We were supposed to be going to Cheddar Gorge to follow a suggested hike from 'Pub Walks around Bristol and Bath'... but I'm a learner driver so we ended up in Wells. I suppose it might equally be said that my driving instructor is a learner navigator but the point is we were bored of not getting where we wanted to be so we flicked through our guidebook for the nearest walk and quickly found ourselves at Wookey!

As Starwars afficianados we should have known that Chewbacca wookies are spelt differently but we didn't have our sci-fi almanack with us so didn't dare risk delving into Wookey Hole.

To be honest, I knew the difference... Indeed, I have delved here myself many years ago and remember it as a pretty awesome day out. Nowadays though, we thought it's 'popular' marketing looked pretty sickly and repellant and we couldn't bear to witness the possibility that they might have compromised the natural beauty of the cave system with cheap plastic gift shops et al.

So we stuck to Plan C: to hike up the Ebbor Gorge.

Unbelievable! Yet more proof that the far best thing to do with the beaten tourist track is get off it. I've been visiting this area forever and I've never heard of the Ebbor Gorge! It's a wonderful miniature version of the Mighty Cheddar... but less cheesy. There's no coach loads here, just the odd walker, a deer or 2 and a grazing horse.

It's actually a pretty well sign-posted route so it's not really off the beaten track. It is a bit inaccessable though if you're not prepared to use both hands at points. The path gets thinner and thinner as you climb until you eventually trickle out on to the top.

And the views reward all your efforts! You can walk for some distance along the top, enjoying the views all the way back to Wells and well beyond. The Glastonbury Tor stands proud from the levels, with its mystical nipple and you can almost make out Mordor in the distance if you're that way inclined.

Rather than face the orcs though, we slipped back down the next valley, which fed us back to Wookey Hole and a drink in the pub of the same name (orange juice for the driver.) It's a great family pub with lovely smelling food, so if you do end up in this neck of the woods, you could do worse than build your day around there.