Cheddar Gorge & Cheddar Caves

Dramatic Scenery for Henrietta's House by Elizabeth Goudge

The Mendip Hills and Cheddar Gorge are Goudge’s setting for the carriage adventure. Here is a stunning scene of these “blue hills” around Wells from Wells.co.uk

“Below and around him stretched a sort of frozen sea of toppling crags like crested waves, with the purple of the heather shining in the hollows of them. From this frozen sea the great hills fell away to the world below…”

🌿 Elizabeth Goudge, Henrietta's House

Take a look at the amazing scenery around the village of Cheddar, UK that inspired three surprising things: Elizabeth Goudge’s fairytale Henrietta’s House, JRR Tolkien’s Helms Deep in the The Lord of the Rings, and also, as you may have guessed—cheddar cheese!

We will take a look both above and below ground in the beautiful West Country, hear from Goudge’s own descriptions of the area, and also learning some fascinating natural history. Join us!

Cheddar Gorge: the world above ground

Cheddar Gorge is Britain’s largest limestone gorge. Photo by Visit Wells

The crags of Cheddar Gorge rise up just west of Wells (aka Torminster) and provide stunning curving roads and paths.

But how did these amazing rock formations come to be here in the West Country of England?