"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.

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.

[3] The combe contains the entrances to many of the caves of the Mendip Hills, including Aveline's Hole, Sidcot Swallet and Goatchurch Cavern.

[6] Notes of exploration in the 1920s record finds from the Pleistocene period including bones of mammoth, bear, hyena and cave lion.

[10] A series of inscribed crosses found on the wall of the Aveline's Hole cave are believed to date from the early Mesolithic period just after the Ice age.

On the higher, more acidic, slopes goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea), wood sage (Teucrium scorodonia) and common bent (Agrostis capillaris) can be found.

There are also scrub plants including hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia), gorse (Ulex europaeus) and elder (Sambucus nigra).

It is now generally accepted that the attribution of this location to the writing of Rock of Ages only arose well after Toplady's death (the 1850s is suggested by Percy Dearmer in Songs of Praise Discussed, 1933) and has no proven factual basis.