The Mendip Hills National Landscape Team has launched a survey to field public opinion on an Experimental Traffic Regulation order in Cheddar Gorge, a popular tourist attraction and climbing venue in Somerset, which the busy Cliff Road (B3135) winds through. An order to close the road once a month is under consultation.
© Jake Webb, Jun 2020
The proposal follows feedback from local residents and business owners, who reported high volumes of traffic and anti-social driving in the area, and aims to improve visitors' safety and experience.
'We want to create an experience that is fitting for a naturally beautiful and significant visitor attraction like Cheddar Gorge,' the Mendip Hills team's post about the survey reads.
The order would see Cliff Road (B3135) closed to vehicles from Cheddar Caves to the Black Rock car park (see map below) once a month, enabling visitors to explore Gorge on foot or by bicycle more safely.
© Google Maps
A consultation period will run from Wednesday 31st January to Tuesday 12th March 2024. The team will share findings with the public at the end of this period.
The Mendip Hills team wrote on their website:
'This [survey] will help to shape the next steps agreed, so your feedback is important. This is only the beginning of our work. We hope through the proposed order we can improve the visitor experience and look forward to exploring more opportunities in the future. We will share any further updates on this website. You can also leave your email address in the feedback form to receive project updates.
'For further information, you can contact the project team on CheddarGorge@distinctivecomms.co.uk or call 0330 107 0535.'
Read more and take the survey here.
Comments
Note the current proposal is for trial closures once a month - not full time.
There's a slightly ambiguous detail that probably needs clarifying. The text refers to the bottom end of the closure as being at Cheddar Caves while the map shows it at Priest Rock car park; the latter is about 600 metres further up the gorge from the former and, from the 'being able to find somewhere to park' perspective, would probably be rather more practical as it would allow parking not only there but also in the High Rock car park and the other options lower down the gorge. It would also offer somewhere for traffic to turn round.
It's about ten miles away from me, and I'm probably there once a month or so through the year. I think the plans are too conservative but a start's better than nothing.
T.
In the survey it's specified as closure "from the first narrows" whatever that means. Just after Pride Evans would be my guess?
I think parking is going to be the crux of this, it's hard to see how it could work on a busy bank holiday or even just the average summer weekend. On the other hand at quieter times - especially those spring and summer evenings when the modders are ripping the place to shreds - it could be lovely.
The downside might be having to pay for the parking of course!
Ah. 'The Narrows' is the bit on and just after the bend below Sunset Buttress, ie just above Priest Rock CP - although I've no idea whether it's known as such outside the climbing world; I think that's the first place, as you go up the Gorge, where pedestrians and traffic are forced onto the same narrow bit of tarmac. The section above Pride Evans, under Wind Rock, is a bit more open and accommodating. A closure before Pride Evans would presumably be impractical as it would affect the coach parking thereabouts.
I suspect that you're right about the parking being crucial; on a busy day I think that, without these options in the lower part of the Gorge, the few car parks down in the village would struggle to cope.