Caves and karst

Longwood Swallet

Cheddar Gorge

The Mendip landscape is dominated by ‘karst’, a suite of landforms created by the action of water on limestone. Rainwater is a weak acid and this dissolves the limestone, creating a landscape in which much of the drainage is underground. Landforms typical of karst include dry valleys and gorges, closed depressions known as dolines or sinkholes, sinking streams, caves and large springs.

Swildon's Four streamway, Swildon's Hole