7,300 ha (18,000 acres) of land on the hills were enclosed, mainly with dry stone walls that today form a key part of the landscape. In 2006 funding was obtained to maintain and improve the walls, which had steadily deteriorated over the years.[41]

In World War II, a bombing decoy was constructed on top of Black Down at Beacon Batch in an attempt to confuse bombers aiming to damage the city of Bristol, and piles of stones (known ascairns) were created to prevent enemy aircraft using the hilltop as a landing site.[42]
In the 1960s, the tallest mast in the region at 293 metres (961 ft) above ground level, theMendip UHF television transmitter, was installed onPen Hill nearWells, one of the highest points of the Mendips.[43] The transmitter's antenna rises to almost 589 metres (1,932 ft) above sea level.
Since 2003, arguments have raged over plans to erect awind turbine near Chewton Mendip. The proposal was initially rejected by Mendip District Council, with the support of a range of local groups and organisations, on the grounds that the environmental impact on the edge of the AONB outweighed the amount of electricity which would be generated. In April 2006, however, a planning enquiry gaveEcotricity permission to build a 102 m (335 ft) turbine during the following year.[44][45]
The western end of the Mendip Hills has, since 1972, been designated anArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) under theNational Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.[46][47] The Mendip Society, which was formed in 1965, helps to raise awareness of this designation and protect the area.[48] The society runs a programme of guided walks and educational presentations. The society also has a small grants fund to assist communities with the conservation and enhancement of the landscape and to encourage its enjoyment and celebration.[49]
As their landscapes have similar scenic qualities, AONBs may be compared to thenational parks of England and Wales. In contrast to national parks, which have their own authorities and legal power to prevent unsympathetic development, very few statutory duties are imposed on the local authorities within an AONB. However, further regulation and protection of AONBs was added by theCountryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.[50]
The Mendip Hills Partnership, which performs an administrative role, includes the five local authorities that cover the AONB, statutory bodies such asNatural England, together with parish councils and other organisations and groups that have an interest in the conservation and care of the area. The Mendip Hills AONB staff unit of the partnership is based at theCharterhouse Centre in the heart of the AONB. The AONB Unit consists of four staff: a manager, project officer, support officer and part-time planning officer and fixed term project officers. They are supported by volunteer rangers.[51] In 2005 a proposal was submitted to theCountryside Agency to extend the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to Steep Holm and Brean Down in the west and towardsFrome in the east.[52]
Many of the villages on the Mendips have their ownparish councils, which have some responsibility for local issues. Local people also elect councillors to district councils or to unitary authorities. The 198 km2 (76 sq mi) of the AONB are split across four districts:Mendip District Council 87.67 km2 (33.8 sq mi),Sedgemoor District Council 34.03 km2 (13.1 sq mi),Bath and North East Somerset Council 36.95 km2 (14.3 sq mi), andNorth Somerset Council 39.35 km2 (15.2 sq mi).[3]
The population on the higher plateau is widely dispersed in small farms and hamlets, although rather than working in agriculture or forestry, most people now commute to employment in surrounding cities and towns. The largest village on the plateau on the western Mendips isPriddy, which had a population of 624 at the2011 census[53] along with the smaller hamlet ofCharterhouse.[10] The larger villages and towns are on the lower slopes of the western hills, often in river valleys.Axbridge, with a population of 2,057,[54] andCheddar (5,755),[54] both within the Sedgemoor district, together with the Mendip town ofShepton Mallet (10,369)[55] and the city ofWells (10,636)[56] are along the southern border of the hills. The North Somerset parishes ofBlagdon (1,116),[57] and the parishes ofCompton Martin (508),[58]East Harptree (644)[59] andWest Harptree (439),[60] lie along the northern edge.
Further east are the towns ofMidsomer Norton andRadstock and the village ofPaulton (population 5,302)[61] within theunitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset.
In the middle of the 1st century, ancient tracks across the hills were superseded by the RomanFosse Way, from Bath toIlchester, a branch of which served the Charterhouse lead mines.[62]Stratton-on-the-Fosse andLydford-on-Fosse, two villages of the Mendips, reflect the arrival of this new road. Much of the high plateau, however, remained uncultivated and unenclosed until the 18th century, resulting in many roads remaining as narrow winding lanes between high banks and hedges or stone walls. Where the tracks had their origins asdrovers roads, they typically become open roads with wide verges.[63] The roads tend to follow the line of gorges and valleys, as at Cheddar Gorge.
The more major of the current roads often started asturnpikes in the 16th century. These avoid the highest areas of the hills. To the north of the western part of the Mendips, theA368 separates the hills from theChew Valley,[citation needed] while on the southern edge theA371 similarly runs along the bottom of the scarp slope between the hills and theSomerset Levels.[citation needed] The western end of the hills is crossed by theM5 motorway with access at junctions 21 and 22, along with theA38. Further east, and running almost north to south, are theA37,A39,A36 and theA361.
During the late 19th and early 20th century, theBristol and North Somerset Railway ran roughly parallel to the A37. Further south and west, theCheddar Valley Line andWrington Vale Light Railway, branches of theBristol and Exeter Railway, served towns and villages from Cheddar to Wells.[64][65] In the east, theSomerset and Dorset Joint Railway ran south fromBath intoDorset, and also served Wells. These have all now closed, butMendip Rail has freight lines to carry limestone from thequarries of the Mendip Hills. There is also theEast Somerset Railway which is an operationalheritage railway. TheSomerset Coal Canal reached some of the pits of theSomerset Coalfield in the eastern end of the Mendips.[66][67][68][69][70]

In recent centuries the Mendips, like the Cotswolds to the north, have been quarried for stone to build the cities of Bath and Bristol, as well as smaller towns in Somerset. The quarries are now major suppliers of road stone to southern England,[71] among them producing around twelve million tonnes of limestone every year, employing over two thousand people, and turning over approximately £150 million per annum.[72]

There are two main rock types on the Mendips: the Devonian sandstones visible around Blackdown andDownhead and the Carboniferous Limestones, which dominate the hills and surround the older rock formations.[29] There are nine active quarries and a host of disused sites, several of which have been designated asgeological Sites of Special Scientific Interest by English Nature. Because of the effect quarrying has on the environment and local communities, a campaign has been started to halt the creation of any new quarries and to restrict the activities and expansion of the existing ones.[73]
The Mendips are home to a wide range of outdoor sports and leisure activities, includinghunting, caving, climbing, andabseiling. The rich variety of fauna and flora also makes it attractive for hillwalking and those interested in natural history.[74][75]
Mendip Activity Centre is set in the Mendip Hills and is one of the largest outdoor activity centres in the South West. It is a key part of the local tourism community bringing significant revenue and visitor numbers each year, welcoming 10,000s of visitors. They have a thriving outdoor education program with schools, delivering school residentials. Families and individuals take part in activities including skiing and snowboarding, climbing and abseiling, kayaking and paddle boarding, caving, archery, air rifle, tobogganing and disc golf.[76] Their pop-up campsite, Mendip Basecamp, opened to the public in 2020 and in 2023 was named Gold Campsite at the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards.[77]

Large areas of limestone on the Mendips have been worn away by water, making the hills a national centre forcaving. Some of the caves have been known about since the establishment of the Mendip lead mining industry in Roman times. However, many have been discovered or explored only in the 20th century.[78] Specialist equipment and knowledge is required to visit the vast majority of the caves, but Cheddar Gorge andWookey Hole Caves are twoshow caves which are easily accessible to the public. The active Mendip Caving Group and other local caving organisations organise trips and continue to discover new caverns.
The Hills conceal the largest underground river system in Britain;[79] attempts to move from one cave to another through the underground rivers led to the development ofcave diving in Britain. The first cave dive was attempted atSwildon's Hole in 1934, and the first successful dive was achieved the following year at Wookey Hole Caves, which has the deepestsump in Britain at 76 m (249 ft).[80] The cave complexes atSt. Dunstan's Well Catchment,[81]Lamb Leer,[82] andPriddy Caves[83] have been identified as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.The deepest cave in the Mendip Hills isCharterhouse Cave with a vertical range of 220 m (722 ft).[84]
Many caves in the Mendip area were excavated for archaeological and natural history studies by pioneer explorerHerbert E. Balch and were photographed by the early caver Harry Savory at the start of the 20th century usingcameras,glass plates andflash powder.[85]

Several sites on the Mendips are designated asopen access land, and there are manyfootpaths andbridleways that are generally clearly marked.
TheLimestone Link is a 58-kilometre (36 mi)long-distance footpath from the Mendips to the Cotswolds, and theMendip Way covers 80 km (50 mi) fromWeston-super-Mare to Frome. The western section runs from theBristol Channel atUphill Cliff, affording views over the Somerset Levels, crosses the central Mendip plateau leading down to Cheddar Gorge, and then continues to Wells and Frome.[86] The much longerMonarch's Way runs for 990 km (620 mi), fromWorcester toShoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex. It closely follows the route taken byCharles II after his defeat at theBattle of Worcester in 1651. The route enters Somerset near Chewton Mendip and crosses the Mendip Hills heading for Wells.[87] A shorter local path, the 72-kilometre (45 mi) long Mendip Pub Trail, connects six pubs owned by Butcombe Brewery. The trail runs fromHinton Blewett through Priddy, Axbridge,Bleadon,Rowberrow, and Compton Martin.[88]
Various forms of oval short-track racing, including F1 and F2stock cars,[89] have taken place atMendips Raceway since 1969.[90] The track is located on Warrens Hill Road, on the rim ofBatts Combe quarry betweenShipham and Charterhouse.
Thomas Hardy described the Mendips as "a range of limestone rocks stretching from the shores of the Bristol Channel into the middle of Somersetshire", and several of his books refer to the Mendips or sites on the hills.[91] According to legend,Augustus Montague Toplady was inspired to write the words of the hymn "Rock of Ages" while sheltering under a rock in Burrington Combe during athunderstorm in 1763; there is a metal plaque marking the site.[92][93]
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