Gough’s Cave, Cheddar Gorge, is a cave site, known as a ‘show cave’, as it has been adapted to allow for tourist access, including the addition of lighting, concrete flooring and hand rails. The venue complex also consists of ‘Beyond the View’ (a cinematic experience), a cliff top walk, a Museum of Prehistory and Cheddar Costa Coffee.

Address: Cheddar Gorge, Cheddar, BS27 3QF

Cheddar Gorge have created their own accessibility guide available to view on their website, however this pack covers all this information as well as additional notes specifically for the performance: https://www.cheddargorge.co.uk/visitor-info/safety-and-accessibility

Additional information specifically about Gough’s Cave can be found here: https://www.cheddargorge.co.uk/explorer/goughs-cave

There is step free access to the ticket office, on-site Costa café (open until 5pm daily) and the toilets.

Gough’s Cave contains steps, a steep gradient (1:10) and can be wet underfoot so is unsuitable for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility. There are 3 steps going down into the entrance of the cave as well as 3 steep staircases within the cave, so we cannot offer a completely step-free version of our performances. However if visitors are able to enter the cave using the 3 initial steps they will be able to see the first 2/3rds of the site and we can adapt the performance accordingly – please contact us in advance to discuss this option.

To access the two final chambers of the cave, visitors will need to pass through a man made tunnel approximately 1 metre wide, which you need to pass through to access the full performance.

If you need a personal assistant / support worker to accompany you, for you to attend the performance, please contact us to secure their free assistant’s ticket.

There is disabled parking available in all 3 of the Cheddar Gorge car parks (a site map is available online here: https://www.cheddargorge.co.uk/visitor-info/maps). Please contact us in advance should you wish to reserve a space, or guests can be dropped off directly outside the cave. All car parking spaces are on hard standing ground. Anyone with a blue disabled badge can park in any car parking space for free, as long as the badge is clearly displayed on the car dashboard.

Contact Kate McStraw, our Producer, via phone 07792 377106 or email katemcstraw@hotmail.co.uk

There is a general travel guide available via the Cheddar Gorge website: https://www.cheddargorge.co.uk/visitor-info/find-us

Bus

The nearest bus stop is at Cheddar Tweentown (Buses 126 and 668). Note that it is an uphill walk (approximately 9 minutes) from here to the entrance to Gough’s Cave, then downhill on the way back.

FIRST BUSES

https://www.firstgroup.com/bristol-bath-and-west

From Weston-super-Mare, Axbridge and Wells

Mon - Sat: bus no. 126 – hourly

https://www.firstgroup.com/uploads/maps/126_web.pdf

Sun: bus no. 126 – selected times only

LIBRA TRAVEL

http://www.libratravelltd.com

From Street, Wedmore and Shipham

Bus no. 668

Mon - Sat: every 2 hours

http://www.libratravelltd.com/bus_timetables.htm#Service 668

Train

The nearest train station is Weston-super-Mare, approximately 30 minutes by taxi from the train station to Gough’s Cave or 50 minutes by bus from the Marine Parade bus stop in Weston-super-Mare to Gough’s Cave.

Trains run direct to Bristol (Temple Meads) from:

• London (Paddington)
• Leeds
• Plymouth
• Edinburgh
• Sheffield
• Exeter
• Glasgow
• Derby
• Portsmouth
• Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• Birmingham (New Street)
• Southampton
• Carlisle
• Cardiff

Then take the train from Bristol (Temple Meads) to Weston-super-Mare

Take FIRST Bus 126 (Sundays 826) to Cheddar

For train times, contact the National Rail Enquiry line on 08457 484950 or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk

Parking Locations:

Lakeside - 50 spaces

Opposite Dreamhunters - 50 spaces

Gough's Cave (closest to the performance sie) - 300 spaces

A site map is available online here: https://www.cheddargorge.co.uk/visitor-info/maps

Parking Prices:

£5 per day

£3 from 3pm-5pm

Tickets are purchased from the designated parking meters. The funds raised via these parking costs contribute to the conservation of the Gorge.

There is disabled parking available in all 3 of the Cheddar Gorge car parks (a site map is available online here: https://www.cheddargorge.co.uk/visitor-info/maps). Please contact us in advance should you wish to reserve a space, or guests can be dropped off directly outside the cave. All car parking spaces are on hard standing ground. Anyone with a blue disabled badge can park in any car parking space for free, as long as the badge is clearly displayed on the car dashboard.

Need to Know:

Parking charges apply for vehicles using the car parks between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Sunday and inclusive of bank holidays.

You must display the ticket in vehicle windscreen and must be parked in marked spaces.

Please note that, in the Gorge, rocks may fall at any time and parking is at the vehicle owners’ risk.

Overnight parking is not permitted.

Ensure you lock your car and don’t leave valuables on show.

The Gough’s Cave car park is large enough for drop off / pick-ups to be made by taxi.

• Venue opening times: Cheddar Gorge/Gough’s Cave is open to the public daily from 10am to 5pm.
  From 5pm onwards, on performance dates (4^th May, 5^th May and 6^th May) the venue is open to ticket holders only.
• Arriving at the venue: On arrival, you will approach the venue entrance by walking downhill from the Gough’s Cave car park area (when you will need to access the venue via a ramp or set of steps), or uphill from the Lakeside or Dreamhunters car parks (an uphill climb, but with no steps on route).
• Ticket collection: At the Gough’s Cave entrance you will find a ticket desk on the right-hand side. It is flat level access between the entrance, ticket desk and cave entranceway.
  You can print your tickets in advance (via the PDF attached when you book your tickets online) but don’t worry if you can’t print them as there is a door list as well.
• Access contact on site: Should you need to speak to one of us prior to the performance start, please ask at the ticket desk for either Kate or Katie.
• Arrival times: You are advised to arrive no later than 15 minutes prior to your selected performance time; if you would like to arrive more than 30 minutes prior to your selected performance time, please contact us in advanced to arrange this.
  Please note that the performance is 50 minutes in duration with no interval.

There is an accessible toilet on site. The distance between the toilet and the performance site ranges between 10m to 30m, depending on where you are situated within the cave/venue.

To access the toilets, visitors will need to climb up 9 steps to the left of the Gough's Cave entrance and follow the path round leading to Costa. If there are people with mobility requirements they can use the ramp. When entering through the back door of Costa the Ladies toilets are directly on the left, and to the left again is the disabled toilet. For the Gentlemen’s toilets there are 4 sets of 4 steps leading down from Costa. There are also handrails to assist all steps. If the steps are an issue leading down to the Gentlemen’s toilets, they can also be accessed by going through the 'shop at the Gorge' which is located to the right of Gough's Cave. This way visitors will only need to climb 5 steps to reach the toilets rather than walking down. Again these steps have handrails.

At this time, we are not able to offer Audio Enhancement such as loops, intra red or mobile connect systems / British Sign Language / Captioning / Audio Description / Relaxed Performances – however this is something we are looking to explore for future performances. Should you have any feedback on this, please do get in contact.

Registered Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Disability Support Dogs, Medical Assistance Dogs, Disability Assistance Dogs and Seizure Alert Dogs are permitted to enter the venue. Owners are responsible for the control of their dogs at all times.

Please contact us in advanced to discuss accommodation of an assistance dog.

The caves are electrically lit but the lighting levels are purposefully kept low to protect the cave environment. There are periods of reduced lighting and short spells of complete darkness during the performance.

Please note that there will be 2 short moments (approximately 30 seconds long each) of blackout during the performance. This will take place within the cave, where it is total darkness. If you would like any further information on this, please contact us.

The performance in underscored by recorded music throughout, and there is a live musician (song and guitar) performing within the piece. If you would like any further information on this, or copies of the lyrics being sung, please contact us.

The performance takes place within a cave system, which is a consistently cool 11 degrees centigrade. Please dress warmly. Sturdy shoes are recommended.

This is a promenade performance, watching sections of dance at different sites throughout the cave system. It is approximately 50 minutes in duration, and we ask our audiences to stand and walk throughout. Should you need to bring a fold-up seat with you to access the performance, you are welcome to do so, but please inform us on arrival so that we can assist you as required to ensure best sight lines and to inform you of longer sections, where it is most appropriate to sit. All sections are no longer than 5 minutes duration, before walking to the next section. There are also some natural rest points within the caves, such as large rocks, which you may lean/sit on if required during the performance.

At the beginning of the performance the musician, Lou, will hand all audience members a torch, attached to a lanyard, to wear during the performance. This is a safety precaution, meaning you can shine the torch directly up onto the cave ceiling should you need assistance / first aid / wish to leave the performance for any reason. If you shine the torch, one of the performance stewards will come to assist you as required.

Head protection helmets are not required in the caves.

The performance is 50 minutes in duration with no interval.