Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. The county town is Taunton, situated at 51°00′49″N, 3°06′23″W. Somerset borders the Ceremonial counties of Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north east, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south east and Devon to the southwest. The county is bounded to the north by the coast of the Bristol Channel.
Somerset is a rural county famous for its rolling hills and downland, the large flat Somerset Levels, and the Exmoor National Park which straddles the border with Devon. The town of Glastonbury is famous in mythology. The north of the county is administratively independent and includes the city of Bath, a World Heritage Site famous for its Roman history and Georgian architecture. The popular sea-side resort Weston-super-Mare lies on the Bristol Channel coast.
Tourism is a major industry in the county, estimated in 2001 to support around 23,000 people. Attractions include its coastal towns, part of the Exmoor National Park, the West Somerset Railway (a heritage railway), and the museum of the Fleet Air Arm at RNAS Yeovilton. The town of Glastonbury is famous for its mythical associations, and open-air rock festival (actually in Pilton), while the Cheddar Gorge is famous for caves open to visitors, as well as its locally produced cheese.
Cities, Towns & Villages
Bath
Bath is a city in South West England most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. It is situated 96.8 miles (155.8 km) west of Charing Cross in London.
The city was first documented as a Roman spa, although tradition suggests that it was founded earlier. The waters from its spring were believed to be a cure for many afflictions.
From Elizabethan to Georgian times it was a resort city for the wealthy. As a result of its popularity during the latter period, the city contains many fine examples of Georgian architecture, most notably the Royal Crescent. The city has a population of over 80,000 and is a World Heritage.
Accommodation
Bath has a good variety of hotels and accommodation available in and around the city. These range from large Georgian luxury hotels, small hotels and B&B's to self-catering cottages. So there is something for everyone.
Bath Hotels
Burnham-on-Sea
Burnham-on-Sea has a fine esplanade and seafront overlooking Bridgwater Bay and the distant Welsh coast. A seven mile beach is one of the area's great attractions. The sands provide a wonderful play ground for activities like kite flying and sand yachting. With its trade mark nine-legged lighthouse on the beach the resort has all the ingredients for a traditional English seaside holiday- donkey rides, ice creams, a jetty for launching boats, and pier pavilion. Along the coast you can find a full range of accommodation. The area is particularly noted for its variety of campsites and holiday parks. They offer a great range of facilities from fishing lakes to golf courses. From swimming pools to entertainment complexes, some even have direct access to the beach.
Burnham-on-Sea Click Here for Live Web Cam
Bishops Hull
Bishops Lydeard
Bridgwater
Bridgwater in Somerset, England, is a market town, the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and the leading industrial town in the county. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England, between two junctions of the M5 motorway, on the main railway line between Bristol and Taunton, and on the edge of the Somerset Levels.
It is thought that the town was originally called Brigg, meaning Quay. In the Doomsday Book the town is listed as Brugie, while Brugia was also used. After the Norman invasion the land was given to Walter Douai (a Norman prince), hence becoming known variously as Burgh-Walter, Brugg-Walter and Brigg-Walter, eventually corrupted to Bridgwater. An alternative version is that it derives from "Bridge of Walter" (i.e. Walter's Bridge).
Brympton
Chard
Two streams and a wide variety of good shops, alongside the High Street of this vibrant town of Chard. The museum at Godworthy House, which also has the Stringfellow Collection, celebrating the inventor of powered flight. Also visit Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park, A30 east, formerly home of Mr Blobby, now a leisure park with parkland, animals, pets corner etc The theme park is now closed and a Warner hotel has been built here Tel: 01460 30111 Open: 10-6 or dusk in winter
Cheddar
As well being famous for Cheddar Cheese, Cheddar is also home to the famous Cheddar Gorge, and the Cheddar Caves. Cheddar's distinguishing feature is the natural phenomenon of Britain's largest gorge, while The Cheddar Yeo in Gough's Cave is Britain's biggest underground river, and the Gorge Cliffs are Britain's highest inland limestone cliffs. Cheddar Caves and Cheddar Gorge are one of the UK's leading tourist attractions. The caves are reputed to be the most beautiful in the British Isles and Gough's Cave and Cox's Cave are well known tourist destinations.
The whole south side of the Gorge, which includes the highest inland limestone cliffs in Britain and their caves, the 360 acre Nature Reserve, several visitor attractions and most of the Gorge parking, is owned by the 7th Marquess of Bath, of Longleat House.
Gough's Cave has been of great use to archaeologists with its evidence of 40,000 years of human habitation. In 1903 the skeleton of a man who had been buried some 9,000 years ago was discovered and named 'Cheddar Man'. It is the oldest complete skeleton discovered in Britain.The Village of Cheddar has a long and ancient history, having been important Roman and Saxon Centres. As early as 1130 AD, the beauty of the Gorge was recognised as one of the "Four wonders of England". Historically, Cheddar's source of wealth was farming and cheese making for which it was famous as early as 1170 AD.
In the 17th and 18th Centuries, the many watermills ground corn and made paper, and, from the Victorian period largescale production of clothing.
Popular tourism began with the opening of Cheddar Valley Railway in 1869/1870, which provided workers from towns with the opportunity to enjoy a days outing for the first-time as a Bank Holiday. The railway also allowed people to live within sight of a high-profile beauty spot, the Gorge, but work further away (the start of the commuting trend). Cheddar, both the Village and Gorge today provides both shopping and leisure opportunites for all ages.
Source (English Nature, Bristol Water).
Comeytrowe
Crewkerne
Frome
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry spot on the Somerset Levels, 30 miles south of Bristol. The town has a population of 8,800 (2002 estimate). It is in the Mendip district.
The town is known for its history, including Glastonbury Abbey and Glastonbury Tor, as well as the many myths and legends associated with the town. The town is also known for the Glastonbury Festival which takes place in the nearby village of Pilton.
Glastonbury is extraordinary. For centuries it was England’s most sacred place of pilgrimage and it remains unrivalled for its wealth of myth and legend. Glastonbury is home to the first church in Britain; it is the place where Joseph of Arimathea landed with the Holy Grail. The Tor, which rises from the Isle of Avalon, is the seat of the Goddess and a gateway to the Celtic Otherworld. Arthur was at Glastonbury; it is where Excalibur was forged. Most famously the Isle of Avalon is where Arthur came to heal his wounds. To match such rich legend, Glastonbury’s monastery was the wealthiest and most splendid in England. The great Abbey is ruined now, but Glastonbury is still one of Britian’s most sacred sites of pilgrimage; its astonishing wealth of myth still grows.
Ilminster
Martock
Meare
Minehead
Minehead in Somerset is ideally positioned for a variety of family holidays. Minehead can offer all you could possibly want. Accommodation is available all around Minehead to suit any budget from camping to luxurious hotels. There are several excellent beaches, both sandy and rocky, along the Bristol Channel coast in both directions.
The £13.5 million sea defences and the £1 million seafront enhancement have made Minehead's own beach attractive, welcoming and easily accessible.
Exmoor, a beautiful and wild area offering superb walking, bird-watching, cycling and pony-trekking. Exmoor has a great range of environments from open heather hills to quiet wooded valleys. Close to Minehead is Exmoor's highest point, Dunkery Beacon, and not far away is the famous Doone Country, immortalised by R D Blackmore in Lorna Doone.
North Petherton
Shepton Mallet
Somerton
South Petherton
Street
Taunton
The County Town of Somerset is an attractive centre nestling in the Vale of Taunton Deane, between the glorious Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty that are the Quantock Hills to the north and the Blackdown Hills to the south. Taunton combines relics of its dramatic past with the modern forward-looking, prosperous retail and administrative heart of Somerset and region. Taunton was founded as a river settlement in Saxon times but far from being a sleepy market town, the town has a turbulent past. Notably in 1685 the Monmouth Rebellion was brutally quelled by Judge Jeffrey’s Bloody Assize held in the Great Hall of Taunton Castle. Such was the town's reputation that Queen Victoria allegedly drew the curtains of the train as she passed through!
Somerset Cricket Museum - A fine collection of cricket memorabilia dating back to the foundation of the Somerset County cricket Club in 1875. The collection is housed in an ancient and beautifully converted barn. You may even hear the sound of leather on willow from the county ground.
Tudor House - The oldest house in Taunton (14th century) was the property of Sir William Portman, who escorted the ill-fated Duke of Monmouth to London for his trial and execution following the Monmouth Rebellion.
Entertainment - Taunton is a cultural centre - The Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre, presents a wide range of entertainment and exciting exhibitions for all ages.
On the last Thursday of every month you have the rare delight of sampling and buying locally produced fresh fare directly from the surrounding farms at the Farmers Market held in the centre of Taunton.
There is a great selection of pubs, bistros, cafes and restaurants, in both modern and traditional styles. For an alfresco meal choose from floral parks and gardens, to the banks of the River Tone.
Wellington
Wellington is a small country town standing between the River Tone and the beautiful Blackdown Hills. It has a good number of speciality shops from which you can buy a wide range of goods. These include gift shops, craft shops, a music shop and an old-fashioned ironmongers where you can buy just one of an item. Local meats and cheeses are available and there is an excellent fish shop. A farmers market is held every third Saturday of the month.
Wells
Wells is a small city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset. It is England's smallest city with a population of around 10,000. It is the second smallest city in he UK after a city in Wales, St. Davids, and the third smallest city in the world (the smallest city in the world being in America). Wells is officially classed as a city because it has a cathedral, which is one of the biggest in the southwest and costs £2,500 a day to maintain. The name Wells is due to the three famous wells situated in the centre, one in the market place and two within the grounds of the Bishop's Palace and cathedral. The Bishop's Palace is famous and houses the well-known swans which ring a bell every time they want feeding. Wells has the oldest existing street in the world, Vicars' Close, which still has the original cobblestoned surface.
Wells is a popular tourist destination, due to having several historical sites and also its proximity to Bath, Stonehenge and other popular sites. Parts of Wells Cathedral date back to the 10th century. The city derives its name from three wells in the grounds of the Bishop's Palace.
Weston-super-Mare
Originally a small fishing village; now, Weston-Super-Mare is one of the main seaside resorts on the north Somerset coast / Bristol Channel. All the traditional features of a seaside town: Winter Gardens, a Marine Parade extending for 2 miles, several parks and a wide sandy beach in fact miles of sands, golf, a Grand Pier and gardens. Plenty to see and do for the whole family.
Wincanton
The charming market town of Wincanton overlooks the Blackmore Vale. Elegant Georgian houses and coaching inns record its former importance as a staging post on the main road from London to Plymouth.
Horses still contribute to the town's economy, thanks to Wincanton racecourse, which has a full National Hunt programme.
Drive through nearby Bayford and Stoke Trister to Cucklington for panoramic views across Wessex.Pay and play golf course at the racecourse.
Yeovil
Yeovil is a busy but pleasant market town of some 38,000 people. Situated in the beautiful Somerset countryside, it lies in the South Somerset District, just west of the river Yeo, which here forms the county boundary with Dorset. Yeovil Town Centre offers a wide range of national and independent shops situated within the Quedam Shopping Centre and other streets around the town centre.
On the outskirts of the town, trading estates offer a variety of shops and services. For those looking for leisure or sporting opportunities there is an indoor swimming pool, the Octagon Theatre and many clubs and societies.
Yeovil is easily accessible from the A303 London/West Country trunk road. For those travelling by train, Yeovil Pen Mill station is within a mile of Yeovil Town Centre.
Information courtesy of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Click Here
Tourist Information Centres
Somerset
Bridgwater
Bridgwater House, King Square, Bridgwater, TA6 3AR
Tel: +44 (0) 01278 436438
Email: bridgwater.tic@sedgemoor.gov.uk
Website: http://www.somersetbythesea.co.uk
Burnham-on-Sea
South Esplanade, Burnham-on-Sea, TA8 1BU
Tel: +44 (0) 1278 787 852
Email: burnham.tic@sedgemoor.gov.uk
Website: http://www.somersetbythesea.co.uk
Chard
15 High Street, Chard,
Tel: +44 (0) 1460 674 63
Cheddar
The Gorge, Cheddar, BS27 3QE
Tel: +44 (0) 1934 744 071
Email: cheddar.tic@sedgemoor.gov.uk
Website: http://www.somersetbythesea.co.uk
Clevedon
Clevedon Library, 37 Old Church Road, Clevedon, BS21 6NN
Tel: +44 (0) 1275 873 498
Email: clevedon.library@n-somerset.gov.uk
Website: http://www.somersetcoast.com
Glastonbury
The Tribunal, 9 High Street, Glastonbury, BA6 9DP
Tel: +44 (0) 1458 832 954
Minehead
17 Friday Street, Minehead, TA24 5UB
Tel: +44 (0) 1643 702 624
North Somerset Council
Rachael Marsh Tourism Marketing Officer, Winter Gardens, Royal Parade, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1AQ,
Tel: 01934) 634955
Email: rachael.marsh@n-somerset.gov.uk
Website: http://www.somersetcoast.com
Shepton Mallet
48 High Street, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5AS
Tel: +44 (0) 1749 345 258
South Somerset (open seasonally)
Cartgate Picnic Site, A3088/A303, Near Yeovil, TA14 6RA
Tel: +44 (0)1935 829 333
Taunton
Paul Street, Taunton, TA1 3XZ
Tel: +44 (0)1823 336 334
Email: tautic@somerset.gov.uk
Taunton Deane Borough Council
The Deane House, Belvedere Road, Taunton, TA1 1HE
Tel: +44 (0) 1823 332 074 (24 hours)
Email: tourism@tauntondeane.gov.uk
Website: http://www.heartofsomerset.com
Wellington
30 Fore Street, Wellington, TA21 8AQ
Tel: +44 (0) 1823 663 379
Email: wellingtontic@btclick.com
Weston-super-Mare
Beach Lawns, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1AT
Tel: +44 (0) 1934 888 800
Email: touristinfo@n-somerset.gov.uk
Website: http://www.somersetcoast.com
Yeovil
Petter's House, Petter's Way, Yeovil, BA20 1SH
Tel: +44 (0)1935 462 991 or 462 992 (24 hours)
Email: tourism@southsomerset.gov.uk
Website: http://www.country-breaks.com
Information courtesy of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Click Here
Somerset County Cricket Club
www.somersetcountycc.co.uk
Somerset Illuminated Carnivals Grand fireworks displays and street entertainment adds to the sense of fiesta and fun .
The floats can be huge, over 50 feet long and covered in hundreds of lightbulbs. These spectacular events can be hard to describe and you really do need to see them to believe them!
The dates for the 2006 Carnivals are as follows
(they usually start around 7pm and finish around 9pm)
Larger carnivals have been marked with an (L)
Date Day Time Location
23rd September Saturday 19.00 Frome
30th September Saturday 19.30 Wellington
7th October Saturday 19.15 Ilminster
14th October Saturday 19.15 Chard
14th October Saturday 19.30 Castle Cary
21st October Saturday 19.45 Taunton (L)
TBC Crewkerne
27th October Friday 19.00 Yeovil (L)
3rd November Friday 19.00 Bridgwater (L)
4th November Saturday 19.00 North Petherton (L)
6th November Monday 19.30 Highbridge / Burnham on Sea (L)
8th November Wednesday 19.15 Shepton Mallet (L)
9th November Thursday 19.15 Midsomer Norton
10th November Friday 19.30 Wells (L)
11th November Saturday 18.45 Glastonbury (L)
13th November Monday 19.30 Weston-super-Mare (L)
More carnival information at:
www.carnivalchronicle.co.uk
and at
www.somersetcarnivals.co.uk
For further information and general advice contact the
Somerset Visitor Centre,
Sedgemoor Services,
M5 Motorway (south),
Axbridge,
Somerset
E-mail: somersetvisitorcentre@somerset.gov.uk
Tel: 01934 750833
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