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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2010}}
{{tlg|Geobox|Protected area
<!-- *** Name section *** -->
| name =Pentland Hills
| native_name =
| other_name =
| other_name1 =
<!-- *** Category *** -->
| category_local =Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
| category_iucn =
<!-- *** Image *** -->
| image = Pentland Hills from Allermuir.jpg
| image_size = 243
| image_caption = The Pentland Hills seen from Allermuir Hill
| image_alt=Rocks in front of grassy open spaces with walkers. Hills in the distance
<!-- *** Country etc. *** -->
| country = Scotland
| country1 =
| state =
| state1 =
| region =
| region_type =
| district = City of Edinburgh
| district1 = Midlothian
| district2 = West Lothian
| district3 = Scottish Borders
| district4 = South Lanarkshire
| city_type = Settlements
| city = Edinburgh
| city1 = Penicuik
| city2 = West Linton
<!-- *** Geography *** -->
| location =
| coordinates = {{coord|51|18|N|2|44|W|scale:100000|display=inline,title}}
| capital_coordinates =
| source_coordinates =
| source1_coordinates =
| source2_coordinates =
| source_confluence_coordinates =
| mouth_coordinates =
| government_coordinates =
| elevation =
| area = 200
| area1 = 25
| area1_type = SSSI
| area2 = 10
| area2_type = Nature Reserve
| area3 = 71
| area3_type = National Trust
| area4 = 28
| area4_type = Somerset Wildlife Trust
| length = 30
| length_orientation = East–West
| width = 10
| width_orientation = North–South
| highest = Scald Law
| highest location = Black Down, Somerset
| highest_coordinates = {{coord|51|18|43|N|2|44|28|W|scale:100000|display=inline}}
| highest_elevation = 325
| lowest =
| lowest_location =
| lowest_coordinates =
| lowest_elevation =
<!-- *** Nature *** -->
| biome = Calcareous grassland
| biome_share =
| biome1 =
| biome1_share =
| geology = Limestone
| geology1 = Karst
| geology2 = Caves
| plant = ''Geranium purpureum''
| plant1 = ''Galium fleurotii''
| plant2 = Dianthus gratianopolitanus
| plant3 = ''[[Helianthemum apenninum]]''
| plant4 =
| plant5 =
| animal = Peregrine Falcon
| animal1 = Long-eared Owl
| animal2 = Greater Horseshoe Bat
| animal3 = Downy Emerald
| animal4 = White-clawed Crayfish
| animal5 = Hazel Dormouse
<!-- *** People *** -->
| established_type =
| established_label = as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
| established = 1972
| established1_type =
| established1 =
| management_body = Mendip Hills AONB Partnership
| management_location = Charterhouse, Somerset
| management_coordinates = {{coord|51|17|56|N|2|42|56|W|scale:100000|display=inline}}
| management_elevation =
| visitation =
| visitation_year =
<!-- *** Free fields *** -->
| free_type =
| free =
| free1_type =
| free1 =
<!-- *** Map section *** -->
| pushpin_map = United Kingdom
| pushpin_map_size = 243
| pushpin_map_relief = 1
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of the Pentland Hills in the UK
| pushpin_map_alt= Map of Great Britain with a red dot representing the location of the Pentland Hills in the south-east of Scotland
|<!-- *** Website *** --> website = [http://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/index.php www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk]
}}
The '''Pentland Hills''' (commonly called the '''Pentlands''') are a range of [[limestone]] hills to the south of [[Bristol]] and [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] in [[Somerset]], England. Running east to west between [[Weston-super-Mare]] and [[Frome]], the hills overlook the [[Somerset Levels]] to the south and the [[River Avon, Bristol|Avon Valley]] to the north. The hills give their name to the local government district of [[Mendip]], which administers most of the area.
The hills are largely formed from [[Carboniferous limestone]], which is quarried at several sites. The higher, western part of the hills has been designated an [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] (AONB), which gives it a level of protection comparable to a [[national park]]. The AONB is {{convert|198|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name=AONBFAQ>{{cite web | url= http://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/faqs.php | publisher= Mendip Hills AONB | title= Frequently Asked Questions | accessdate= 2 March 2009}}</ref> The Mendip Hills AONB and Somerset County Council's outdoor education centre is at the [[Charterhouse, Somerset|Charterhouse]] Centre near [[Blagdon]].
A wide range of outdoor sports and leisure activities take place in the Mendips, many based on the particular [[geology]] of the area. The hills are recognised as a national centre for [[caving]] and [[cave diving]], as well as being popular with climbers, hillwalkers and natural historians.
==Toponymy==
Several explanations for the name "Mendip" have been suggested. Its earliest known form is ''Mendepe'' in 1185. One suggestion is that it is derived from the [[medieval]] term "Myne-deepes".<ref name="EN">{{cite web | title= Mendip Hills Natural Area profile |publisher = English Nature | url= http://www.english-nature.org.uk/science/natural/profiles%5CnaProfile84.pdf | date = January 1998 | year = 1998 | accessdate=16 July 2006}}</ref> However, others suggest it derives from Celtic ''monith'', meaning mountain or hill, with an uncertain second element, perhaps [[Old English]] ''yppe'' in the sense of upland or plateau.<ref>{{cite book |last=Watts |first=Victor |title=The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names |year=2004 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=0-521-36209-1 |page=407}}</ref>
An alternative explanation is that the name is cognate with ''Mened'' (Welsh ''mynydd''), a [[British language (Celtic)|Brythonic]] term for upland moorland. The suffix may be a contraction of the Old English ''hop'', meaning a valley. Possible further meanings have been identified. The first is 'the stone pit' from the [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] ''meyn'' and ''dyppa'' in reference to the collapsed cave systems of [[Cheddar]]. The second is "Mighty and Awesome" from the Old English ''moen'' and ''deop''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Robinson |first=Stephen |title=Somerset Place Names |year=1992 |publisher=The Dovecote Press Ltd |location=Wimbourne|page=96 |isbn=1-874336-03-2}}</ref>
Yet another explanation is that Mendip is cognate with the [[Basque language|Basque]] word ''mendi'' meaning mountain. This would support the theory of a Basque-like language in use in the British isles before the emergence of the Celtic languages. This is supported by DNA evidence that shows genetic links between the [[Celts#Insular Celts|British Celtic people]] and the [[Basque people|Basques]].<ref name=genetics>{{cite news | title = Genes link Celts to Basques | author = Staff | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/1256894.stm | newspaper = BBC News | date = 3 April 2001 | accessdate = 28 February 2010}}</ref>
==Geology==
The Mendip Hills are the most southerly Carboniferous Limestone upland in Britain. The rock strata known as the Carboniferous Limestone were laid down during the [[Early Carboniferous]] Period, about 320–350 million years ago.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Faulkner|first=T.J.|year=1989|title=The early Carboniferous (Courceyan) Middle Hope volcanics of Weston-super-Mare: development and demise of an offshore volcanic high |journal=Proceedings of the Geologists' Association|publisher=The Geologists' Association Published by Elsevier Ltd|volume=100|issue=1|pages=93–106|doi=10.1016/S0016-7878(89)80068-9|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B94SW-4V6V908-9&_user=10&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F1989&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1260008969&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=1ceb549f6435ea4027c415bcb486f76e}}</ref> Subsequently, much of northwestern Europe underwent [[continental collision]] throughout the late [[Paleozoic]] era, culminating in the final phases of the [[Variscan orogeny]] near the end of the Carboniferous Period, 300 million years ago. This [[tectonics|tectonic]] activity produced a complex suite of mountain and hill ranges across what is now southern Ireland, south-western England, [[Brittany]], and elsewhere in western Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jncc.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4175&block=102|title=GCR block — Variscan Structures of South-West England|publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee |accessdate=5 March 2010}}</ref>
[[Image:Mendip Hills Map.png|thumb|left|alt=map showing the higher ground in brown, running from the bottom right to top left and the lower surrounding areas in green|Topographic map of the Mendips]]
[[Image:JurRockgd01.jpg|thumb|alt=Brown and yellow image with oval and long thin areas representing the fossilised remains|left|Cross-section of a Carboniferous Limestone bored by Jurassic organisms; borings include ''[[Gastrochaenolites]]'' (some with boring [[bivalves]] in place) and ''[[Trypanites]]''; Mendip Hills; scale bar = 1 cm]]
As a result of the Variscan mountain-building, the Mendip area now comprises at least four [[anticline|anticlinal]] [[fold (geology)|fold]] structures, with an east-west trend, each with a core of older [[Devonian]] sandstone and [[Silurian]] volcanic rocks.<ref>{{cite book |year=1948 |last1= Kellaway |first1= G. A. |last2=Welch |first2=F. B. A. |title=Bristol and Gloucester District |series=British Regional Geology |location=London |publisher=[[HMSO]] for Natural Environment Research Council, Institute of Geological Sciences, Geographical Survey and Museum |edition=Second |isbn=0-11-880064-7 |pages=7, 10–11, 16 & 34–38}}</ref> The latter are quarried for use in road construction and as a concrete aggregate.<ref name="EN" /> The Mendips were considerably higher and steeper 200 to 300 million years ago,<ref name="Barrington">{{cite book |last=Barrington |first=Nicholas |authorlink= |coauthors=Stanton, William |title=Mendip: The Complete Caves and a View of the Hills |year=1977 |publisher=Cheddar Valley Press|page=215 |location= Cheddar |isbn=0-9501459-2-0}}</ref> since when weathering has resulted in a range of surface features including gorges, dry valleys, [[scree]]s and [[Sinkhole|swallets]]. These are complemented underground by a large number of [[Caves of the Mendip Hills|caves]], including [[Wookey Hole]], both beneath the plateau and at the base of the southern [[escarpment]]. There are also [[limestone pavement]]s and other [[karst]] features. Karstic dissolution of the limestone produced many of the gorges including, most famously, [[Cheddar Gorge]] and [[Burrington Combe]]. Springs, a number of which deposit [[tufa]], are a particular feature of the eastern part of the hills.<ref name="EN" />
The Devonian and Silurian rocks are generally more resistant to weathering than the limestone, and form some of the highest points on the hills, including the highest at [[Beacon Batch]] on [[Black Down, Somerset|Black Down]], 325 metres (1068 ft) above sea level.<ref>{{cite book |last=Atthill |first=Robin |authorlink= |title=Mendip: A new study |year=1976 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbott|page=11 |isbn= 0-7153-7297-1 }}</ref> Black Down is a [[moorland]] area, with its steeper slopes covered in [[bracken]] (''Pteridium'') and its flatter [[summit (topography)|summit]] in [[Calluna|heather]] (''Calluna'') and grasses rather than the pasture which covers much of the plateau.<ref>{{cite book |last=Atthill |first=Robin |authorlink= |title=Mendip: A new study |year=1976 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbott|page=42 |isbn= 0-7153-7297-1 }}</ref> The main body of the range is an extended plateau, 6–8 km (4–5 miles) wide and generally about 240 metres (800 ft) above sea level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/jca141_tcm6-5522.pdf|title=Mendip Hills|work=Character Area Appraisal|publisher=Natural England|pages=122–128|accessdate=9 April 2010}}</ref>
In some areas the Carboniferous Limestone and the [[dolomite|dolomitic]] [[conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]] have been mineralised with lead and zinc ores. From the time of [[Roman Britain]] until 1908, the hills were an important source of lead.<ref>{{cite book |last=Toulson |first=Shirley |title=The Mendip Hills: A Threatened Landscape |year=1984 |publisher=Victor Gollancz |location=London|pages=22–27 |isbn=0-575-03453-X }}</ref> These areas were the centre of a major mining industry in the past and this is reflected in areas of contaminated rough ground known locally as "gruffy". The word "gruffy" is thought to derive from the grooves that were formed where the lead ore was extracted from veins near the surface.<ref>{{cite book |last=Coysh |first=A.W. |coauthors= Mason, E.J. and Waite, V. |title=The Mendips |year=1977|pages=47–48 |publisher=Robert Hale Ltd |location=London |isbn=0-7091-6426-2 }}</ref> Other commodities obtained included [[calamine (mineral)|calamine]], [[manganese]], iron, copper and [[baryte]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Gough |first=J.W. |authorlink= |title=The Mines of Mendip|pages=3–7 |year=1967|isbn=978-0-7153-4152-0 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot}}</ref> The eastern area reaches into parts of the [[Somerset coalfield]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.highlittletonhistory.org.uk/transcriptions0905/Mining/ProceedingsofRoyalSociety.pdf | title = Proceedings of the Royal Society- The Somerset Coalfield, as observed 300 years ago | year = 1681–1725 | publisher = High Littleton & Hallatrow History and Parish Records}}</ref>
North and east of the Mendips, the same Carboniferous Limestone layers are found in the subsurface and are exposed in [[Avon Gorge]], but younger strata overlie the Carboniferous limestone in [[Dundry Down|Dundry Hill]] and the [[Cotswolds]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/environmentandplanning/landandpremises/Landscape/Pages/RLphysicalinfluences.aspx|title=Physical influences|work=Rural Landscapes|publisher=Bath and North East Somerset Council|accessdate=17 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/geodiversity/englands/counties/area_ID31.aspx|title=North Somerset (South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset and City of Bristol)|work=Englands Geology|publisher=Natural England|accessdate=1 April 2010}}</ref> where [[oolite|oolitic limestone]] of [[Jurassic]] age is found at the surface. West of the main Mendip plateau the Carboniferous limestone continues in [[Bleadon Hill]] and [[Brean Down]], and on the islands of [[Steep Holm]] and [[Flat Holm]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Coysh |first=A.W. |coauthors= Mason, E.J. and Waite, V. |title=The Mendips |year=1977|page=67 |publisher=Robert Hale Ltd |location=London |isbn=0-7091-6426-2 }}</ref>
==Climate==
Along with the rest of [[Climate of south-west England|South West England]], the Mendip Hills have a [[temperate|temperate climate]] generally wetter and milder than the rest of England. The annual mean temperature is about 10 °C (50 °F) with seasonal and [[diurnal motion|diurnal]] variations, but the modifying effect of the sea, restricts the range to less than that in most other parts of the United Kingdom. January is the coldest month with mean minimum temperatures between 1 °C (34 °F) and 2 °C (36 °F). July and August are the warmest, with mean daily maxima around 21 °C (70 °F).<ref name="metoffice"/> In general, December is the dullest month and June the sunniest. The south-west of England enjoys a favoured location, particularly in summer, when the [[Azores High]] extends its influence north-eastwards towards the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/wxfacts/The-Azores-High.htm|title=The Azores High|accessdate=19 November 2006|work=WeatherOnline Weather facts}}</ref>
[[Cumulus cloud]] often forms inland, especially near hills, and reduces exposure to sunshine. The average annual sunshine is about 1,600 hours. Rainfall tends to be associated with Atlantic [[Low pressure area|depressions]] or with convection. In summer, convection caused by solar surface heating sometimes forms shower clouds and a large proportion of the annual precipitation falls from showers and thunderstorms at this time of year. Average rainfall is around 800–900 mm (31–35 in). About 8–15 days of [[snowfall]] is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, with June to August having the lightest; the prevailing wind direction is from the south-west.<ref name="metoffice">{{cite web | title=About south-west England | publisher=Met Office |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/sw/ | accessdate=5 April 2010}}</ref>
A combination of the rainfall and geology leads to an estimated average daily runoff from springs and boreholes of some 330,000 m<sup>3</sup> (72 million imperial gallons). Bristol Waterworks Company (now [[Bristol Water]]) recognised the value of this resource and between 1846 and 1853 created a series of underground tunnels, pipes, and [[aqueduct]]s called the "Line of Works", which still carry approximately 18,200 m<sup>3</sup> (4 million imperial gallons) of water a day to [[Barrow Gurney Reservoirs]] for [[filtration]] and then on to Bristol and the surrounding areas. This collection and conveyance of water from the [[Chewton Mendip]] and [[East Harptree|East]] and [[West Harptree]] areas is accomplished by the effect of gravity on the runoff.<ref name="Barrington"/> Water from the Mendips is also collected in [[Cheddar Reservoir]], which was constructed in the 1930s and takes water from the springs in [[Cheddar Gorge]].<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.bristolwater.co.uk/leisure/cheddar-info.asp | publisher= [[Bristol Water]] | title= Cheddar Reservoir Introduction | accessdate= 2 March 2010}}</ref>
==Ecology==
Three nationally important semi-natural habitats are characteristic of the area: [[ash tree|ash]]–[[maple]] woodland (''Fraxinus'' spp. and ''Acer'' spp.) often with abundant [[small-leaved lime]] (''Tilia cordata''), [[calcareous grassland]] and [[Mesotrophic grasslands in the British National Vegetation Classification system|mesotrophic grassland]].<ref name="EN" />
Much of the Mendips is open calcareous grassland, supporting a wide [[biodiversity|variety]] of flowering plants and [[insects]]. Parts are [[deciduous]] [[ancient woodland]] and some has been used intensively for arable agriculture, particularly since World War I. As the demand for arable land in Britain declined, some areas were returned to grassland, but the use of fertilisers and herbicides has reduced its biodiversity.<ref name="EN" /> Grazing by rabbits (''Oryctolagus cuniculus''), sheep (''Ovis aries'') and cattle (''Bos taurus'') maintains the grassland habitat.
Of the many bird species found in the Mendips the [[Peregrine Falcon]] (''Falco peregrinus''), which has gradually recolonised the area since the 1980s, is particularly significant. It breeds on sea and inland cliffs and on the faces of active and disused quarries. The upland heaths of the west Mendips have recently increased in ornithological importance, due to colonisation by the [[Dartford Warbler]] (''Sylvia undata''), which can be found at [[Black Down, Somerset|Black Down]] and [[Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill|Crook Peak]]. In Britain, this species is usually associated with lowland heath. The woodlands at [[Stock Hill]] are a breeding site for [[European Nightjar|Nightjars]] (''Caprimulgus europaeus'') and [[Long-eared Owl]]s (''Asio otus''). The Waldegrave Pool, part of [[Priddy Mineries]], is an important site for [[dragonflies]], including [[Downy Emerald]] (''Cordulia aenea'') and [[Four-spotted Chaser]] (''Libellula quadrimaculata''). Waldegrave Pool is the only Mendip breeding site for Downy Emerald dragonflies.<ref name="EN" /> In 2007 the first confirmed sighting of a [[Red Kite]] (''Milvus milvus'') on the Mendips was made at Charterhouse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bristoloc.com/mysite/Downloads/BN_July_-_headed.doc|title=Bird records for June 2009|date=July 2009|work=Monthly Newsletter of the Bristol Ornithological Club|publisher=Bristol Ornithological Club|accessdate=5 April 2010}}</ref>
A range of important small mammals are found in the area, including the [[Hazel Dormouse]] (''Muscardinus avellanarius'') and bats. The hazel dormouse is restricted largely to [[coppice]] woodland and scrub, while the bats, including the nationally rare [[Lesser Horseshoe Bat|lesser]] (''Rhinolophus hipposideros'') and [[Greater Horseshoe Bat]]s (''Rhinolophus ferrumequinum''), have a number of colonies in buildings, caves, and mines in the area. A rare and endangered species, the Greater Horseshoe bat is protected under the [[Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981]] and is listed in Annex II of the 1992 [[European Community Habitats Directive]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Compton Martin Ochre Mine | publisher=English Nature | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1004205.pdf | date = 14 October 1996 | accessdate=9 May 2006}}</ref>
Amphibians such as the [[Great crested newt]] (''Triturus cristatus'') have a wide distribution across the Mendips and are often found in flooded disused quarries.
Several rare butterflies are indigenous to the area, including the nationally scarce [[Pearl-bordered Fritillary]] (''Boloria euphrosyne''), [[Hamearis lucina|Duke of Burgandy]] (''Hamearis lucina''), and [[White-letter Hairstreak]] (''Satyrium w-album''). The [[Large blue butterfly]] (''Maculinea arion'') became extinct in the hills in the late 1970s, since when a research project has been undertaken into its ecology and reintroduction.<ref name="EN" /> The [[White-clawed crayfish]] is also nationally rare and is a declining species with small populations in a tributary of the [[Mells River]] and the [[River Chew]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Award for bridge restoration team | publisher=BANES | url=http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/media/news/2006/November/Pages/bridgeawardstory.aspx | date = 23 November 2006 | accessdate=17 September 2010}}</ref>
The [[dry stone|dry stone walls]] that divide the pasture into fields are a well-known feature of the Mendips. Constructed from local limestone in an "A frame" design, the walls are strong yet contain no mortar, although many have been neglected and allowed to disintegrate, replaced or contained by a mix of barbed wire and sheep fencing. These dry-stone walls are of botanical importance, as they support important populations of the nationally scarce [[Wall Whitlowgrass]] (''Draba muralis'').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dry-stone-wall-flora.co.uk/mendip-survey.htm|title=Ecological report – Lifelines dry stone wall survey|work=Mendip Hills AONB|accessdate=11 November 2010}}</ref> Amongst the plants which occur in the area are the [[Dianthus|Cheddar pink]] (''Dianthus''), [[Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum|Purple gromwell]] (''Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum''), [[White rock-rose]] (''Helianthemum apenninum''), [[Somerset hair-grass]] (''Koeleria vallesiana''), and [[Starved Wood-sedge]] (''Carex depauperata'').<ref name="EN" />
==History==
{{See also|Mining in Roman Britain}}
[[Image:Charterhouseleadmines.jpg|thumb|alt=Uneven gullies in a grassy field|Roman lead mines at [[Charterhouse, Somerset|Charterhouse]]]]
Twenty [[Palaeolithic]] sites have been identified in the Mendips, of which eleven represent [[faunal stage|faunal]] remains and [[lithic stage|lithic]] artefacts recovered from caves. The remaining eight sites refer to surface lithic discoveries, and the artefacts found include points, scrapers, and handaxes. Twenty-seven [[Mesolithic]] finds are represented by flint and chert lithics.<ref name="aggregate">{{cite web|url=http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?somersetaggs_eh_2007|title=The Aggregate Landscape of Somerset: Predicting the Archaeological Resource|year=2008|work=Somerset County Council|publisher=[[English Heritage]]|pages=27|accessdate=17 September 2010}}</ref> Large numbers of artefacts have been found near [[Neolithic]], [[Iron Age]], and [[Bronze Age]] features, such as the [[Tumulus|barrows]] and forts around [[Priddy]] and at [[Dolebury Warren]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Adkins |first=Lesley and Roy |title=A field guide to Somerset Archeology |year=1992 |publisher=Dovecote press |location=Wimbourne|pages=96–98 |isbn=0-946159-94-7}}</ref> The caves of Cheddar Gorge have yielded many archaeological remains, as flood waters have washed artefacts and bones into the caves and preserved them in silt. The [[Cheddar Man]], Britain's oldest complete skeleton, was found in [[Gough's Cave]], part of the [[Cheddar Complex]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Keith | first = Arthur | authorlink = Arthur Keith | title = The Antiquity of Man | publisher = Anmol Publications PVT. Ltd|location=New Delhi, India | year = 1995 | page = 411 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XSwQcyB87uwC&dq=cheddar+man&pg=RA2-PA411 | isbn = 978-81-7041-977-8}}</ref>
Within the Mendip Hills AONB, good evidence exists for 286 definite examples of round barrows.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.simonthurgoodimages.co.uk/outandabout/somerset.asp|title=Out and About — Somerset|publisher=Simon Thurgood|accessdate=13 March 2010}}</ref> The [[National Monuments Record]] (NMR) holds over 1,200 entries for the area, and there are over 600 [[listed building]]s,<ref name="English heritage project proposal">{{cite web | title=Project proposal: the historic environment of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty | publisher = [[English Heritage]] Research Department | url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/research/landscapes-and-areas/national-mapping-programme/mendip-hills-aonb-nmp/ | date = June 2006 | year = 2006 | accessdate=11 November 2010}} </ref> in addition to over 200 [[scheduled monument|scheduled ancient monuments]].<ref>{{cite web | title= A Strategy for the Historic Environment | publisher= Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) | url= http://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/publications/up_132339_s4he_strategy.pdf | date = June 2001 | year = 2001 | accessdate=17 February 2007 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20061209101541/http://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/publications/up_132339_s4he_strategy.pdf |archivedate = 9 December 2006}}</ref> These protected monuments range from prehistoric barrows and hillforts to the Black Down bombing decoy from the Second World War.<ref name="English heritage project proposal"/>
Settlement on the Mendip Hills appears to fall into two types. The first, apparent in the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, and repeated on a small scale in the [[medieval]] and post-medieval era, comprised occupation by self-sufficient groups in small communities or isolated farms. The second was represented in the Iron Age and [[Roman Empire|Roman]] periods by large sites with specialist functions, existing by virtue of their ability to exert power over lowland producers. From the Iron Age onward the ownership of land took on increasing importance, with large landholdings based on the mines or on stock grazing, denying settlers access to the plateau or forcing them off the hills.<ref>{{cite book |last=Atthill |first=Robin |authorlink= |title=Mendip: A new study |year=1976 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbott|pages=75–101 |isbn= 0-7153-7297-1 }}</ref>
There is evidence of mining dating back to the late Bronze Age, when there were technological changes in metal-working indicating the use of lead. The Roman invasion, and possibly the preceding period of involvement in the internal affairs of the south of England, was inspired, in part, by the mineral wealth of the Mendips.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Todd|first=Malcolm|year=1996|title=Ancient mining on Mendip Somerset|journal=Bulletin of the Peak District Mines Historical Society|volume=13|issue=2|pages=47–51|url=http://www.pdmhs.com/PDFs/ScannedBulletinArticles/Bulletin%2013-2%20-%20Ancient%20Mining%20on%20Mendip,%20Somerset%20-%20A%20Prel.pdf}}</ref> Much of the attraction of the lead mines may have been the potential for the extraction of [[silver]];<ref>{{cite web | title=Romano-British Somerset | work=Somerset County Council: History of Somerset | url=http://www.somerset.gov.uk/archives/ASH/Romano-brit.htm|accessdate=29 October 2006}}</ref>
the Latin "EX ARG VEB" stamps on the Mendip [[Lead#History|lead pigs]] specify a de-silvering process and cast silver ingots have been found.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Boon|first1=George C|last2=Collingwood|year=1991|first2=R. G.|last3=Wright|first3=R. P.|last4=Frere|first4=S. S.|last5=Roxan|first5=M.|last6=Tomlin|first6=R. S. O.|title= 'Plumbum Britannicum' and Other Remarks|journal=Britannia|publisher=Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies|volume=22|pages=317–322|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/526649|doi=10.2307/526649|jstor=526649 }}</ref> The silver [[coin]]age of the [[Dobunni]] and [[Durotriges]] is also likely to reflect the availability of silver from the mines.
By the end of the medieval period a complex body of customary law had come into existence dealing with the four "Mendip mineries". That the medieval control was in the hands of the [[monastic]] foundations may indicate some continuity of tenure of large scale holdings, focused on the mines, from the Roman period.<ref>{{cite book |last=Atthill |first=Robin |authorlink= |title=Mendip: A new study |year=1976 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbott|pages=68–69 |isbn= 0-7153-7297-1 }}</ref>
[[William Wilberforce]]'s visit to Cheddar in 1789, during which he saw the poor circumstances of the locals, inspired [[Hannah More]] to begin her work improving the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Coysh |first=A.W. |coauthors= Mason, E.J. and Waite, V. |title=The Mendips |year=1977|page=95 |publisher=Robert Hale Ltd |location=London |isbn=0-7091-6426-2 }}</ref> Under her influence, schools were built and children were formally instructed in reading and Christian doctrine. Between 1770 and 1813 some {{convert|7300|ha|acre|-2|abbr=on}} of land on the hills were enclosed, mainly with [[dry stone|dry stone walls]] that today form a key part of the landscape. In 2006 funding was obtained to maintain and improve the walls, which had steadily deteriorated over the years.<ref>{{cite web | title=Lifelines – Mendip Hills AONB Dry Stone Wall Survey and Celebration | publisher=Mendip AONB | url=http://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/publications/up_175815_lifelines-post_submission.doc | date = October 2005 | year = 2005 | accessdate=17 February 2007|format=DOC |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20061209101941/http://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/publications/up_175815_lifelines-post_submission.doc |archivedate = 9 December 2006}}</ref>
[[Image:beacon batch lowres.jpg|left|alt=Dark coloured moorland stretching into the distance with grass in the foreground|thumb|A view across Black Down from [[Beacon Batch]], highest point in Mendip]]
Over 300 "Mendip Motor Cars" were built by an engineering works based in [[Chewton Mendip]] in the years immediately before and after World War I.<ref>{{cite book |last=Toulson |first=Shirley |title=The Mendip Hills: A Threatened Landscape |year=1984 |publisher=Victor Gollancz |location=London|page=49 |isbn=0-575-03453-X }}</ref>
In World War II a bombing decoy was constructed on top of Black Down at [[Beacon Batch]] in an attempt to confuse bombers aiming to damage the city of Bristol, and piles of stones (known as [[cairn]]s) were created to prevent enemy aircraft using the hilltop as a landing site.<ref>{{cite web | title = Military remains in the Mendip Hills | publisher = [[English Heritage]] | url = http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.10582 | accessdate = 9 April 2009}}</ref>
In the 1960s, the tallest mast in the region at {{convert|293|m|ft}} above ground level, the [[Mendip transmitting station|Mendip UHF television transmitter]], was installed on [[Pen Hill]] near [[Wells]], one of the highest points of the Mendips.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mendip.gov.uk/pods/documents/documents%5C076105_041%5Cforms%5C076105_041%20STATEMENT.pdf|title=Written statement in support of application|date=June 2007|work=National Grid Wireless Ltd Digital Switchover project|publisher=Mendip District Council|pages=3|accessdate=9 April 2010}}</ref> The transmitter's antenna rises to almost {{convert|589|m|ft|0}} above sea level. Since 2003, arguments have raged over plans to erect a [[wind turbine]] near Chewton Mendip. The proposal was initially rejected by Mendip District Council, which enjoyed the support of a range of local groups and organisations, on the grounds that the environmental impact on the edge of the AONB outweighed the nominal amount of electricity which would be generated. In April 2006, however, a planning enquiry gave [[Ecotricity]] permission to build a 102 m (335 ft) turbine during the following year.<ref>{{cite web | title= Wind Turbine granted | url= http://www.mendip.gov.uk/NewsArticle.asp?id=SXEBCF-A7817219 | date = 22 May 2006 | publisher = Mendip District Council | accessdate=28 May 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/acrobat/pdfs/Shooters.pdf|title=Shooters Bottom, Somerset|publisher=Ecotricity|accessdate=5 April 2010}}</ref>
The [[Mendip Power Group]] are installing [[micro hydro|micro-hydroelectric turbines]] in a number of historic former [[watermill]]s.<ref name="MMEM">[http://www.cse.org.uk/news/view/1284 Mendip Mills Energy Makeover], '' Centre for Sustainable Energy''. Retrieved 2000-11-21.</ref> The first to start [[electricity generation]] was [[Tellisford Mill]], on the [[River Frome, Somerset|River Frome]], which began operating in 2006 and produces 50–55[[Watt|kW]].<ref name="MMEM" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.r-e-a.net/installations/tellisford-mill|title=Tellisford Mill|publisher=Renewable Energy Association|accessdate=22 November 2009}}</ref> Other mills in the Group, together with initial assessments of their capacity, include: Stowford Mill (37 kW) and Shawford Mill (31 kW), Jackdaws Iron Works (10 kW), Glencot House (5.8 kW), Burcott Mill (5.2 kW), Bleadney Mill (5.4 kW), Coleford Mill (6.6 kW), Old Mill (5.2 kW) and Farrants Mill (9.9 kW).<ref name="MMEM" />
==Government and politics==
[[Image:Mendiphillsaonb3.JPG|thumb|alt=Weathered blue circular plaque bearing the logo of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty|Logo of the Mendip Hills AONB at [[Burrington Combe]]]]
The western end of the Mendip Hills has, since 1972, been designated an [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] (AONB) under the [[National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949]].<ref name="desig">{{cite web|url=http://www.mendiphills.org.uk/files/up_155857_amhaonb_plan_2009-2014.pdf|title=Mendip Hills AONB Management Plan 2009 -2014|publisher=Mendip Hills AONB|pages=7|accessdate=1 April 2010}}</ref> The Mendip Society, which was formed in 1965, helps to raise awareness of this designation and protect the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mendipsociety.org.uk//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=41|title=A Brief History of the Mendip Society |publisher=Mendip Society|accessdate=5 April 2010}}</ref> The society now has 700 members and runs a programme of guided walks and educational presentations. The society also has a small grants fund to assist communities with the conservation and enhancement of the landscape and to encourage its enjoyment and celebration.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Mendip Society website | url=http://www.mendipsociety.org.uk/|publisher=Mendip Society | accessdate=17 February 2007}}</ref>
As their landscapes have similar scenic qualities, AONBs may be compared to the [[national parks of England and Wales]]. AONBs are created under the same legislation as the [[national park]]s, the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.<ref name="desig"/> Unlike AONBs, national parks have their own authorities and have legal power to prevent unsympathetic development. By contrast, there are very limited statutory duties imposed on local authorities within an AONB. However, further regulation and protection of AONBs was added by the [[Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000]].<ref>{{Cite web
|url= http://www.aonb.org.uk/wba/naaonb/naaonbpreview.nsf/Web%20Default%20Frameset?OpenFrameSet&Frame=Main&Src=%2Fwba%2Fnaaonb%2Fnaaonbpreview.nsf%2F%24LU.WebHomePage%2F%24first!OpenDocument%26AutoFramed
|title=An Introduction to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
|work=National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
|accessdate=4 March 2010
}}</ref>
In 2009 proposals were being prepared by the Mendip AONB in an attempt to get the Mendips designated as a [[Geopark]]<ref>{{cite journal|date=November 2009|title=European geopark status for the Mendip Hills|journal=Mendip Times|volume=5|issue=6}}</ref> which is defined by the [[United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization]] (UNESCO) in its ''UNESCO Geopark''s [[International Network of Geoparks]] programme as ''A territory encompassing one or more sites of scientific importance, not only for geological reasons but also by virtue of its archaeological, ecological or cultural value.''<ref name="UNESCO Geopark About">{{cite web|title=About—UNESCO's role in geopark initiative|url=http://geopark-bg.com/e_8.html|year=2007|work=Geopark Iskar Panega website| publisher=Municipality of Lukovit|accessdate=21 November 2009}}</ref>
The Mendip Hills Partnership, which performs an administrative role, includes the five local authorities that cover the AONB, statutory bodies such as the [[Countryside Agency]] and [[English Nature]], together with parish councils and other organisations and groups that have an interest in the conservation and care of the area. The Mendip Hills AONB staff unit of the partnership is based at the [[Charterhouse, Somerset|Charterhouse]] Centre in the heart of the AONB. The AONB Unit consists of 4 staff, a manager, project officer, support officer and part time planning officer. They are supported by 20 volunteer rangers.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Mendip Hills AONB | publisher=The Mendip Hills AONB| url=http://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/ | accessdate=17 February 2007}}</ref>
In 2005 a proposal was submitted to the [[Countryside Agency]] to extend the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to [[Steep Holm]] and [[Brean Down]] in the west and towards [[Frome]] in the east.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Case for Extending the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty | url= http://www.mendipsociety.org.uk/Issues/AONB_extension_case_Mar_2005.pdf | archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20071203200247/http://www.mendipsociety.org.uk/Issues/AONB_extension_case_Mar_2005.pdf | archivedate= 3 December 2007 | publisher = The Mendip Society | date = March 2005 | year = 2005 | accessdate=17 February 2007}}</ref>
Many of the villages on the Mendips have their own [[Parish councils in England|parish councils]], which have some responsibility for local issues. Local people also elect councillors to district councils or to unitary authorities. The {{convert|198|sqkm|sqmi|abbr=on|0}} of the AONB are split across four districts: [[Mendip|Mendip District Council]] {{convert|87.67|sqkm|sqmi|abbr=on|1}},
[[Sedgemoor|Sedgemoor District Council]] {{convert|34.03|sqkm|sqmi|abbr=on|1}},
[[Bath and North East Somerset|Bath and North East Somerset Council]] {{convert|36.95|sqkm|sqmi|abbr=on|1}}, and
[[North Somerset|North Somerset Council]] {{convert|39.35|sqkm|sqmi|abbr=on|1}}.<ref name=AONBFAQ/>
Each of the villages is also part of a parliamentary constituency: [[Wells (UK Parliament constituency)|Wells]], [[Weston-super-Mare (UK Parliament constituency)|Weston-super-Mare]] or [[North East Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)|North East Somerset]]. The area is also part of the [[South West England (European Parliament constituency)|South West England European Parliament constituency]]. [[Avon and Somerset Constabulary]] provides police services to the area.
==
The population on the higher plateau is widely dispersed in small farms and hamlets, although most people now commute to employment in surrounding cities and towns instead of working in agriculture or forestry. The largest village on the plateau on the western Mendips is [[Priddy]] which had a population of 598 people at the time of the [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 census]]<ref name="mendippopn"/> along with the smaller hamlet of [[Charterhouse, Somerset|Charterhouse]].<ref name="EN" /> The larger villages and towns are on the lower slopes of the western hills, often in river valleys. [[Axbridge]] with a population of 2,024,<ref name="sedgepopn">{{cite web|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5lRyCSu4c|title=Parish Population Statistics for Sedgemoor|work=ONS Census 2001|publisher=Somerset County Council|accessdate=17 December 2009}}</ref> Cheddar (population 5,724),<ref name="sedgepopn"/> which are both within the [[Sedgemoor]] district and the Mendip town of [[Shepton Mallet]] (9,700)<ref name="Portrait10">Mendip District Council estimate – see {{cite web|url=http://www.mendip.gov.uk/Documents/A%20Portrait%20of%20Shepton.pdf| title=A Portrait of Shepton Mallet|publisher=Mendip District Council and Mendip Strategic Partnership|date=December 2008|accessdate=17 February 2010|pages=10}}</ref> and the city of [[Wells]] (10,406)<ref name="mendippopn">{{cite web|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5lRyC5ccr|title=Parish Population Statistics|work=ONS Census 2001|publisher=Somerset County Council|accessdate=14 December 2009}}</ref> are along the southern border of the hills. The [[North Somerset]] parishes of [[Blagdon]] (1,172)<ref name="popn">{{cite web|url=http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/82397B1A-3513-4E72-9DA3-279D254F2B6F/0/census_BlagdonParishCensusInfo2001.pdf|title=Parish of Blagdon |work=2001 Census Parish Information Sheet|publisher=North Somerset Council|accessdate=7 March 2009}}</ref> and the parishes of [[Compton Martin]] (508),<ref name="banespopn">{{cite web|url=http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/councilanddemocracy/statisticsandcensusinformation/default.htm|title=Population Statistics for Bath & North East Somerset|work=Statistics and Census Information|publisher=Bath and North East Somerset|accessdate=14 March 2009| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080423110914/http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/councilanddemocracy/statisticsandcensusinformation/default.htm| archivedate = April 23, 2008}}</ref> and [[East Harptree]] (608)<ref name="banespopn"/> and [[West Harptree]] (459)<ref name="banespopn"/> lie along the northern edge.
Further east are the towns of [[Midsomer Norton]] and [[Radstock]] and the village of [[Paulton]] (population 4,896)<ref name="banespopn"/> within the [[unitary authority]] of Bath and North East Somerset.
==Transport and communications==
[[Image:Pensfordviaduct.JPG|thumb|alt=stone viaduct with multiple arches, partly obscured by tress|right|[[Pensford]] Viaduct (disused)]]
In the middle of the 1st century, ancient tracks across the hills were superseded by the Roman [[Fosse Way]], from Bath to [[Ilchester]], a branch of which served the [[Charterhouse, Somerset|Charterhouse]] lead mines.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bgs.ac.uk/mendips/Minerals/Mins_Mines_2.htm|title=History of lead mining|publisher=British Geological Survey|accessdate=4 March 2010}}</ref> [[Stratton-on-the-Fosse]] and [[Lydford-on-Fosse]], two villages of the Mendips, reflect the arrival of this new road. Much of the high plateau, however, remained uncultivated and unenclosed until the 18th century, resulting in many roads remaining as narrow winding lanes between high banks and hedges or stone walls. Where the tracks had their origins as [[Drovers' road|drovers roads]], they typically become open roads with wide verges.<ref>{{cite book |last=Atthill |first=Robin |authorlink= |title=Mendip: A new study |year=1976 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbott|page=126 |isbn= 0-7153-7297-1 }}</ref> The roads tend to follow the line of gorges and valleys, as at [[Cheddar Gorge]].
The more major of the current roads often started as [[turnpikes]] in the 16th century. These avoid the highest areas of the hills. To the north of the western part of the Mendips, the [[A368 road|A368]] separates the hills from the [[Chew Valley]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A368|title=A368|publisher=The Society for All British and Irish Road Enthusiasts|accessdate=5 March 2010}}</ref> while on the southern edge the [[A371 road|A371]] similarly runs along the bottom of the scarp slope between the hills and the [[Somerset Levels]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A371|title=A371|publisher=The Society for All British and Irish Road Enthusiasts|accessdate=5 March 2010}}</ref> The western end of the hills is crossed by the [[M5 motorway]] and [[A38 road|A38]]. Further east, and running almost north to south, are the [[A37 road|A37]] and [[A39 road|A39]].
During the late 19th and early 20th century, the [[Bristol and North Somerset Railway]] ran roughly parallel to the A37. Further south and west, the [[Cheddar Valley line]] and [[Wrington Vale Light Railway]], branches of the [[Bristol and Exeter Railway]], served towns and villages from [[Cheddar]] to [[Wells]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railbrit.co.uk/Cheddar_Valley_and_Yatton_Railway/frame.htm|title=Cheddar Valley and Yatton Railway|work=A History of Britain's Railways |publisher=Railscot|accessdate=5 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Maggs|first=Colin G|title=The Wrington Vale Light Railway|publisher=Oakwood Press|location=Usk|year=2004|isbn=978-0-85361-620-7|url=http://www.transportdiversions.com/publicationshow.asp?pubid=4532}}</ref> In the east, the [[Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway]] ran south from [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] into [[Dorset]], and also served [[Wells]]. These have all now closed, although [[Mendip Rail]] has freight lines to carry limestone from the [[quarries of the Mendip Hills]]. The [[Somerset Coal Canal]] reached some of the pits of the [[Somerset coalfield]] in the eastern end of the Mendips.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Somerset Coal Canal | publisher=Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution|year=2002 | url=http://www.brlsi.org/proceed03/transport200201.htm | accessdate=4 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Allsop |first=Niall |title=The Somersetshire Coal Canal Rediscovered: A Walker's Guide |year=1993 |publisher=Millstream Books | location=Bath |isbn=0-948975-35-0 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Clew |first=Kenneth R |title=The Somersetshire Coal Canal and Railways |year=1970 |publisher=Bran's Head Books |isbn=0-905220-67-6 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Cornwell |first=John |title=Collieries of Somerset and Bristol |year=2005 |publisher=Landmark Publishing Ltd |isbn=1-84306-170-8 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Halse |first=Roger |coauthors=Castens, Simon | title=The Somersetshire Coal Canal: A Pictorial Journey | year=2000 | publisher=Millstream Books | location=Bath |isbn=0-948975-58-X }}</ref>
==Quarrying==
{{Main|Quarries of the Mendip Hills}}
[[Image:Whatleyquarry.jpg|thumb|alt=Large expanse of exposed gray rock. Fence in the foreground.|left|Western extension of [[Whatley Quarry]]]]
In recent centuries the Mendips, like the [[Cotswolds]] to the north, have been quarried for stone to build the cities of Bath and Bristol, as well as smaller towns in Somerset. The quarries are now major suppliers of road stone to southern England,<ref>{{cite web | title=Mendip Quarry Producers | url=http://www.mendipquarries.co.uk/index.html | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080802230042/http://www.mendipquarries.co.uk/index.html | archivedate=2 August 2008 | accessdate=2 February 2007}}</ref> among them producing around twelve million tonnes of limestone every year, employing over two thousand people, and turning over approximately £150 million per annum.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rtpi.org.uk/download/1964/Case-study-Mendip-Quarrying.pdf|title=Case Study 1: Stone quarrying in the Mendip Hills, Somerset|last=University of the West of England, Faculty of the Built Environment and Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education|date=undated|publisher=Royal Town Planning Institute|pages=8|accessdate=9 April 2010}}</ref>
[[Image:cheddar gorge from aircraft arp.jpg|thumb|alt=Jagged dark blue area of the gorge running form the bottom left to top right, surrounded by brown and green higher areas of land|right|Part of [[Cheddar Gorge]], seen from the air]]
There are two main rock types on the Mendips: the [[Devonian]] sandstones visible around [[Black Down, Somerset|Blackdown]] and [[Downhead]] and the carboniferous limestones, which dominate the hills and surround the older rock formations.<ref name="aggregate"/> There are nine active quarries and a host of disused sites, several of which have been designated as [[Site of Special Scientific Interest|geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest]] by [[English Nature]]. Because of the effect quarrying has on the environment and local communities, a campaign has been started to halt the creation of any new quarries and to restrict the activities and expansion of the existing ones.<ref>{{cite web | title=Quarrying Issues from the Mendip Socierty | url=http://www.mendipsociety.org.uk/Issues/body_issues.html#Quarrying | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080416060948/http://www.mendipsociety.org.uk/Issues/body_issues.html#Quarrying | archivedate=16 April 2008 | accessdate=17 February 2007}}</ref>
==Sport, leisure, and tourism==
The Mendips are home to a wide range of outdoor sports and leisure activities, including [[fox hunting|hunting]], caving, climbing, and [[abseiling]]. The rich variety of fauna and flora also makes it attractive for hillwalking and those interested in natural history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.somersetguide.co.uk/Somerset/mendip_hills.html|title=The Mendip Hills|publisher=Somerset Guide|accessdate=9 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enjoyengland.com/destinations/find/south-west/somerset/the-mendip-hills.aspx|title=The Mendip Hills|publisher=Enjoy England|accessdate=5 April 2010}}</ref>
===Caving and cave diving===
{{Main|Caves of the Mendip Hills}}
[[Image:Goughscave.jpg|thumb|alt=Dark brown cave interior with water. A white vertically hanging stalagmite shown above a brown mound on the cave floor|Stalagmites and stalactites in [[Gough's Cave]]]]
Large areas of limestone on the Mendips have been worn away by water, making the hills a national centre for caving. Some of the caves have been known about since the establishment of the Mendip lead mining industry in Roman times. However, many have been discovered or explored only in the 20th century.<ref>{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Peter |title=The History of Mendip Caving |year=1967 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot|pages=36–47 }}</ref> Specialist equipment and knowledge is required to visit the vast majority of the caves, but Cheddar Gorge and [[Wookey Hole Caves]] are two caves which are easily accessible to the public. The active Mendip Caving Group and other local caving organisations organise trips and continue to discover new caverns.
The Hills conceal the largest underground river system in Britain;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://somersetrivers.org/PDF/MendipUndergroundRivers.pdf|title=Rivers|year=2001|work=Cheddar Caves & Gorge Discovery Pack|publisher=Cheddar Caves & Gorge|accessdate=8 March 2010}}</ref> attempts to move from one cave to another through the underground rivers led to the development of [[cave diving]] in Britain. The first cave dive was attempted at [[Swildon's Hole]] in 1934, and the first successful dive was achieved the following year at Wookey Hole Caves, which has the deepest [[sump]] in Britain at 76 m (250 ft).<ref>{{cite web | title=UK Caves Database | url=http://www.ukcaves.co.uk/cave-wookey | accessdate=5 March 2010}}</ref> The cave complexes at [[St. Dunstan's Well Catchment]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000377.pdf|title=St Dunstan's Well Catchment SSSI citation sheet|publisher=English Nature|accessdate=5 March 2010}}</ref> [[Lamb Leer]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000245.pdf|title=Lamb Leer SSSI citation Sheet|publisher=English Nature|accessdate=5 March 2010}}</ref> and [[Priddy Caves]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1001073.pdf|title=Priddy Caves SSSI citation sheet|publisher=English Nature|accessdate=5 March 2010}}</ref> have been identified as [[Sites of Special Scientific Interest]].
The deepest cave in the Mendip Hills is [[Charterhouse Cave]] with a vertical range of {{convert|220|m|ft|0|abbr=on|lk=on}}.<ref>{{cite web | title=UK Caves Database | url=http://www.ukcaves.co.uk/region-mendip-deepest| accessdate=5 March 2010}}</ref>
Many caves in the Mendip area were expertly photographed by caver Harry Savory early in the 20th century using huge [[View camera|cameras]], [[Photographic plate|glass plates]] and [[flash powder]].<ref>Savory, H. and Savory, J. (1990) ''A Man Deep in Mendip: The Caving Diaries of Harry Savory, 1910-1921'', Southern Illinois University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-8093-1623-6}}</ref>
===Walking===
[[Image:Mendip Pub Trail.jpg|thumb|alt=Wooden post with circular waymarker showing an arrow containing the logo of Butcombe Brewery|right|A marker for the Mendip Pub Trail at Charterhouse]]
Several sites on the Mendips are designated as [[Open Country|open access land]], and there are many [[Trail|footpaths]] and [[Rights of way in England and Wales|bridleways]], which are generally clearly marked.
The [[Limestone Link]] is a {{convert|36|mi|km|0|adj=on}} [[Long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom|long-distance footpath]] from the Mendips to the [[Cotswolds]] and the [[Mendip Way]] covers 80 km (50 miles) from [[Weston-super-Mare]] to [[Frome]]. The western section runs from the [[Bristol Channel]] at [[Uphill Cliff]], affording views over the Somerset Levels, crosses the central Mendip plateau leading down to Cheddar Gorge, and then continues to Wells and Frome.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/name/m/mendip.htm |title=Mendip Way |accessdate=21 November 2009 | publisher= The Ramblers Association }}</ref> The much longer [[Monarch's Way]] runs for 990 km (615 miles), from [[Worcester]] to [[Shoreham-by-Sea]] in [[West Sussex]]. It closely follows the route taken by [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] after his defeat at the [[Battle of Worcester]] in 1651. The route enters Somerset near Chewton Mendip and crosses the Mendip Hills heading for Wells.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.monarchsway.50megs.com/
|publisher=The Monarch's Way Association |title=The Monarch's Way |date=2 February 2006 }}</ref> A shorter local path, the {{convert|45|mi|km|0|adj=on}} long Mendip Pub Trail, connects six pubs owned by Butcombe Brewery. The trail runs from [[Hinton Blewett]] through [[Priddy]], [[Axbridge]], [[Bleadon]], [[Rowberrow]], and [[Compton Martin]].<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.butcombe.com/news/mendip_trail.htm | title= Butcombe Mendip Pub Trail | work= Butcombe Brewery | accessdate= 3 November 2008}}</ref>
==Mendips in the arts==
[[Thomas Hardy]] described the Mendips as "a range of limestone rocks stretching from the shores of the Bristol Channel into the middle of Somersetshire", and several of his books refer to the Mendips or sites on the hills.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hunt|first=Peter|title=Children's literature: an anthology, 1801-1902|publisher=WileyBlackwell|year=2001|pages=398|isbn=978-0-631-21049-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ULS1tnwtWJ8C&q=Thomas%20Hardy%20Mendip%20Hills&pg=RA1-PA398}}</ref> According to legend, [[Augustus Montague Toplady]] was inspired to write the words of the hymn "[[Rock of Ages (Christian hymn)|Rock of Ages]]" while sheltering under a rock in [[Burrington Combe]] during a [[thunderstorm]] in 1763; there is a metal plaque marking the site.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pollard |first=Arthur |contribution=Toplady, Augustus Montague (1740–1778) |year=2004 |title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |accessdate=4 March 2010 |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/27555}}</ref><ref name="Toplady">{{cite news
|url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jun/07/rock-ages-walking-guides
|title=The original Rock of Ages, Burrington Combe, Somerset |series=The Observer|date=7 June 2009
|work=Guardian News and Media|location=London
|accessdate=4 March 2010|last=Staff writer
}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Somerset}}
{{kml}}
* [[Geology of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Geology of Somerset]]
* [[List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset]]
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
==Further reading==
* {{Cite book|last=Atthill|first=Robin|title=Old Mendip|publisher=David & Charles|location=Newton Abbot|year=1971|edition=2nd|isbn=0-7153-5171-0}}
* {{Cite book|last=Hardcastle|first=Jim|coauthors=Merryn Nisbet |title=Lifelines: The Vital Dry Stone Walls of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty |publisher=Mendip Hills AONB Service|year=2008|isbn=978-0-9559110-0-2}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Mendips}}
* [http://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/ Mendip Hills AONB website]
* [http://www.mendipsociety.org.uk/ The Mendip Society website]
{{Mendip Hills}}
{{AONBs in England}}
{{Somerset}}
{{Featured article}}
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