Cheddar is a big village as well as civil parish in the Sedgemoor area of the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southerly edge of the Mendip Hills, 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Wells. The civil parish consists of the districts of Nyland as well as Bradley Cross. The church had a population of 5,755 in 2011 as well as a property of 8,592 acres (3,477 ha) since 1961. Cheddar Gorge, on the northern side of the town, is the largest gorge in the UK as well as includes several show caverns, consisting of Gough's Cave. The gorge has been a centre of human negotiation given that Neolithic times including a Saxon royal residence. It has a pleasant environment and also offers a special geological and organic setting that has been acknowledged by the designation of several Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It is also the site of a number of sedimentary rock quarries. The village offered its name to Cheddar cheese and has been a centre for strawberry expanding. The plant was previously carried on the Cheddar Valley railway, which closed in the late 1960s yet is currently a cycle course. The town is currently a major visitor location with numerous social and also community facilities, consisting of the Cheddar Show Caves Museum. The town supports a variety of community groups consisting of spiritual, sporting and cultural organisations. Several of these are based upon the site of The Kings of Wessex Academy, which is the largest educational establishment.