The Cliff Hotel, Cheddar Gorge 1971

Description

This authentic 1970s colour photograph, captured in 1971, features the historic Cliff Hotel and adjacent Cliff Gift Shop in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset. The archival image documents these prominent local landmarks before their eventual demolition, situated along the winding road that carves through the dramatic limestone gorge. The Cliff Hotel is a substantial three-storey white-painted building, while the Cliff Gift Shop in the foreground features a characteristic black-and-white striped awning and Coca-Cola branding. A small black-and-white sign on the pavement indicates a car park fee of 15p. The scene includes period transport, with a pale blue car parked near the gift shop and the rear of a red vehicle visible in the immediate foreground. The background is dominated by the steep, wooded slopes of the gorge, capturing the natural beauty and tourist infrastructure of the early 1970s. This factual record preserves the architectural history of one of Somerset’s most famous natural attractions as it appeared in 1971.