Lodges Near Cheddar

Limestone cliffs rise 137 metres above the road, feral goats pick their way along the ledges and the tearooms at the bottom of the gorge are putting the kettle on. That’s Cheddar on a sunny morning. The village sits on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, with Britain’s biggest gorge on one side, the flat green Levels on the other and the Strawberry Line trail running right through it. Climb Jacob’s Ladder before breakfast, buy a truckle of cave-aged cheese at lunchtime, then head back to a lodge with your private hot tub already warming up.

We’ve picked six lodges near Cheddar, from luxury eco lodges a few minutes from the cliffs to farm lodges out on the Levels with views of Glastonbury Tor. Five have hot tubs, and five welcome pets.

Cheddar lodges with hot tubs: which park suits you?

Every park below is within 20 minutes by car, though summer weekends can add a few minutes.

Cheddar Woods Resort and Spa

Driving Distance: About 3 minutes (1.1 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 8 | Hot tubs? Yes | Pet friendly? Yes

This is the big one, and the place most people mean when they search for Cheddar Woods lodges. Set on the hillside of the Mendips with long views over the Somerset countryside, the resort is part of the Go Active collection, so you can swim, climb and play football on site, then wind down in the five-star spa. Book from the Premier range and you’ll get a private hot tub on your own deck.

The larger lodges sleep up to eight. It’s the easiest pick for families and groups, and guests rate it 4.5 out of 5.

Combe Hay at Strawberryfield Park

Driving Distance: About 2 minutes (0.4 miles) | Sleeps: 2 | Hot tubs? Yes | Pet friendly? No | Adults only

Strawberryfield Park is the closest you’ll get to the village, and it’s built for couples. Combe Hay is one of its single-storey eco lodges, with a private hot tub sunk into the decking, a Bang & Olufsen smart TV and luxury finishes throughout. Outside, there’s parkland and a small orchard to explore, plus a cider barn at the entrance where you can meet the locals.

Guests give it 4.7 out of 5. If it’s booked, the park has more than 20 similar lodges for two on our site, such as Honeyhurst and Pomegranate, which has a log fire for cold nights.

Bucklegrove Holiday Park

Driving Distance: About 7 minutes (3.6 miles) | Sleeps: 6 | Hot tubs? Yes | Pet friendly? Yes

Bucklegrove sits on the Mendip hillside too, looking out over rolling Somerset countryside. It’s a good fit for families or couples who want a quiet rural base, with hot tubs and dogs welcome. You’re a short hop from the cliffs, so it’s easy to pop back for lunch between days out.

Burcott Country Retreats

Driving Distance: About 15 minutes (7.3 miles) | Sleeps: 4 | Hot tubs? No | Pet friendly? Yes

Only two lodges, each in its own peaceful patch of a family-run organic farm on the outskirts of Wells. From your decking you’ll look out over Glastonbury Tor. The village of Wookey, with a cafe, a shop and three well-regarded pubs, is a short stroll away. There’s no hot tub, but guests rate it a perfect 5 out of 5.

Rookery Manor Lodges

Driving Distance: About 17 minutes (7.6 miles) | Sleeps: 6 | Hot tubs? Yes | Pet friendly? Yes

Tree-studded grounds and wide views make Rookery Manor feel a long way from anywhere, yet it’s close to the sands at Brean, Burnham-on-Sea and Weston-super-Mare. That makes it the one to book if you want the cliffs and the beach in the same week. Bikes and horse riding lessons can be booked locally, and it’s even fitted with solar panels.

Little Moorland Farm Lodges

Driving Distance: About 18 minutes (6.2 miles) | Sleeps: 6 | Hot tubs? Yes | Pet friendly? Yes

On a small working farm in beautiful rolling countryside, these lodges have light, open-plan rooms, well-kitted kitchens and a proper wood-burning stove for cosy nights in. They’re made for a romantic escape or a family weekend away. Guests score it 5 out of 5.

Compare the parks at a glance

Sort by drive time or sleeps, or filter to the parks with hot tubs or that take pets.

Fancy glamping instead? Near Wells, The Nave at Cathedral View is a pod with a wood-fired hot tub and a view of the cathedral, while the adults-only pods at Apple Tree Glamping come with resident pigs and hens. For more choice, browse every lodge with a hot tub or all our Somerset lodges and log cabins.

Why book lodges near Cheddar for your next break?

Few places in England put a gorge, a show cave, a cheese dairy, a cycle trail and a cider barn within walking distance of each other, and that’s before you count Wells, Wookey Hole and the Somerset coast, all well under half an hour away. Staying this close also means quiet nights. Once the day visitors drive home, the area goes still, and you’ll have the stars and the hot tub to yourself.

Couples tend to go for the adults-only luxury lodges at Strawberryfield, families head for the pool at Cheddar Woods, and anyone with a dog has four other parks to pick from.

Cheddar Gorge and Caves: what to see

The gorge cuts about three miles into the Mendips, with the B3135 winding along the bottom between cliffs up to 137 metres high. Meltwater carved it over the last 1.2 million years.

Gough’s Cave and Cheddar Man

Step inside Gough’s Cave and the temperature drops. Stalactites and coloured rock pools fill chamber after chamber, and this is where Britain’s oldest near-complete skeleton, Cheddar Man, was found in 1903. He’s around 10,000 years old! A Day Ticket from Cheddar Gorge and Caves also gives you access to Cox’s Cave, the Museum of Prehistory, Jacob’s Ladder, the Lookout Tower and the Cliff-Top Walk.

Opening times: 10am to 5pm in peak season (last entry 4:30pm) and 10am to 4pm off peak (last entry 3:30pm), with some winter close dates, so check before you go.

Jacob’s Ladder and the Cliff-Top Walk

Jacob’s Ladder is 274 steps straight up the side of the gorge, with rest stops on the way. At the top, the Lookout Tower gives you panoramic views over the cliffs and the countryside around them.

From there, the Cliff-Top Walk loops about three miles around the rim. Give it two to three hours. The paths are steep, rocky and slippery when wet, so wear boots with a good grip. Feral goats and Soay sheep roam the slopes, and dogs need a short lead because the edges aren’t fenced. They’re welcome outdoors, but not inside the caves.

Parking tip: there’s free lay-by parking at Black Rock on the north side (BS40 7XU), which also suits longer walks onto the Mendip plateau. Pay and display car parks line the road and the village, and they fill early in the school holidays.

Cheese, cider and strawberries

Yes, the cheese really does come from here. Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company, opened in 2003, is the only maker of farmhouse cheddar actually made and matured in the village, and you can nip round the back of the shop to watch it being made by hand. Some of their truckles are aged inside Gough’s Cave, where the steady cool air does what the caves did for cheesemakers centuries ago. Grab a cave-matured wedge for the lodge kitchen.

The strawberries came later. Growers planted them on the warm, south-facing slopes under the Mendips in the 1880s, and the fruit went to market on the Cheddar Valley railway, which is how the Strawberry Line got its name.

For cider, try Strawberryfield’s own barn or Thatchers, near the Strawberry Line at Sandford.

Walks and bike rides from your lodge

• The Strawberry Line: about 10 continuous miles from Cheddar to Yatton on a hard, all-weather surface with gentle gradients, through Axbridge, orchards and the 165 metre Shute Shelve tunnel. It’s good for bikes, buggies and wheelchairs. See Visit Somerset’s guide for more information.
• Cheddar Reservoir: an easy, flat loop of about two miles on a path around the water, between Cheddar and Axbridge.
• Beacon Batch: the highest point on the Mendips at 325 metres. A loop of just over four miles from the Burrington Combe car park gets you there, with views over Blagdon Lake and Chew Valley Lake.
• Axbridge: walk or cycle the Strawberry Line to this little medieval market town for lunch around its square.

Days out within half an hour of Cheddar

Base yourself in a lodge here and the rest of the area is close, with distances given in rough road miles from the village.

Wookey Hole

Wookey Hole’s caves sit in the same limestone, and one ticket covers the cave tour plus the mirror maze, adventure golf and Dinosaur Valley, according to Wookey Hole’s visitor page. Leave the dog at the lodge for that one.

Wells and Bath

Our guide to lodges near Wells covers the cathedral city, and lodges near Bath is worth a look if you’d rather stay closer to the Roman Baths.

The Somerset coast

Heading to the beach with a dog? North Somerset Council lists the Weston restriction above, while Sand Bay and Brean allow dogs all year, so they’re the easier picks in summer.

Where to eat and drink in Cheddar

Silver Street, up the hill in the older part of the village, is where the locals drink. The Kings Head is a pretty stone-built pub with Butcombe on tap and a quiz every other Sunday. A few doors along, the Gardeners Arms dates back in parts to the reign of Elizabeth I, has gardens front and back and sits about 300 yards from the gorge. Visitors with dogs say both are welcoming.

Cooking in? Pick up cheese from the dairy, cider from the barn and strawberries in season, then eat outdoors on the deck.

Best time to visit Cheddar

Late spring and September are the sweet spots: long days, open attractions and far fewer cars on the road than in August.

What to pack for a Cheddar lodge break

Sharing a lodge with friends or family?

A bigger lodge often works out cheaper per head than two smaller ones, and the hot tub’s better with company anyway. Pop in your total and see what everyone owes.

Ready to plan your stay? Browse every pet friendly lodge, look across the wider South West, or start on our UK lodge holiday homepage. The cliffs, the cheese and a bubbling hot tub are waiting.

Cheddar lodge FAQs