What to See

Roe Deer

Redstart

Nuthatch

Common Rock-rose

 

At Velvet Bottom keep your eyes peeled for the archaeological footprints left behind by lead mining and the plants that grow in the lead spoil such as sandwort and alpine pennycress. Adder, common lizard, slow worm and grass snakes may be seen basking in the summer sun.

Long Wood is the most stunning ancient bluebell wood in the Cheddar complex. An easy walking trail will take you through spectacular displays of bluebells and the trail is dotted with other woodland flowers including orchids, wood anemone and yellow archangel, with the pervasive scent of wild garlic in the air in the spring.

Members of the tit family are the birds you’re most likely to see here, but both green and greater spotted woodpeckers and buzzards are often heard. Look out for the ‘badger gates’ in the walls which allow the badgers to move around and follow their tracks around the reserve. A stream runs through the north of the reserve before disappearing underground into the main cave, Long Wood swallet. Alongside the Mendip Way, as it begins to climb towards Tynings Farm, the flowers on the ‘orchid slope’ are visited by many insects, including marbled white and meadow brown butterflies.

At the top of Black Rock enjoy views across Mendip’s spectacular Cheddar Gorge and look out for redstarts on their summer migration. Peregrine falcons breed locally and can be spotted hunting over the reserve. Greater and lesser horseshoe bats may be glanced hunting at dusk and there are important butterflies including dark green fritillary, dingy skipper and green hairstreak. Dormice can be found in the coppice woodland using the nest boxes we attach to trees, along with yellow-necked mice and pygmy shrew.

About

Velvet Bottom

For many centuries Velvet Bottom was mined for lead and is now rough grassland, with areas of woodland and shrubs. Here you can see the scars of Mendip’s lead-mining heritage: Look out for the circular depressions that are the remains of buddle pits where the lead ore was washed. Dam walls at the west end enclose the flat settling beds which are high in lead content. Re-smelting resulted in heaps of black, shiny slag which can still be seen. Shrubs grow where the soils are relatively free of lead. In the valley floor rabbits create short turf, ideal for typical limestone flowers.

43 acres (17.4 ha)

 

Black Rock

Black Rock is made up of woodland, limestone grassland and conifers which we are replacing with broadleaf trees. Over 30 species per square metre have been recorded on the limestone grassland, including the nationally scarce spring cinquefoil. The bare limestone rock outcrops, cliffs and screes support important plants including the nationally scarce angular Solomon’s-seal, limestone fern, rock stonecrop and Cheddar bedstraw. The nationally scarce large chrysalis snail and ash-black slug can be found here, along with slug pill woodlouse and distinctive long legged harvestman. It is a valuable Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI.)

Please take care when visiting Black Rock:

• There is an abandoned quarry on the drove so beware of rock falls
• No rock climbing
• Pay attention to safety signs

181 acres (73.3 ha.)

Long Wood

Long Wood is Somerset Wildlife Trust’s oldest nature reserve, managed by us since 1969. It is an ancient woodland some of which formed part of the holdings of the Carthusian monks of Witham priory in medieval times. Along the valley path, the humid conditions encourage the growth of moisture loving plants, including opposite-leaved golden saxifrage, and many ferns and mosses. The uncommon herb Paris is found in abundance on the western side of the wood. Most of the wood is semi-natural mainly ash and hazel, but in the early 1950’s much of the wood was clear-felled and replanted with beech and some conifers. In many parts of the wood the native trees have grown again from seed and the cut stumps. Our long term aim is to remove the planted beech and conifers to encourage ash, hazel, sallow and other trees and shrubs that grow naturally on Mendip. It is a valuable Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI.)

47 acres (19.2 ha.)

Location & Access

Information Leaflets

Information leaflets about the Cheddar reserves can be picked up at Black Rock Gate.

Velvet Bottom

Park at ST482 545 and follow directions on reserve sign or park at ST 502 555 and walk down the footpath to the south west.

Map:

Download a map of  Velvet Bottom (PDF Size: 58kb)

Opening:

Open access, all year round.

How to get there:

See Black Rock and Ubley Warren

Grid Reference: ST496 552

Black Rock Gate

There are footpaths and nature trails from ST 482 545.

Please take care when visiting Black Rock:

• There is an abandoned quarry on the drove so beware of rock falls
• No rock climbing
• Pay attention to safety signs

Map:

Download a map of the Black Rock Gate (PDF Size: 66kb)

Opening:

Open access, all year round.

How to get there:

By road:

The site lies on either side of the B3135 2km (1.2miles) north-east of Cheddar where limited parking is available.

Coaches and minibuses are advised to drop passengers at Black Rock Gate.

By bicycle:

National Cycle Network routes pass a mile to the east (through Charterhouse) and south-west (through Cheddar) of Black Rock.

Grid Reference: ST 483 544.

Long Wood

Access from ST 482 545 up Black Rock Drove, heading north up the West Mendip Way, keeping left at the fork to Velvet Bottom. A circular permissive path and Nature Trail will take you around the wood (a trail leaflet is normally available at Black Rock Gate.)

The paths are often wet, muddy and slippery and you are not advised to use the valley path when the stream is in flood. Please keep dogs under control and note that no cycling or riding is permitted on the reserve. Do not enter the swallet or cave entrances.

Map:

Download a map of the Long Wood (PDF Size: 61kb)

Opening:

Open access, all year round.

How to get there:

By road:

Park at Black Rock Gate on the B3135 Cheddar Gorge road (ST 482 545).

Coaches and minibuses are advised to drop passengers at Black Rock Gate.

By bicycle:

National Cycle Network routes pass a mile to the east (through Charterhouse) and south-west (through Cheddar) of Black Rock.

Grid Reference: ST 487 551.

Events Nearby

Click the following link for a full list of Somerset wildlife events