Facts about Cheddar

1. 07

   Over 70 species of bats inhabit Cheddar Gorge's caves, making it one of Britain's most important sites for bat conservation and research.

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2. 06

   Cheddar Gorge's caves have yielded over 40,000 artifacts from the Paleolithic period, making it one of Britain's richest archaeological sites for understanding early human settlement.

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3. 05

   Cheddar Gorge contains Gough's Cave, where archaeologists discovered a 14,700-year-old human skeleton in 1903, making it one of Britain's oldest known anatomically modern humans.

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4. 04

   Approximately 10 percent of all cheese produced in the United Kingdom today is still made in the Cheddar style, with the majority manufactured outside Somerset despite the protected geographical indication.

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5. 03

   Cheddar Gorge's 450-foot limestone cliffs were carved by the River Yeo over approximately 2 million years, creating one of England's most dramatic natural landscapes.

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6. 02

   In 1938, a 23-pound wheel of Cheddar cheese was discovered in Cheddar Gorge during construction work, estimated to be 4,700 years old.

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7. 01

   The village of Cheddar in Somerset has produced cheese since at least the 12th century, with records documenting its production by 1170.

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