22 Transactions of the 



mountain-ash, yew, &c., and in other spots brilliant wild flowers 

 and luxuriant ivy grow in the greatest profusion, apparently from 

 the solid rock. Ferns, again, are most abundant, and frequently 

 there conies a break in the steep face of the cliffs, whereon a highly- 

 inclined but by no means inaccessible bank of grass or gravel 

 gives an opportunity to the adventurous to climb to a great height. 

 But climbing at Cheddar Cliffs is by no means safe, from the 

 extremely friable nature of the stone, and the tree-covered ledges 

 which we have noticed can hardly be reached except by the most 

 expert. The opposite side of the gorge is much less steep, and, 

 in fact, much less picturesque. We had the opportunity of seeing 

 a fine sunset on the occasion of our second visit to the cliffs, and 

 the effect produced by the golden and ruddy tints of the last sun- 

 beams lingering on the summits, while the pass below was shrouded 

 in darkness, would have formed a fit subject for tlie canvas. Word- 

 painting indeed is ineffectual to portray the lovely bits of scenery 

 to be found at Cheddar Cliffs, and the landscape artist would there 

 find much to employ both brush and pencil. There are certainly 

 not less than ten points of view, completely different in character, 

 each vested with its own charms, and all of them of surpassing 

 beauty. An artist, wi-iting some years ago in Blackwood' s Maga- 

 zine, has thus described his impressions of a visit to this wonder- 

 ful scene : — 



' No one can form an idea of the peculiar beauty, I should say 

 grandeur, of these cliffs, without studying them. From the 

 general line of the country no suspicion could be entertained of 

 so fine a pass existing among the Mendip Hills — there are indeed 

 many passages through them of various character, but there is 

 not one to be compared to that of Cheddar ; indeed, there is 

 nothing like it anywhere, so far as my judgment goes. The 

 rocks are in character the finest, in places perfectly precipitous 

 to the depth of perhaps 400 feet — they are magnificent in form 

 and colour, and the numerous caverns and holes add much to the 

 sublime nature of the scene ; it is certainly much finer than the 

 Pass of LlanibaiTis. It is a circuitous and narrow course, and so 

 retired and sheltered within its own recesses tha,t you think not 

 of its utter barrenness — you are involved, as it were, in a deep 

 wood of rock. Many years since I visited it and sketched there. 

 An artist cannot find better studies for rock in detail, and should 

 he be disposed to make pictures of such subjects, he will find 

 many as perfect in composition as he would desire. There is a 

 kiln at the entrance, the smoke of which rolling among the rocks 

 produces a fine effect ; here, too, he will find admirable studies of 

 caverns of every shape and depth. What a scene for a land 

 storm ! I think few would wind through this sublime Pass with- 



