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Towns and Villages in SomersetTiny cities, perfect little Exmoor hamlets and seaside villages - Somerset has a delightfully diverse array of towns and villages.
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Axbridge
Nestled at the foot of the Mendip Hills, Axbridge is a lovely example of an ancient English market town, complete with a medieval square featuring well-preserved half-timbered period buildings. Pottering around the streets of Axbridge you’ll find plenty of friendly little cafes, galleries and unique shops to browse. Hop in the car and within a short drive you’ll be in the heart of the Mendips, a walker’s wonderland, whilst the stunning Cheddar Gorge, with its eerie caves and fascinating geology, is just a couple of miles down the road.
51.287
-2.811
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Bath
A World Heritage Site due to the splendour of its architecture, including the spectacular Roman baths, Bath draws visitors from around the globe. Although steeped in history, Bath is a thoroughly modern city, too, with fantastic shopping, excellent dining and great entertainment courtesy of a lively music scene and the legendary Theatre Royal. Compact yet with plenty of green spaces, this is a city that begs you to get out of the car and explore by foot to discover the hidden Georgian gems such as the Royal Crescent and Circus.
51.374
-2.366
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Bridgwater
Sandwiched between the Somerset Levels and the Quantock Hills, Bridgwater’s surroundings are a pastoral paradise. Cycling, walking, horse riding – there are any number of ways to get out into the countryside and breathe the fresh Somerset air. In Bridgwater itself there are plenty of diversions; high street and boutique shopping, some great pubs and two good museums recalling the long and illustrious history of this part of Somerset. Bridgwater’s Guy Fawkes Carnival every November is worth a trip in itself.
51.131
-2.997
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Chard
Surrounded by rich farming countryside, Chard is a classic Somerset market town with a distinct sense of history. Nearby attractions include the breathtaking Forde Abbey, a medieval masterpiece imbued with over 900 years of history and with 30 acres of stunning gardens. A little further afield you’ll find the wildlife park at Cricket St Thomas, with all manner of exotic animals.
50.873
-2.96
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Crewkerne
A classic market town with elegant Georgian architecture, a 15th Century church and narrow streets of snug cottages.
50.883
-2.793
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Dulverton
This village is in the heart of Exmoor’s most outstanding countryside. Here you’ll find the Exmoor National Park Centre, which has stacks of information regarding activities on the moors, plus some pleasant cafes and pubs for lunch or a cream tea.
51.041
-3.55
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Dunster
In a spectacular position on Exmoor, surrounded by unspoilt, raw beauty, Dunster is a medieval village largely untouched by the relentless march of modern life. The streets are lined with unusual boutique shops, traditional pubs and pretty tea rooms. There is so much to do here – the outdoorsy will want to pull on their boots and take a ramble across Exmoor, girls of every age will love the Doll’s Museum and the romance of Dunster Castle will enchant everyone.
51.184
-3.445
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Frome
Although a busy, thriving market town, Frome has oodles of charm and heritage. Narrow cobbled streets, a weekly market and more listed buildings than any other Somerset town give Frome a real sense of history. The town is perfectly placed to enjoy some of Somerset’s finest attractions, including the stunning Georgian city of Bath, Longleat Safari Park and Stourhead, the exquisite National Trust property.
51.229
-2.324
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Glastonbury
Aside from its legendary (or possibly notorious!) annual music festival, Glastonbury is also famous as a sacred site of pilgrimage throughout the Middle Ages and even today, many people are drawn here by the mystical atmosphere. The most important sites in Glastonbury are the Abbey, a stunning ruin where many believe King Arthur was buried alongside Guinevere; the Tor, a tall, imposing tower set high on a hill, and the Chalice Well and Gardens, a blissfully peaceful oasis.
51.148
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Ilminster
Deep in the rolling Somerset countryside, Ilminster, with its imposing church and the winding River Ile, is a vision of pastoral beauty. One of the town’s best-loved attractions is Barrington Court, a well-preserved manor house with stunning formal gardens, an arboretum and traditional kitchen gardens. Younger visitors to Ilminster will clamour for a trip to the famous wildlife park at Cricket St Thomas nearby, which has a dizzying variety of animals including leopards and cheetahs.
50.928
-2.916
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Minehead
Minehead is in the heart of the area known as the Somerset Riviera, a string of resorts that perfectly sum up the traditional English seaside. The classic seafront area has everything you want from a coastal town – benches from which to savour the view, palm trees, extravagant floral displays and plenty of green spaces. Children are in heaven here with a beach made for bucket and spade action, and with Exmoor just a short hop away, there is plenty of opportunity to explore the great outdoors.
51.211
-3.481
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Nether Stowey
On the fringes of the Quantock Hills, Nether Stowey is a village where rural community spirit is alive and well – perhaps the fact that three busy pubs still thrive here is testament to this. The most famous former resident of Nether Stowey is the legendary poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge; his passion for walking the hills and valleys of this beautiful countryside is commemorated in the Coleridge Way, a magnificent 36 mile trail that crosses the Quantocks on its way to Exmoor.
51.15
-3.153
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Old Cleeve
A tiny Exmoor village in the north east of the National Park, Old Cleeve has changed little in generations. The whole of Exmoor stretches out from the doorstep here, with heather and gorse-tangled valleys, streams, wild ponies and total tranquillity. Visitors come at all times of year to enjoy this pristine wilderness; Exmoor has a different face for each season, from the soft green lushness of spring to the snow-sprinkled crispness of winter.
51.168
-3.371
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Porlock
In a wonderful position on the coast and at the edge of Exmoor, Porlock is a pretty village with cafes, pubs and shops to browse. The highlight of the Porlock calendar is ‘Snowdrop Valley’ time, when the nearby Avill Valley is carpeted with snowdrops.
51.208
-3.597
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Tarr Steps
The Barle River rushes through Tarr Steps all winter, slowing to a trickle during the summer. The bridge is a medieval clapper bridge, perhaps one of the most photographed in the world. It’s a lovely spot for a picnic.
51.08
-3.621
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Taunton
Taunton is Somerset's county town and has all the shopping, dining and leisure facilities you would expect from a busy urban centre. That's not to say that Taunton has forgotten its sense of heritage and history; take a wander away from the high street and you'll find narrow lanes lined with wonderful old buildings, Victorian fountains and pretty parks entered through elaborate wrought iron gates. The castle is the highlight, though – a beautifully restored Saxon example, it now houses the Somerset County Museum.
51.015
-3.101
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Watchet
Just along the Somerset coast from its bigger and more famous sister resort Minehead, Watchet is a quiet little harbour town with a long maritime history. The Quantock Hills rise behind Watchet and beaches fringe the town to the east and west, providing lots of opportunity for water sports, cycling, walking and horse riding. The West Somerset Railway, which runs through Watchet, is a fun way to see the coast here – all the trains are classic steam locomotives.
51.182
-3.329
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Wellington
Close to the Blackdown Hills, Wellington is a small Somerset market town where good food is a bit of an obsession. Supermarkets seem to have lost the battle here and instead local produce, sold in traditional outlets like the fishmonger’s and butcher’s, is to be found everywhere. The monthly farmer’s market is heaven for foodies; fantastic local cheeses, meat from nearby farms and real cider give you a great taste of Somerset. You can diet when you get home…
50.981
-3.225
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Wells
The city of Wells is rightly famous for its cathedral, which was built in the 12th Century. Though tiny, Wells is a thriving city with plenty of good shopping and eating.
51.21
-2.644
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Wincanton
In the very heart of Somerset and not far from more famous destinations such as Glastonbury and Wells, Wincanton is surrounded by miles of rural farmland and unspoilt countryside. The town’s Georgian history is evident everywhere you look with many well-preserved town houses from the period, enhancing Wincanton’s reputation as a paradise for antique hunters who flock to the shops here.
51.056
-2.409
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Withypool
In the midst of rolling moorland, Withypool is a classic Exmoor village of unspoilt architecture; it has a lovely six-arch bridge over the Barle River.
51.107
-3.649
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Yeovil
One of Somerset’s bigger towns, Yeovil is a thriving urban centre. There’s lots going on here – two theatres, a ten-screen cinema and dozens of restaurants mean that Yeovil has a busy night life. Just north of Yeovil at Yeovilton is the Fleet Air Arm Museum, which has an enormous number of Naval aircraft on display along with some fun high tech interactive exhibitions.
50.943
-2.633
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 | 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.
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