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Out and About in Somerset - The Jewel of the South-West.
Discover sites steeped in history, myth and legend; see the fascinating heritage of our market towns, fine historic country houses and glorious gardens in this unique and unspoilt area of England.
 Exploring the Mendips
The high ground, lanes and ancient footpaths of the Mendip Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) have so much to offer the ‘holiday explorer’. The Mendips are particularly rich in archaeological sites such as the Priddy Nine Barrows or the Stone Circles at Stanton Drew (see above header).
Visit the underground world of Wookey Hole caves. 
Looking south from the Mendips you can see
the mystical Glastonbury Tor standing sentinel
over the Levels & Moors one of Europe's largest wetland areas and a haven to many migrating and resident birds.
Historic Cities, Market Towns & Villages
The ancient and very beautiful cathedral city of Wells is 5 miles away. Explore its unspoilt streets, the farmers' market and visit the magnificent Cathedral and the moated Bishop’s Palace.
The wonderful Roman spa city of Bath and the historic maritime city of Bristol, home to Brunel’s Clifton Bridge and the SS Great Britain, are each only 13 miles away.
Glastonbury, reputed to be the birthplace of Christianity in England, with its Abbey and
legendary links to King Arthur is 9 miles.
There are so many fascinating towns and villages in the area, such as Mells, home of the Horner family and 'Little Jack Horner', Nunney with its moated castle, Mere with its medieval Fish House or Kilmersdon where 'Jack & Jill climbed the hill'. Each has its own history and unique character.
Fine Country Houses 
There is a remarkable selection of Country Houses open to visitors, most of them under the National Trust, close by. These include the amazing Victorian mansion of Tyntesfield, the Tudor house at Barrington Court, the magnificent Elizabethan manor of Montacute House and Lytes Cary Manor to mention only a few. For further details of more local NT properties please select the link in the side panel.
Glorious Gardens
In addition to the many wonderful country houses, the area boasts a remarkable number of beautiful, and in some cases famous, gardens which are open to the public.
These include the garden at Tintinhull (NT), the gardens originally created by Margery Fish at East Lambrook Manor and Hestercombe Gardens with its georgian landscape, victorian terrace and edwardian gardens designed by Lutyens and Jekyll.
Additionally Somerset offers one of the largest selections of private gardens open to the public under the National Gardens Scheme (NGS).
More Places of Interest (under development - ready soon!)
For even more suggestions of places to visit please follow this link
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