The real Cheddar Village is almost nothing like the one depicted in Hellsing. I suspect Hirano stuck a pin in a rural area of England and picked the nearest name.

Oh, but it’s a good place. Lots of cheese.

The actual village is at the foot of the impressively high Cheddar Gorge. There are bus tours that go higher, and a climb to the peak for those who are so inclined.

[You park in goat territory.]

Parking lots are squeezed high up in the gorge, and from there you walk down to the touristy stuff.

[It’s a tall gorge.]
[First view of the shops.]

The buildings in the gorge are definitely tourist-oriented. This is the place where cheddar cheese was invented. Unfortunately for them, it was long before the idea of “trademarking” came into fashion.

So they’re getting by on bragging rights, and cheesemaking tours, and cheesy souvenirs.

[Sign: Welcome to Cheddar: Birth place of Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese and home to Real Scrumpy Cider. World famous “Old Cheese Shop” established in the year 1870, the first store ever built in the Gorge.]

[I didn’t try “Real Scrumpy Cider.”]

To be fair, the cheese is really tasty. But if you keep going down, you’ll end up in the village, where the actual people live.

Next Week: Cheddar Churches