It’s just a quick flit from some of the country’s big cities, yet venture into the Somerset countryside and it feels as though you’ve completely dropped off the 21st Century map. The Quantock Hills, the Somerset Levels, Exmoor - these are places where the ‘real’ world of speeding traffic, stress overloads and continual rush has barely dented daily life, and you’ll find your shoulders dropping and your forehead uncreasing with each hour that passes here.
Exmoor, easily as beautiful as her sister, Dartmoor, offers endless ways to strike out into the wilderness and relish the great outdoors for a day or a week. Walking, riding, cycling, even travelling by four wheel drive - you can set whatever pace you like to explore the valleys, hills, streams and moorland. Come in early spring, and witness ‘Snowdrop Valley’, when the carpet of white blooms heralds the end of winter; come in autumn and see the moors set alight with the colour of turning leaves. It’s always a good time to visit.
Somerset is a big county, though, and it has a bit of everything. Once you’ve filled your lungs with squeaky clean air and relaxed into a less frantic mode of thinking, you might just fancy a bit of culture, and there’s plenty to be had. Bath, Taunton, Yeovil, Wells - all offer shopping, galleries, theatres, cafes and restaurants; all have distinct characters that reward exploration.
For children, there are many, many days out to plan. Wildlife parks, including the renowned one at Cricket St Thomas, beaches, canal boat trips, caving and climbing - they’ll need all the energy they can muster, so make sure you get a good breakfast down them.
Which leads us nicely to eating out. Where Cornwall is packed with beach cafes and Dartmoor is the land of cosy pubs, Somerset has more than its fair share of elegantly turned-out country house hotels with restaurants. You’ll need to scrub up a bit more, but the food at places like the Charlton House Hotel are absolutely worth the effort. And what’s a holiday without a lavish, calorie-drenched treat?
So, if you’ve always sped past Somerset on your way to a holiday in Devon or Cornwall, now’s the time to stop, turn off the M5, and explore…
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Our West Country
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