Churchill

Churchill is a village rather than a resort, so don't expect rows of hotels — what you'll find instead is a scattering of bed and breakfasts, guesthouses and farm accommodation in and around the village, with a wider choice of hotels a short drive away in Weston-super-Mare, Cheddar or Bristol. That suits the kind of visitor Churchill attracts: people who want a quiet, well-placed base for walking the Mendip Hills, exploring Cheddar Gorge and Burrington Combe, or breaking a journey near Bristol Airport, rather than a destination with its own nightlife.

Staying in or near Churchill puts you within easy reach of the whole western Mendips in one direction and the coast at Weston-super-Mare in the other, with Bristol close enough for a day trip or an early flight. Rooms tend to be simple and reasonably priced compared with the honeypot villages further along the ridge, and many B&Bs and guesthouses in the area are set on farms or in converted stone buildings that suit the surrounding landscape. If you're basing yourself here for walking or cycling, look for somewhere close to the Strawberry Line or with easy access onto Dolebury Warren, so you can head straight out onto the hills without needing the car.

Churchill itself is small, but its position on the edge of the Mendip Hills AONB means there's a genuine spread of things to do nearby, from gentle village wandering to proper hillwalking.

• Dolebury Warren — an Iron Age hillfort and nature reserve directly above the village, with ramparts you can still walk and sweeping views across North Somerset to the Bristol Channel.
• Burrington Combe — a dramatic limestone gorge a short drive north, smaller and quieter than Cheddar but with the same striking cliffs, caves and roadside crags used by generations of climbers.
• Cheddar Gorge — England's largest gorge, with its show caves, cliff-top gorge walk and the cheese that made the village famous, is within easy reach across the Mendips.
• Mendip Activity Centre — set in 250 acres just outside the village, with a dry ski slope, tobogganing, archery, climbing, kayaking and axe throwing, popular with families and groups.
• The Strawberry Line — a traffic-free trail along the route of a former Great Western Railway branch line, good for an easy walk or cycle ride through the surrounding villages.
• Churchill village trail — the Jubilee Clock Tower, the Church of St John the Baptist (parts dating to around 1360) and the Sidney Hill Cottage Homes make for a pleasant half-hour wander around the village centre.

For a village of its size, Churchill punches above its weight for pubs. The Nelson Arms, on the A368 at the edge of the village, has 16th-century origins and is well known locally for its carvery. The Crown Inn, tucked away up the old Batch lane, is more of a drinker's pub, serving real ales straight from the barrel alongside hearty, simple food like homemade soups and beef casserole. Between them, plus a couple of other village pubs, there's enough for an evening out without needing to drive into Weston-super-Mare or Bristol.

Churchill's setting on the western edge of the Mendip Hills, with Dolebury Warren rising above the village and Burrington Combe and Cheddar Gorge close by, puts it within reach of some of Somerset's best campsite country. As everywhere in England, wild camping is illegal without the landowner's permission, so plan on a proper campsite or a farm pitch rather than pitching up on the hillfort or along the ridge, however tempting the views. The Mendips are limestone upland, so the terrain is drier underfoot than much of Somerset even after rain, though the ground can still be uneven and rocky in places — sturdy pegs and a good groundsheet are worth packing.

Most campsites in this pocket of North Somerset are small, family-run affairs rather than big holiday parks, often on working farms with fields backing onto the hills or the Strawberry Line trail. That makes the area popular with walkers and cyclists looking for a simple, quiet base rather than an entertainment-heavy family park, though there are larger sites with more facilities a short drive away towards Cheddar and the coast. Booking ahead is sensible in summer, particularly for anything within easy striking distance of Cheddar Gorge, which draws visitors from across the South West.

Late spring through early autumn is the best window for camping around Churchill: the ground is driest, the days are long enough for a full walk up onto the hills and back, and the gorges and show caves are at their most rewarding. Spring brings bluebells and new lambs to the surrounding farmland, while a September or early October trip usually means quieter trails and cooler walking weather without losing much daylight. If you'd rather skip the tent altogether, glamping options in the wider Mendips area — shepherd's huts, pods and the occasional yurt — offer the same hillside setting with a proper bed and, often, a wood-burning stove for the cooler months.