Somerset Travel Guide explores the southern English county located in the West Country. The guide outlines local attractions, places of interest for visitors and offers useful tourist information for travellers. The county has many aspects to it from the seaport of Bristol to the rural delights of the Somerset countryside, very much the English countryside at its best. There are some historic sites in the county along with iconic festivals such as the Glastonbury Festival.
Overview and Attractions
There are interesting contrasts with the gentle, rural countryside associated with much of the county to the fun filled festivals. The virtues of a relaxing quiet holiday and taking it easy can be contrasted with the trills and spills of the energetic activities on offer in Exmoor National Park. The Quintock Hills are An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and among the most scenic parts of the UK. Located close to Exmoor, the area is devoid of major towns and cites and there is plenty of unspoilt villages and countryside with a rural landscape to enjoy. The Quantock hills offer walkers some fantastic walks where you are likely to see some great wildlife, having a picnic is a favourite pastime here and in these ideal surroundings it is easy to see why.
Somerset has some well known stately homes such as Montacute House, a stunning Tudor mansion that currently houses period paintings from the National Portrait Gallery. Whilst Lytes Cary is a 15th century manor with a chapel that is located in rural Somerset, it offers visitors the chance to see the arts and crafts gardens and enjoy walks in a peaceful environment.
Bath is among the great tourist attractions in the UK, less crowded than most cities with its attractions conveniently concentrated in to an area that can be easily navigated around by foot, it makes for a historic, interesting visit that is full of its own unique character. Most famous for the Roman Baths, Bath has many attractions and visitors may well find they want to devote some time to exploring its attractions further. The City of Bath became a world heritage site back in 1987 in recognition to its great historical and architectural importance. There are several famous sites that fall under the world heritage site such as the Assembly Rooms, Bath Abbey, Pump Room and the Jane Austen Centre.
The most famous attraction in Bath are the Roman Baths, part of the world heritage site. The home of the UK's only hot spring, the Romans built a wonderful temple and bathing complex that still currently flows with natural hot water. Visitors can see the water's source and walk where Romans would have walked on the stone pavements. The extensive ruins and treasures from the spring have been painstakingly preserved and presented using the best of modern interpretation. There are audio guides available to enhance your understanding of the site.
Historic Glastonbury Abbey is set in many acres of parkland in the town of Glastonbury. There is speculation that King Arthur and Queen Guinevere are buried in the Abbey grounds. The grounds are a place for tranquillity and peace away from the hustle and bustle of towns and cites. The Visitor's Centre contains a Museum with an interesting model of how the Abbey might have looked in 1539. There is a display of the town and a Children's Display. There is a gift shop for souvenirs as well as Fish and Duck ponds and a Picnic and Wildlife Area. Audio Tapes in several languages help visitors to navigate around the site at their own leisure.
Cheddar Caves & Gorge is a popular tourist attraction, visitors can see some outstanding natural beauty to here, there are cathedral-like caves and Britain's biggest gorge. There is also the famous Cheddar Man that is reputed to be Britain's oldest complete skeleton. Gough's cave is the largest of the showcave, with 1/4-mile of cathedral-like caverns, carved out over a million years by Ice-Age meltwaters, leading to the Diamond Chamber and Solomon's Temple. There is a million-year-old river bed that was re-discovered by Richard Gough in back in 1890. Gorge Walk is a 3-mile way-marked circular route where you can explore the estate.
The world renowned Glastonbury Festival is held in Somerset, it is among the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world. Visitors can see a huge tented city as they arrive, it has cult status particularly among the young and is almost a right of passage for some. The site itself has some distinct regions, the commercial aspects concentrate around the Pyramid, Other and Dance stages. The relaxed areas are the Jazzworld and Acoustic areas, and whilst the family oriented areas like the Kidz Field, the Theatre and Circus fields.
The festival is held in a wonderful location among hundreds of acres in Vale of Avalon, an area rich in symbolism, mythology and religious traditions going back hundred of years. There are people from all walks of life that come to the festival determined to have the time of their lives, there are people young and old, from all backgrounds, nationalities and faiths and musical tastes. The atmosphere and vibe bring many people back year on year, the mellow, chilled out vibe is enjoyed by many. There is plenty of music with a huge number of bands on stage, theatre cabaret, circus and more.
The well known Exmoor National Park was created in back in 1954, with the aim of conserving and enhancing the wildlife, beauty and heritage of the National Park. The park aims to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the park by the public. There is much to see and enjoy here for visitors, there are some great landscapes to see, and there is plenty of tranquillity and wilderness evident here too.
Wildlife fans will certainly enjoy a trip here, you can spot the wild red deer or the native Exmoor pony among others, there are also many more to look out for in this wildlife haven. For those that like the great outdoors, there is plenty to do here, walkers have a great landscape in which to enjoy their walks, cycling is popular here too, as is horse riding to name but a few. Anglers also come to the park, as do those wanting to go sailing and hand gliding, so whatever your interest or activity there is likely to be something for you to enjoy here.
Arts and culture enthusiasts are catered for at the Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre. Inside there is a main auditorium, the Brewhouse Gallery and Link visual art exhibition spaces, the Studio, a flexible space for film and small performances and a restaurant and café bar. There is a varied programme of events for suitable for young and old ranging from theatre to exhibitions to music to comedy to workshops and others. The centre is seen as an important meeting place for creative talents to meet and engage with each other.
The Two Brewers is a traditional pub located in the heart of the Somerset village of Street. This family orientated pub has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for its visitors. There are some great meals served at both lunch times and evenings, along with an extensive menu of snacks, starters and desserts. Fans of ales can enjoy the extensive menu of ales available.
Assembly Rooms of Glastonbury is both a Falafel Bar and an Internet cafe. Some great organic vegan and vegetarian food is served at the Falafel bar. Whilst the Internet Cafe ensures you can surf the web, check your emails and check anything you want to for a few pounds an hour. There is home made tea, as well as organic teas and coffees to try. A must for fans of organic and vegetarian food, there are many temping dishes here to try that have proved to be a hit with visitors. The Rooms are housed in historic gothic building where the original Glastonbury Festivals were staged in the early part of the 20th century.
Somerset has some great visitor attractions such as the world famous Glastonbury Festival has put the county on the world map. There some great heritage sites such as the Roman Baths in Bath and Glastonbury Abbey, sure to please fans of history and culture. Exmoor National Parks gives visitors to enjoy the great outdoors and there is plenty of the gentle English countryside on offer in Somerset, it is perfect for a relaxing break. The county of Somerset is sometimes overlooked in the rush by visitors to go to the south coast, but with its own brand of attractions visitors to the county are unlikely to be disappointed.
Disclaimer: The information given in on this website is given in good faith and to the best of our knowledge. If there are any discrepancies in no way do we intend to mislead. Important travel details and arrangements should be confirmed and verified with the relevant authorities.