Mendip Hills

Although, in 1992, part of this feature lies within the County of Avon, we are treating the Mendip Hills as being (and always having been) entirely within the county of Somerset.

Overview

The Mendip Hills (also commonly referred to as just the Mendips) is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running from Weston-super-Mare and the Bristol Channel eastwards to the Frome valley, the hills separate the Chew Valley and other tributaries of the River Avon to the north from the low, flat Somerset Levels to the south. The higher, western part of the hills, covering an area of some 198 km², was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (something like a mini National Park) in 1972.

Facts and Figures

Highest Point

Black Down is the highest point in the Mendip Hills, rising to an elevation of 325 m.

Etymology

The origins of the name are locally and generally undefined. In the absence of firm evidence for the name being of human creation, might we assume that it is a name of faerie origin, given to the hills by the nymphs of the Somerset Levels?

Industry and Trade

Over the centuries, the Mendip Hills have been extensively quarried for stone and continue to be in modern times.

Location ID

6

Location Classification

Natural Feature

Alternative Name(s)

Mendips

Type

Rolling Hills

Location under

Somerset