“Walking in Mendips”: An English Countryside Hike (and how I’m beginning to appreciate the beauty on my doorstep!)

I’ll admit, I’m not the best for appreciating what is on my doorstep. I often think that I have to travel to the other side of the world to see Instagrammable scenery (which usually involves a beach and some tropical waters)

It doesn’t help that I hate winter, and as soon as the temperature dips I tend to hibernate and not want to come out of my hole again until the spring arrives.

So this year, I thought I’d make a change and make the most of the countryside around me.

I live in Bristol in the UK which is surrounded by open countryside – you only have to walk 15 minutes from my house and you’re in a deer park – how lucky am I?! Better start appreciating it!

So I’ve been wrapping up warm and taking the weekends to embrace nature whether its chucking it down with rain, or toe-bite-ingly freezing.

My most recent trip was to the Mendips, a series of limestone hills in Somerset. Nestled right in the middle of the hilly English countryside is the Cheddar Gorge (yep- that’s where the cheese is from!)

It’s designated as an Area of Outstanding National Beauty, and it’s easy to see why…

The easiest route up and around the gorge takes about 2 hours, although probably slightly longer for us due to the amount of mud you have to trudge through in the winter!

Luckily we picked a sunny day, and after a muddy slog to the ridge of the gorge we were rewarded with a GORGE-ous view ( pun intended -sorry!)

The wind was strong though, and I had to make sure I was low to the ground to stop myself being blown off the edge!

t was the perfect time to look over the English countryside as the winter sun set giving that golden, crisp light that you only get in the winter months.

I returned home to the warmth with that familiar satisfied exhaustion you only get from long walks in the cold. Perhaps winter isn’t so bad after all…

Next stop - the coasts of Southern Cornwall in a few weeks time. After 29 years living here, I'm finally beginning to appreciate the natural beauty in my own country!