Somerset - 87 Attractions You Must Visit

Selworthy Beacon is a hill and Marilyn of Exmoor in Somerset, England. It lies within the boundaries of Exmoor National Park, to the north of the village of Selworthy and northwest of Minehead. A road leads to the top, where there is a National Trust plaque and a view of the south coast of Wales across the Bristol Channel. One of the nice trekking destination and also you can spend some nice time in the middle of nature.

Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve is a magnificent 530 hectare wetland reserve situated at the heart of the Somerset Moors and Levels. It forms part of the 'Avalon Marshes', one of the largest areas of wetland in the UK. This 12-panel fold-out chart features many of the special animals and plants for which this area is justly famous.

Shepton Mallet prison, was built in 1610 and for the past 400 years has be home to 1000's of criminals. it was the United Kingdom's oldest operating prison, and had been since the closure of HMP Lancaster Castle in 2011. Before closure Shepton Mallet was a category C lifer prison holding 189 prisoners. The prison building is grade II* listed, while the former gatehouse and perimeter walls are grade II.

The Somerset Rural Life Museum is situated in Glastonbury, Somerset, UK. It is a museum of the social and agricultural history of Somerset, housed in buildings surrounding a 14th-century barn once belonging to Glastonbury Abbey. Explore rural life from the 1800s onwards and discover the county’s heritage including its landscape, food and farming, working life and rural crafts. The farmhouse and cowsheds are home to galleries and exhibition spaces, including permanent and temporary displays.

A beautiful little church dedicated to the 7th century Welsh saint, Beuno. The church can only seat about 30 people at any one time, and even that’s a tight squeeze! The original name was Kitnor – meaning ‘hillslope frequented by kites’. The church boasts a Saxon font and carved head that is part-cat, part-man on the north window.

The Tarr Steps is a clapper bridge across the River Barle in the Exmoor National Park, Somerset, England. They are located in a national nature reserve about 2.5 miles south east of Withypool and 4 miles north west of Dulverton. The bridge is 180 feet long and has 17 spans. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The Bishop's Palace & Gardens in Wells, Somerset has been home to the Bishops of Bath and Wells for over 800 years. This stunning medieval palace is open for all to enjoy. Surrounded by a breathtaking moat, cross the flagstone drawbridge, to experience a true hidden gem in the heart of the City of Wells. The palace was originally surrounded by a medieval deer park. When the walls were built, streams were diverted to form the moat as a reservoir.

The Bower Inn is a charming 18th-century pub, restaurant and hotel situated on the edge of the Somerset Levels near Bridgwater. It offers stylish rooms with luxury bathrooms and delicious homemade food.

The Shoe Museum, based in Street, Somerset, houses more than 1500 shoes from Roman to modern day. The Museum also tells the story of Clarks from its beginnings in the early 19th century. It showed the history of the Clark family and their company C. & J. Clark and its connection with the development of shoemaking in the town. The Clarks started making slippers, shoes and boots in the town in the 1820s and the company grew, introducing mechanised processes in the 1860s.

The Walled Gardens lie within the grounds of a medieval Priory. The gardens have classic and contemporary features such as the herbaceous border, the blue garden and a sub-tropical walk amongst others. There is also a botanical glasshouse where arid, sub-tropical and tropical plants can be seen. It also includes a newly installed aquaponics system. It's a plant lover's paradise.

Tropiquaria Zoo is one of the most unique zoos or wildlife parks in the country. There is a mainly African theme to the tropical hall and aquarium as well as the large number of outside enclosures. The zoo is a member of BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and has successfully bred a number of endangered species of mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish.

Vicars’ Close, believed to be the only complete medieval street left in England. This significant landmark was designed to provide communal accommodation for the Vicars Choral, who sang daily worship within the Cathedral. This centuries-old tradition continues today and is a unique and much valued part of life at Wells Cathedral.

Vivary Park is Taunton’s premium park, located just minutes away from the town centre. At 7.5 hectares, Vivary Park is the perfect place to go for a picnic, a stroll or to spend the day. The public park came about because it’s so close to the centre of the town. The land had been used as for public events since at least 1851 when the first Taunton Flower Show was held there.

A richly detailed composition set in the middle of Vivary Park. Large circular basin with central fountain erected in memory of Queen Victoria and completed 1907. The large building in the background is Jellalabad Barracks, once a depot for Somerset Light Infantry but now residential apartments.

Wellington Monument was begun in 1817 to celebrate the Duke of Wellington, the victor of Waterloo. The Monument is famous as the tallest three-sided obelisk in the world, reaching 174 feet. An ambitious construction, it commemorates a modern yet classical hero. The story of its origins and shambolic construction repeats itself in its conservation and repair story up to the present day.

The Wells Museum was founded by Herbert Balch in 1893. He was a naturalist, caver and geologist who pioneered many of the techniques used by modern cavers. The exhibits include items of local history and archaeological finds. It has permanent and temporary exhibitions, along with a series of events throughout the year

Wells Cathedral is set in the medieval heart of England's smallest city and is the earliest English Cathedral to be built in the Gothic style. The cathedral dboasts a magnificent west front covered in medieval sculptures of saints and kings. It has been called "unquestionably one of the most beautiful" and "most poetic" of English cathedrals.

West Mendip Way is a dramatic ridge route cutting West to East over the Mendip Hills, a designated ‘Area of outstanding Natural Beauty’ that bridges the full variety of the rich landscape of Somerset. It climbs the Mendip escarpment affording views over the Somerset Levels. It then crosses the central Mendip plateau leading down to Cheddar Gorge and on to Wells.The western trailhead of the Limestone Link is within 2 kilometres of the Mendip Way near Shipham.

West Somerset Railway offers 20 miles of heritage railway through stunning Somerset countryside and coast. It is the longest standard gauge independent heritage railway in the United Kingdom. Services normally operate over just the 20.5 miles between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard. During special events some trains continue a further two miles to Norton Fitzwarren where a connection to Network Rail allows occasional through trains to operate onto the national network.

Westonzoyland Pumping Station offers visitors the chance to see a fascinating collection of pumps and engines in action on special steaming days. The museum is housed in an 1830 brick-built pumping station which was the first of several similar pumping stations to be built on the Somerset Levels which are prone to flooding. The Grade 2* listed building houses an 1861 Easton & Amos machine, fully restored and working.