Cultural Heritage

There are over 400km of drystone walls on the Mendip Hills AONB. The walls are a key reason for the designation of the Mendip Hills as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, they are one of the Special Qualities that define Mendip, not to mention a vital lifeline for wildlife such as adders and lizards. Last year our volunteers repaired over 200M of drystone walls on Mendip. Constructing a project is a great way to gain a sense of accomplishment.

So today we are challenging you to create your own mini habitat project for wildlife! The possibilities are endless, you can create a hedgehog home, an insect wood pile or even a bug hotel.

The Mendip Cave Registry shows there are over 2000 registered caves on the Mendip Hills. Caves are linked to many of the 12 ‘special qualities’ of the Mendip Hills AONB; visible geology, evidence of human settlements, archaeology, the limestone aquifer, adventure, so they’re a great way of experiencing Mendip. They also provide a breeding site for the Lesser and Greater Horseshoe bats.

For today's challenge take a garden night walk and explore the wildlife that comes alive at night; from moths, minibeasts, insects to bats and other mammals. Take a torch and see what you discover!

The Mendip Hills is one of the best areas in the country to appreciate the relationships between geology, landscape and natural history. 300 million years of geological history are exposed in natural outcrops and quarries. Quarrying has for more than a century been the single most important industry in the Mendip Hills, affecting the lives of those who live and work in the area. Take a trip back in time to see the quarries and the people that worked in them (Quarry Faces link below). Rocks don't have to be boring.

Todays challenge is to collect some rocks, decorate them and make a story about them.

Dating back 500,000 yrs. Henge monuments, barrows and hillforts through to World War 2 sites are prominent features on the Mendip Hills AONB.

We challenge you to get crafty and upcycle something old into something new. This is also a great opportunity to think about other ways you can reduce your waste and think outside the box about re-using some of those items you might normally throw away.

This pilot study was undertaken by members of CHERT (Charterhouse Environs Research Team) from September 2007 to March 2008 to establish whether it was possible to identify different styles of stone walls through the historical period. A combination of fieldwork, drawing and documentary research was used to try to establish a wall typology that could be tested in the field and used in other parts of the Mendip Hills AONB.

A report on the findings of research to consider the role dry stone walls play in the
ecological habitat of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

A permanent orienteering course on Burrington Ham which can be used for formal orienteering training by schools or uniformed groups or just as a day out for families to have fun and discover the natural and historic wonders of the commons.

Charterhouse is a residential centre located in the heart of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is ideally situated for groups wanting to take advantage of the fantastic walks, local caves and climbing venues the area has to offer.

A series of downloadable walking routes exploring the landscape, wildlife and history of the Mendip Hills.

Discover the history of quarrying in the Mendip Hills and its legacy on the landscape, history and wildlife of the area.