Burrington Combe
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
| Location | Avon |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | ST478583 |
| Coordinates | 51°19′17″N 2°45′02″W / 51.32140°N 2.75047°W |
| Interest | Biological and Geological |
| Area | 139.1 ha (344 acres) |
| Notification | 1952 |
| Natural England website | |
Burrington Combe is a Carboniferous Limestone gorge near the village of Burrington, on the north side of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in North Somerset, England.
"Combe" or "coombe" is a word of Celtic origin found in several forms on all of the British Isles, denoting a steep-sided valley or hollow. Burrington Combe is a gorge through the limestone hills although there is now no river running through it. Various cave entrances are exposed which have been occupied by humans for over 10,000 years, with a hillfort being built beside the combe in the Iron Age. The geology has led to a diversity of plant life.
According to legend Augustus Montague Toplady was inspired to write the hymn Rock of Ages while sheltering under a rock in the combe, although recent scholars have disputed this claim.