The gorge was originally formed 225 million years ago, during the Triassic Period. The Mendip Carboniferous limestone, stood as a series of 'whale backed' hills. At that time the UK had a warm arid climate, not dissimilar to northern Africa today. Occasionally 'flash floods' cause huge volumes of water to run off the hills and form Wadis - steep sided gorges. Cheddar gorge and its near neighbour, Burrington Combe are exhumed Wadies. They were originally filled with Triassic rocks that may have been eroded out by meltwaters, at the end of the last Ice age. Parts of Burrington Combe still have these Triassic rocks, forming an unconformity with the Carboniferous limestones, along their sides and bottom.
The gorge was originally formed 225 million years ago, during the Triassic Period. The Mendip Carboniferous limestone, stood as a series of 'whale backed' hills. At that time the UK had a warm arid climate, not dissimilar to northern Africa today. Occasionally 'flash floods' cause huge volumes of water to run off the hills and form Wadis - steep sided gorges. Cheddar gorge and its near neighbour, Burrington Combe are exhumed Wadies They were originally filled with Triassic rocks that may have been eroded out by meltwaters, at the end of the last Ice age. Parts of Burrington Combe still have these Triassic rocks, forming an unconformity with the Carboniferous limestones, along their sides and bottom.