Want to enjoy a traffic-free ride up (or down) Cheddar Gorge? Well, good news, the iconic Mendips road could soon be closed to all motor vehicles once a month as part of a new project to create more space for pedestrians and cyclists.
As we noted on our live blog earlier today, the Mendip Hills National Landscape Team is seeking feedback from the public about the proposal, an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) potentially being brought in to restrict access for vehicles once a month, freeing the road to cyclists and pedestrians.
If enacted Mendip Hills National Landscape Team believes the order would “give visitors the chance to enjoy the Gorge more safely” and also offer the opportunity for activities and events to be organised and held in Cheddar Gorge.
The order could see Cliff Road B3135 closed for the full stretch of the climb from the flat lower slopes to the Black Rock car park, meaning that while car parking and businesses in Cheddar would be unaffected, the road would be free of traffic.
“We want to create an experience that is fitting for a naturally beautiful and significant visitor attraction like Cheddar Gorge, as we’re aware of concerns about the volume of traffic and anti-social driving in the Gorge which people feel impacts safety and enjoyment of the area,” Jim Hardcastle, manager of Mendip Hills National Landscape said.
“The proposed order would allow people to experience the Gorge more safely and presents opportunities for events and activities to be held here to encourage enjoyment of one of Britain’s most spectacular natural landmarks.
“But this is only the beginning of our work and nothing is set in stone. We want to see how this will work at a small scale so we’d like to know when do people think the best time and day for the monthly traffic-free area, and will be looking closely at findings before we submit a formal application to the Highway Authority. We look forward to exploring more opportunities to improve the visitor experience.”
The consultation period runs from Wednesday 31 January to Tuesday 12 March 2024 and views on the proposal can be given on Mendip Hills National Landscape’s website where there is a survey.
29 thoughts on “Cyclists and pedestrians could enjoy traffic-free Cheddar Gorge once a month under new plan”
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So that would preclude bicycles, no?
I thought that too, but let’s
I thought that too, but let’s not begrudge an organisation that seemingly has a forward thinking plan it would like to implement for the sake of a technicality. Good luck to them!
From the linked web-page
From the linked web-page
We propose to use this order to temporarily close Cheddar Gorge to vehicular traffic, just once a month. This would allow walkers, cyclists and other visitors the chance to enjoy the Gorge more safely and enhance their visitor experience.
The experimental order is just that: it’s intended to test an approach to understand how it could address the feedback received during previous discussions.
When the order is in place, Cliff Road (B3135) would be closed to vehicles from Cheddar Caves to the Black Rock car park (see map below). This would allow visitors to enjoy the Gorge on foot, or by bicycle, more safely.
What about a luge?
What about a luge?
I’d like to see something
I’d like to see something like this in Eryri, particulary roads around Yr Wyddfa. Sounds like a great idea.
don simon fbpe wrote:
You’re not the only one! Local cyclists are hassled by aggressive, impatient drivers all year round, not just during the summer holidays. Only last Sunday one local who rode Ogwen etc titled the ride on Strava as per the attached screenshot.
From the footage I’ve seen, Cheddar Gorge looks a lovely place to ride a bike. But it must be a frustrating place to drive a car/SUV/truck/bus and you can’t appreciate scenery like that from inside a metal box. I would seriously consider visiting the area if I knew I could ride my bike there without the threat of being abused, close-passed or worse. Just one Sunday a month wouldn’t hurt…
There are a few other places where this would be wonderful. The most obvious one for me is the Horseshoe Pass above Llangollen. While it is admittedly an A-road, on Sunday mornings it’s mostly man-child ‘boy racers’ and bikers pretending it’s a WSB track (on the straighter sections, at least) who then stop at the Ponderosa and stare at each others’ vehicles. They could just go to their local Tesco to do that.
Cheddar gorge is a nice place
Cheddar gorge is a nice place for a ride but I’d go on a nice day either spring or autumn. I’ve driven it too but you actually can’t see any of the gorge properly unless you have a glass roof (or sort top).
However this is probably best for pedestrians. I imagine you’ll have to weave between them on a bike if they know the road is closed and whilst it would be great to descend traffic free but not if you were swap cars sticking to the left for people wandering all over the whole road.
TBH they might as well close the road to traffic full stop, it’s not like it goes anywhere that there aren’t better routes in a car.
festina wrote:
Ask the local farmers
Simon E wrote:
You’re not the only one! Local cyclists are hassled by aggressive, impatient drivers all year round, not just during the summer holidays. Only last Sunday one local who rode Ogwen etc titled the ride on Strava as per the attached screenshot.
From the footage I’ve seen, Cheddar Gorge looks a lovely place to ride a bike. But it must be a frustrating place to drive a car/SUV/truck/bus and you can’t appreciate scenery like that from inside a metal box. I would seriously consider visiting the area if I knew I could ride my bike there without the threat of being abused, close-passed or worse. Just one Sunday a month wouldn’t hurt…
There are a few other places where this would be wonderful. The most obvious one for me is the Horseshoe Pass above Llangollen. While it is admittedly an A-road, on Sunday mornings it’s mostly man-child ‘boy racers’ and bikers pretending it’s a WSB track (on the straighter sections, at least) who then stop at the Ponderosa and stare at each others’ vehicles. They could just go to their local Tesco to do that.— don simon fbpe
You make two very valid points concerning boy racers and road racing motorcyclists. When we are moving sheep or cattle about in trailers or on a tractor we get stick and its about road use. Then on the other foot if your climbing inclines with trailers laden and you meet a group of people cycling slowly its the same. Try it!
How about allowing the motor
How about allowing the motor traffic in one day per month instead?
That way, people who really have to drive aren’t unfairly excluded, because of course everyone else won’t just drive there if they didn’t have to…
chrisonabike wrote:
This is a farming area try applying commonsense and practicality here, Farmers and people like me who live in rural haven’t got all day to saunter about
Restricted to once a month I
Restricted to once a month I hope it doesn’t become dominated by sport cyclists, families ambling along on their bikes, child seats and trailers amongst pedestrians at little more than walking pace presents a pleasant picture but if it became a destination event for more sporting cyclists and ended up like the Richmond Park circuit on a Sunday morning it might be a much less pleasant experience for pedestrians.
But Richmond Park is
But Richmond Park is absolutely fine when there’s no motorists – there’s loads of space for all sorts of cyclists and pedestrians to share, as happens on Sawyers’ Hill every weekend now. It’s throwing motor traffic into the mix that causes the issues. It was glorious when they banned motor traffic from RP and I’m sure Cheddar Gorge will be glorious too.
As I found a few weeks ago it
As I found a few weeks ago it is extremely hard to cross the road due the constant stream of cyclists a high proportion travelling at speed, generally filling any gaps left by the (far too many cars). My experience was that they were in general less willing than car drivers to slow or stop to provide safe space to cross the road. Cyclists can be just as arrogant and entitled as motorists, though substantially less dangerous, after all their mid week mount may well be a BMW.
You had me at ” substantially
You had me at ” substantially less dangerous ” …
(We shouldn’t have to choose access / convenience / pleasantness OR safety of course, and yes – sometimes the UK’s “motorist’s utopia turned dystopia / dream gone bad” does indeed pull us in strange directions. The relatively tiny, disconnected bits of space not already claimed by the least efficient [ and more dangerous] transport mode are indeed sometime fought over by some strange survivors / escapees from the motor traffic…)
Robert Hardy wrote:
In more than forty years of cycling round Richmond Park I have honestly never once seen a car slow or stop to let someone across the road.
Robert Hardy wrote:
Well, I am probably one of what you call a “sport cyclist” although I find that an odd term – I’m just a cyclist, I don’t differentiate myself on my road bike to my friend who goes to RP on her cargo bike with her 3-year-old. We’re both cyclists who cycle at different speeds because of our choice of bike. I don’t and have never owned a car, and I suspect there’s a fair few other “sport cyclists” who do laps around the park who also don’t own cars, because we live in London and you can easily get away without one. I cycle more assertively when I’m around motor traffic, because it’s safer. Take away the traffic, as happened in lockdown, and the vast majority of people will be calmer.
Oh, and I’ve slowed to let pedestrians cross the road often in the park.
At the weekend those driving
At the weekend those driving motor vehicles in the restricted area – for example those going to White Lodge – are expected to drive at 10mph max with their hazard warning flashers on. Only a small number of motor vehicles seem to comply with this rule.
It would be so much better (and easier to enforce) if this rule applied at all times in all parts of the park which would also acknowledge the danger that motor vehicles present to other users of the park. It is a nature reserve after all.
I don’t know about Richmond
I don’t know about Richmond park and its hardly a farming area, but Cheddar has a real rural community and farmers need to get about 24/7 with livestock.
Robert Hardy wrote:
8% grade and steeper at the bottom, I think last time I went up was little more than walking pace, but I don’t see many families with kids on child seats riding up there.
wycombewheeler wrote:
As far as I can make out, the closed section will be mostly on the very shallow slopes after the steeper section out of Cheddar. Should be great for all ages.
I’m massively in favour of a
I’m massively in favour of a day-per-month closure so that the Gorge can be enjoyed without the roar of engines (esp. motorbikes). I agree that thought needs to be given to the mixing of pedestrians and faster (descending) cyclists though – unlike Richmond Park, there aren’t decent paths parallel to the road and visibility around bends is poor. People won’t spread out as in RP either – it’s a gorge after all. Perhaps calming measures approaching bends – those looking for a DH PB can come back on one of the other 29 or 30 days of the month.
Dnnnnnn wrote:
Traffic calming measures? Have you tried driving over speed humps or chicanes pulling a fully laden livestock trailer or tractor and trailer?
This isn’t Richmond or a urban area anf you need to apply a modicum of common sense and practicality.
This is long- overdue. Good
This is long- overdue. Good luck to them, I hope it works out and eventually gets extended.
Cheddar Gorge is a site of special scientific interest with rare Cheddar Pinks growing there, and of course the goats and sheep. It’s incredible that this magnificent location has been allowed to be ruined for visitors by the noise and fumes of vehicles for too long.
Amen. Average speed cameras
Amen. Average speed cameras at top and bottom would be a good addition, I went there once early on a spring morning and it was paradise, once on a summer afternoon and it was crammed with idiots with supercars and hot hatches treating it like a rally track. Superbikes (the motorised kind) were pretty bad too.
The gorge features towards
The gorge features towards the end of the UK Velo Somerset Sportive (previously known as Beyond Somerset), mostly pan-flat through the Somerset Levels, with this at the end.
As I wasn’t going to be troubling the KOM (ever), I stopped to take a couple of look-back/look-forward photos, it’s a great place, the vast stone walls make it feel a bit alpine-esque.
Worth a ride at least once if you’ve never been.
mark1a wrote:
Indeed a truely spectacular place to ride (up or down), much better than box hill. And the hill gets less steep as you get tired which is much nicer than a fierce kicker at the end.
I used to rider out from Bristol when I was there, ride down (stopping for photos, then ride back up)
Hi everyone. Interesting to
Hi everyone. Interesting to see the comments. If you’d like to share your views directly with the team, please take a couple of minutes to find out what’s proposed and fill in the survey or send an email (all in this link).
https://mendiphills-nl.org.uk/2024/01/31/cheddar-gorge-for-everyone-have-your-say-on-changes-to-access-in-cheddar-gorge/
Thank you.
You missed an opprtunity with
You missed an opprtunity with frequency of visits not including “never been but would/would consider if the road closed”.