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ON-LINE GUIDE TO SOMERSET
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This brief guide provides
summary information on towns, villages and places to visit
in Somerset as well as some interesting facts and
anecdotes on the local area. To find a specific place either
scroll down the page or use the find facility on your
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As well as being home to the attractive cities
of Bristol and Bath, Somerset has more than its
fair share of natural beauty. The wilds of Exmoor and the ranges of spectacular hills such as
the Quantocks and the Mendips add to this county's allure. In the far northwest is Exmoor, once
wild hunting country: its abundance of
prehistoric sites, ancient packhorse bridges and wild
deer and ponies easily make it one of the more romantic and mysterious spots. As the
Mendips are limestone, the hills are full of holes, and,
in particular, this area is known for its caves at Wookey Hole and the spectacular
Cheddar Gorge, which carves a path right through
the hills as well as lending its name to the cheese.
Below the hills is the charming and ancient city of Wells, from where the county's plain
stretches out to Glastonbury, a place shrouded in
mystery and steeped in early Christian and
Arthurian legends.
Yeovil
In the 1890s, James Petter, a local pioneer of the
internal combustion engine, founded a business here that was to
become one of the largest manufacturers of diesel engines in Britain.
It later moved to the Midlands, but a subsidiary was
established during World War I to produce aircraft and Yeovil became
well known as the home of Westland Helicopters. Situated
in Wyndham House, the Museum of South
Somerset documents the social and industrial history
of the town and surrounding area.
To the south lies Barwick Park, an estate that is
littered with bizarre follies, while to the west is the
magnificent Elizabethan mansion, Montacute
House, which has one of the grandest long galleries in
the country. Montacute village is also the home of the
TV and Radio Memorabilia Museum. In the lanes to the southeast
of Montacute and close to the village of West
Coker is the magnificent Brympton d'Evercy
Manor House dating from Norman times but with significant
16th and 17th century additions. In the church at
East Coker were buried the ashes of the poet
and playwright TS Eliot. This village, where his ancestors lived,
is mentioned in Four Quartets, a poem written by Eliot, and
lines from that poem are quoted on his memorial tablet.
Around Yeovil
Sparkford
7 miles NE of Yeovil off the A303
Home to the Haynes Motor Museum, which holds one of
the largest collections of veteran, vintage and classic cars
and motorbikes in the country. Just to the east of Sparkford is
Cadbury Castle, a massive Iron Age hill
fort that is also believed by some to be the location of King
Arthur's legendary Camelot.
Castle Cary
11½ miles NE of Yeovil on the B3152
Once the site of an impressive Norman castle, this little
rural town has some interesting old buildings, including a
handsome 18th century post office, a tiny 18th century lock-up called
the Round House, and a splendid Market House that is now home
to the Castle Cary District Museum.
Wincanton
13 miles NE of Yeovil off the A303
This attractive old cloth-making town was also a
bustling coaching town, lying almost exactly half way between
London and Plymouth. Modern day Wincanton is a peaceful
light industrial town whose best-known attraction is
Wincanton National Hunt Racecourse. Also worth visiting are
the beautiful Hadspen House Gardens that are situated to
the northwest.
Crewkerne
8 miles SW of Yeovil on the A356
A thriving agricultural centre during Saxon times, Crewkerne even
had its own mint in the decades that led up to the Norman invasion.
The town lies close to the source of the River Parrett, from where the
50-mile long River Parrett Trail follows the river through some
of the country's most ecologically sensitive and fragile areas. Just
a couple of miles southwest of Crewkerne, close to the village
of Clapton, are the interesting Clapton Court
Gardens.
Chard
15 miles SW of Yeovil on the A30
Although Chard has expanded rapidly since World War II, it
still retains a pleasant village-like atmosphere; its museum is
located in the attractive thatched Godworth House.
To the northwest of the town is a 200-year old corn
mill, Hornsbury Mill, whose
impressive water wheel is still in working order;
to the northeast lies Chard Reservoir Nature
Reserve, a conservation area that is an important habitat
for wildlife.
Close to the county border lies Forde
Abbey, which was founded in the 12th century by
Cistercian monks. The remains of the Abbey were incorporated into the
grand private house of the Prideaux family, and among the
many treasures are the renowned Mortlake Tapestries brought
from Brussels by Charles I. The gardens are equally superb.
Ilminster
13 miles W of Yeovil on the A358
On the outskirts of the ancient agricultural and ecclesiastical
centre of Ilminster is the handsome part-Tudor mansion,
Dillington House, the former home of the influential Speke family. John
Speke was an officer in the Duke of Monmouth's ill-fated rebel
army and, following the rebellion's disastrous defeat, Speke was
forced to flee abroad, leaving his brother George to face the wrath of
Judge Jeffreys and the inevitable death
sentence.
Martock
6 miles NW of Yeovil on the B3165
The old part of Martock is blessed with an unusually large number
of fine buildings, including the Treasurer's House,
a small two-storey house dating from the late 13th century, and a 17th
century Manor House, the home of Edward Parker, the man
who exposed the Gunpowder Plot.
To the east of Martock are the enchanting Tintinhull
House Gardens.
Yeovilton
5 miles NW of Yeovil off the A37
Here is one of the world's leading aviation museums, the
Fleet Air Arm Museum, which contains a unique collection of aircraft.
Muchelney
9½ miles NW of Yeovil off the A372
Muchelney is the location of an impressive part-ruined
Benedictine monastery, Muchelney Abbey, thought to have been founded
by King Ine in the 8th century. Opposite the parish church
stands the Priest's House, a late medieval hall house that was built by
the abbey.
Wells
The first church here is believed to have been founded by King Ine
in around AD 700 but the present Cathedral of St
Andrew was begun in the 12th century. Taking
over three centuries to complete, the treasures of this
wonderful place include the 14th century Astronomical
Clock, one of the oldest working timepieces in
the world. Set in the pavement outside the Cathedral walls is a length
of brass that extends over the prodigious distance leapt by
local girl Mary (Bignall) Rand when she set a world record for the
long jump. To the south of the cathedral's cloisters is the
Bishop's Palace, a remarkable fortified medieval building that
is surrounded by a moat fed by the springs that give the city its
name. On the northern side of the cathedral green is 14th
century Vicar's Close, one of the oldest planned streets in Europe.
To the north of the city lies Wookey
Hole, where the carboniferous limestone has
been eroded away over the centuries to create over 25 caverns.
During prehistoric times, lions, bears and woolly mammoths lived in the area.
Around Wells
Chew Magna
11½ miles N of Wells on the B3130
The nucleus of this former wool village is its three-sided green at
the top of which is the striking early 16th century Church House
while, behind a high wall adjacent to the churchyard, lies
Chew Court, a former summer palace of the Bishops of Bath and Wells.
To the south of Chew Magna are the two reservoirs
constructed to supply Bristol with fresh water
but that also provide a first class recreational amenity.
Norton St Philip
15½ miles NE of Wells on the A366
The monks who founded the now-ruined Priory were also
responsible for building the village's most famous landmark - the
splendid George Inn - that was originally established as a house of
hospitality for those visiting the priory.
To the west is one of the finest Neolithic monuments in the
west of England, Stoney Littleton Long
Barrow that was built over 4,000 years ago.
Shepton Mallet
5 miles E of Wells on the A371
From before the Norman Conquest and through the Middle
Ages Shepton Mallet was at first a centre of woollen production and then
a weaving town. Several fine buildings date back to
those prosperous days including the 50ft Market
Cross, which dates from around 1500, and The
Shambles, a 15th century wooden shed where meat was traded. Each
year, Shepton Mallet plays host to two agricultural shows: the
Mid-Somerset Show in August and, in May, the Royal Bath and
Wells Show.
Frome
14½ miles E of Wells on the A362
Frome's old quarter is an attractive conservation area where can
be found the Blue House that was built in 1726 as an almshouse and
a
boy's school and is one of the town's numerous listed buildings.
Glastonbury
5½ miles SW of Wells on the A39
This ancient town of myths, legends and tales of King
Arthur and the early Christians is an attractive market town
dominated by the dramatic ruins of its abbey. If the legend of Joseph
of Arimathea is to be believed, Glastonbury
Abbey is the site of the earliest Christian foundation
in the British Isles. However, it is the Abbey's connection with
King Arthur and his wife Queen Guinevere that draws most
visitors to Glastonbury, as this is thought by some to be their last
resting place. Even the Somerset Rural Life
Museum cannot escape from the influence of the Abbey as
the impressive 14th century barn here once belonged to the Abbey.
To the east of the town lies Glastonbury
Tor, a dramatic hill that rises above the
surrounding Somerset Levels.
In the nearby village of Street, the Clark family began to
produce sheepskin slippers in the 1820s; the oldest part of the Clark's factory
is now a fascinating Shoe Museum.
Burnham-on-Sea
15 miles W of Wells on the B3140
A large and popular seaside resort whose most distinctive landmark
is the Low Lighthouse, a curious square structure that is raised
above the beach on tall stilts. To the northeast lies
Brent Knoll, whose 445ft summit is crowned with
the
remains of an Iron Age hill fort.
Cheddar
7½ miles NW of Wells on the A371
This sprawling village is best known for its dramatic
limestone gorge, Cheddar Gorge, which is characterised by its high
vertical cliffs, from which there are outstanding views.
This village is also renowned for its caves and, of course,
its cheese. The term `Cheddar cheese' refers to a recipe that
was developed in the mid 19th century by Joseph Harding,
a farmer and pioneer food scientist from near Bath who made
the first scientific investigation into cheese making.
From the nearby remote village of
Charterhouse a footpath leads up onto Black
Down, which at 1,067 feet is the highest point
in the Mendips; from here, to the northwest, the land descends
down into Burrington Combe, a deep cleft that is said to have
inspired the Reverend Augustus Toplady to write
Rock of Ages.
The Mendip Hills were once a royal hunting ground and, to
the northwest of Cheddar, lies King John's Hunting
Lodge, home to an excellent Local History Museum.
Taunton
Founded by the Saxon King Ine in the 8th century, Taunton,
the county town of Somerset, had by Norman times grown to have
its own Augustinian monastery, a
Minster and a Castle - an extensive structure whose purpose had
always been more as an administrative centre than as a military post.
The Castle is now the home of the Somerset County
Museum and the Somerset Military
Museum. Somerset's famous County Cricket Ground occupies part of the
priory grounds and a section of the old monastic gatehouse now houses
the fascinating Somerset County Cricket
Museum.
Taunton's attractive National
Hunt Racecourse is one of the best country racecourses in Britain.
In the lanes to the north of Taunton lie the
beautiful Hestercombe Gardens on the south-facing foothills of
the Quantocks just north of the village of Cheddon
Fitzpaine.
Around Taunton
Wellington
6 miles SW of Taunton on the A38
It was from this pleasant old market town that the Duke took his
title and, to the south, stands the Wellington
Monument, a 175ft obelisk erected to
commemorate his great victory at Waterloo.
Bishop's Lydeard
4½ miles NW of Taunton off the A358
This large village is the southern terminus of the West
Somerset Railway, the privately operated steam railway that runs
to Minehead on the Bristol Channel coast.
Nether Stowey
9½ miles N of Taunton on the A39
It was while staying in a friend's cottage here that Samuel
Taylor Coleridge wrote most of his famous works, including
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and
Kubla Khan. When not writing, he would go on long walks with his
friend and near neighbour William Wordsworth. The Coleridges
stayed here for three years and Coleridge
Cottage now displays mementoes of the poet.
Hinkley Point
13½ miles N of Taunton off the A39
Hinkley Point is perhaps best known for its great power
stations and, at the Hinkley Point Visitor
Centre, visitors can find out just how the adjacent power
station creates electricity while, the Hinkley Point Nature
Trail leads walkers through a wide diversity
of habitats.
Bridgwater
9 miles NE of Taunton on the A38
Situated at the lowest bridging point of the River
Parrett, Bridgwater is an ancient inland port and industrial town. As the
river began to silt up, Bridgwater underwent something of
an industrial renaissance, as the river mud that closed the port
also proved to be an excellent scourer when baked.
To the southwest, near Enmore, is the small
redbrick country mansion of Barford Park, a delightfully proportioned
Queen Anne house that is set in extensive
grounds which incorporate a large area of woodland.
Further southwest again is Fyne Court, which is the headquarters of
the Somerset Wildlife Trust and whose grounds have been designated
a nature reserve.
Burrow Bridge
9 miles NE of Taunton on the A361
This village on the River Parrett is home to one of several
pumping stations that were built in Victorian times to drain the Somerset
Levels - the Pumping Station is open to the public occasionally
throughout the year; here, too, is the Somerset Levels Basket and Craft
Centre.
Just west of Burrow Bridge, the Bridgwater and
Taunton Canal winds its way through some of the most attractive
countryside in the Somerset Levels and the restored locks, swing bridges
and engine houses add further interest to this picturesque walk.
Just northwest of the village of
Westonzoyland is the site of the last battle to be fought on English
soil when, in July 1685, the forces of James II heavily defeated the
followers of the Duke of Monmouth in the bloody Battle of Sedgemoor.
Exmoor and The Quantock Hills
The characteristic heartland of the Exmoor National
Park is a high, treeless plateau of Devonian
shale
carved into a series of steep-sided valleys by the prolonged action
of the moor's many fast-flowing streams.
Exmoor is crisscrossed by a network of paths and
bridleways, which provide superb opportunities for walking and
pony-trekking. Many follow the routes of the ancient ridgeways across the
high moor and pass close to the numerous hut circles,
standing stones, barrows and other Bronze and Iron Age remains which
litter the landscape. The remarkable medieval packhorse bridge
known as Tarr Steps lies to the north of the village of Hawkridge,
near Dulverton.
Monksilver
13 miles NW of Taunton on the B3188
To the southwest of this pretty village of charming old houses
and thatched cottages are the Brendon
Hills, the upland area within the Exmoor
National Park from where, in the mid 19th century, iron ore was mined
in significant quantities and then carried down a steep
mineral railway to the coast for shipment to the furnaces of
South Wales.
Watchet
15 miles NW of Taunton
on the B3191
It was at Watchet that, in the 6th century, St Decuman
is
said to have landed from Wales with the cow that he brought
along to provide sustenance. It was also from Watchet that
Coleridge's imaginary crew set sail in The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner.
To the south of Watchet, in the village of
Williton, are the diesel locomotive workshops
of the West Somerset Railway and the Bakelite
Museum. Just to the west lies Cleeve
Abbey, the only monastery in Somerset that belonged to the austere
Cistercian order.
Minehead
21½ miles NW of Taunton
off the A39
A popular seaside town at the foot of the wooded promontory
of North Hill, now a nature reserve, Minehead is one of the
county's oldest settlements. As the port declined, the town began to
expand
as a seaside resort and in 1962 a popular holiday camp was opened.
To the west of Minehead lies the village of Selworthy.
This picturesque and much photographed village is situated
on the side of a wooded hill. Just to the northwest lies
Selworthy Beacon, one of the highest points on the vast
Holnicote Estate. Covering some 12,500 acres
of Exmoor National Park, it includes a four-mile stretch of
coastline between Minehead and Porlock Weir. Dunkery
Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor, rises to 1,700 feet.
To the southeast lies Dunster, dominated by
Dunster Castle, a medieval fortification that
was remodelled in 1617 and was one of the last Royalist strongholds in
the West Country to fall during the Civil War. In the castle's
parkland is 18th century Dunster Working
Watermill; little remains of Dunster Priory save its
priory church and an unusual 12th century dovecote.
Porlock Weir
26½ miles NW of Taunton off the A39
Once an important seaport, Porlock Weir is a picturesque place where
a Submerged Forest, a relic of the Ice Age, can be seen at low tide.
From Porlock Weir a pretty mile-long walk leads up through
walnut and oak woodland to Culbone Church, the smallest church
in regular use in England, and certainly one of the
most picturesque. A true hidden treasure, measuring only 33 feet by 14
feet,
this superb part-Norman building is set in a wooded combe that
once supported a small charcoal-burning community and was at other
times home to French prisoners and lepers. The South West Coast
Path passes this lovely secluded church.
To the west lies Doone Valley, a long enclosed sweep of
green pasture and mature woodland that was immortalised by RD
Blackmore in his classic romantic novel, Lorna
Doone.
Dulverton
19 miles W of Taunton on the B3222
Situated in the wooded Barle Valley on the edge of Exmoor,
Dulverton is a pretty little town where the headquarters of the
Exmoor national park can be found in an old converted workhouse.
Bristol
Situated at a strategically important bridging point at the head of
the Avon gorge, Bristol was founded in Saxon times and
soon became a major port and market centre. During
the Middle Ages, it expanded as a trading centre and
at one time was second only
to London as a seaport. In the early 19th century, the harbour
was expanded when a semi-artificial waterway, the
Floating Harbour, was created by diverting the
course of the River Avon to the south. Today, the main docks have
moved down stream to Avonmouth and the Floating Harbour has become
home to a wide assortment of pleasure and small working craft. Much
of Bristol's waterfront has now been redeveloped for recreation,
and several museums tell of the city's connections with the sea.
The Maritime Heritage Centre is dedicated to the history
of shipbuilding in Bristol and has a number of historic ships moored
at the quayside, including Brunel's mighty SS Great
Britain, the world's first iron-hulled passenger
liner, launched in 1843.
Around Bristol
Weston-super-Mare
17 miles NW of Wells on the A370
A popular seaside resort with all the trappings, including the
Edwardian Grand Pier (one of the last traditional iron-piled piers),
the Winter Gardens and an Aquarium, as well as the fascinating
North Somerset Museum. Close by is the start of the
Mendip Way, a 50-mile long footpath that takes in
the whole length of the Mendip Hills and ends at Frome.
Clevedon
18½ miles NW of Wells on the B3133
Clevedon Pier is a remarkably
slim
and graceful structure that was built in the 1860s from iron
rails intended for Brunel's ill-considered South Wales Railway. When part
of the pier collapsed in the 1970s, its long-term future looked bleak
but, following an extensive restoration programme, the pier is now
the landing stage in the summer for large pleasure steamers.
Bath
The ancient Celts were the first to become aware of the
healing powers of the mysterious steaming spring here but it was the
Romans who were the first to enclose the spring. The restored
Roman remains centre on the Great Bath, a rectangular lead-lined pool
that stands at the centre of the complex system of buildings. In the
8th century the Saxons founded a nunnery here but the present
day Bath Abbey dates from the 15th century and is considered to be
the ultimate example of English Perpendicular church architecture.
Bath developed into a magnificent Georgian spa
resort under the influence of three gentlemen: Beau Nash,
who became the Master of Ceremonies; the architect father and son,
both called John Wood; and the entrepreneur Ralph Allen.
Among the many fine buildings here are Queens Square; the
Royal Crescent, the first terrace in Britain to be built to an
elliptical design; the Pump Room completed in 1796; and
the Assembly Rooms. Spanning the
River Avon is the magnificent Pulteney
Bridge that was inspired by Florence's Ponte
Vecchio. Among the most interesting of Bath's several museums are
the Bath Postal Museum, with its reconstruction of a
Victorian sorting office, and the Jane Austen
Centre - the novelist spent a good deal of time here.
Just to the east of the city lies the 16th century country
mansion, Claverton Manor, now the American Museum and Gardens.
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