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Sun Hole, Cheddar Gorge is a natural rock shelter and archaeological site located within the limestone gorge near Cheddar in Somerset. The site contains evidence of human occupation spanning from the Palaeolithic period through the Mesolithic, with finds indicating its use as a temporary shelter by hunter-gatherers. The rock shelter itself is formed within the gorge's vertical cliff face and has yielded significant artefactual material including stone tools and faunal remains that illuminate patterns of prehistoric settlement and subsistence in south-western England. Its designation as a heritage monument reflects its importance to understanding early human activity in the region during the post-glacial period.
Sun Hole, Cheddar Gorge is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1011915. View the official record →
Sun Hole, Cheddar Gorge is a natural rock shelter and archaeological site located within the limestone gorge near Cheddar in Somerset. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1011915.
Sun Hole, Cheddar Gorge is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1011915.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Romano-British settlement on Stoke Moor (5.1 km), Duck decoy east of Barrow Wood Lane (5.7 km), Westbury village cross (6.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Sun Hole, Cheddar Gorge's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Sun Hole, Cheddar Gorge stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.