Discover more at Cheddar Gorge
Find out how to get to Cheddar Gorge, where to park, the things to see and do and more.
Top of the Gorge Adventure Weekend
Discover more about our annual Top of the Gorge Adventure Weekend, where the whole family can take part in a range of fun activities.
6-8 June
Top of the Gorge 2025
The Top of the Gorge activity weekend celebrates getting active in the Mendip Hills National Landscape. This year the festival will host the Cheddar Gorge Challenge, Mendip Murmuration, Lakes and Lumps and the Gorge Explorers hiking trail. Camping is available across the whole weekend and a variety of daytime and evening activities for participants and spectators will be running across the three days.
Our team of rangers will be hosting a fireside chat on Friday evening, discussing the topic ‘Saving nature in the South West.' There will be a chance to hear about the National Trust’s conservation projects first hand and ask questions about how it’s all done.
Throughout the day on Saturday, the National Trust will be hosting a Hell Raiser fundraising challenge, to raise money to replace ‘Hell’s Steps’ in Cheddar Gorge. The event will be a series of physical challenges for both adults and children with the chance to get onto our leaderboard.
Saturday evening will be a chance to listen to guest speakers as well as try out our virtual reality headsets for the first time. Stand at the top of Cheddar Gorge, Crook Peak and more. You can even visit the beavers in Exmoor.
These additional activities don’t need to be booked and will be running throughout the weekend for free - we look forward to seeing you there.
The trail running, mountain biking and road cycling events all need to be pre-booked and are being delivered by our wonderful third- party providers, see the links below to book.
Guest speakers for the weekend
On Friday evening we have professional astronomer Jo Richardson from Space Detectives giving a talk about stargazing and the night sky, complete with telescopes. Besides Space Detectives, Jo is the resident astronomer for Exmoor National Park (Britain's original Dark Sky Reserve) and runs Wild About Exmoor, taking people on stargazing experiences and guided walks across the moor, plus telescope and astrophotography courses.
On Saturday we have Fatima Painda. Originally from Afghanistan, Fatima is an ultrarunner who has recently run the 150km Trans Sahara marathon in Morocco and the CCC at the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, and an ambassador for Free to Run, a charity that helps empower women to run in countries where conflict, poverty and gender discrimination make it very tough. She's partway through a bid to run 26 races in different cities / regions around the world (one for each letter in the alphabet) to raise money for Free to Run programmes, and raise awareness of women's plight in her Taliban-controlled homeland.
Also on Saturday eve, Ollie Cain, who runs the Pedal Progression bike shop at Ashton Court in Bristol, will give a talk about Trash Free Trails, a community group for mountain bikers, trail runners and walkers, which organises group rides and clean-up days.
| Friday | |
| 2pm | Campsite opens |
| 5 - 6pm | Happy hour |
| 6 - 7.30pm | Fireside Chat: Saving Nature in the South West |
| Saturday | |
| 7.30am | Lake and Lumps registration Opens |
| 8am | Mendip Murmuration registration Opens |
| 10am | Top of the Gorge Walking Challenge registration Opens |
| 11 - 12pm | Hell Raiser: Fundraising Challenge (children) |
| 1 - 2pm | Happy Hour and music |
| 2 - 4pm | Hell Raiser: Fundraising Challenge (adults) |
| 5 - 6pm | Guest Speaker Fatima Painda |
| 6 - 8pm | VR headset nature tours |
| Sunday | |
| 10am | Relish Running Races first start times |
| 11 - 12pm | Hell Raiser: Fundraising Challenge (children) |
| 4pm | Festival ends |
Cycling events
Mendips Lakes and Lumps Ride
Covering a total of 43 miles, this ride is designed to be a physical challenge but is also intended to appeal to as many people as possible.
To book a place on this activity, click here.
Mendip Murmuration
Bikers of a feather flock together, and the Mendip Murmuration mixed-terrain MTB sportive event, hosted by Channel UK Events CIC, is set to prove that. Challenge riders will explore an undulating route around Cheddar’s hills and lanes.
To book a place on this activity, click here.
Challenging trail runs
Jaw-dropping views reward those who take part in the challenging trail runs around Cheddar Gorge. Start off at the hub-site and take part in a marathon, half marathon, 10km, 6km or 3km.
To book a place on this activity, click here.
Top of the Gorge Walking Challenge
Come and explore Cheddar Gorge during the new walking challenge taking place as part of the Top of the Gorge Weekend of Adventure on Saturday 7 June. The course is 8.25 miles long and traces the edge of England's largest gorge, which boasts the country's tallest inland cliffs. The route also features views across the Somerset Levels to Glastonbury Tor, Brent Knoll, The Quantock Hills and Crook Peak. It will be a great experience to enjoy with friends or family, and entry includes a brew and a cake at the Cheddar Bakery. Hurry, though - entries are strictly limited to 200.
Camp under the stars at Warren Farm
Spend a night camping in the luscious landscape of Warren Farm after your event. Bookings at the below link.
To book a place on the Warren Farm campsite, click here.
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