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Somerset History & Heritage

Somerset is a county alive with history, from Wells, the smallest city in England with a magnificent Cathedral to dozens of historic towns and villages - each with a special story to tell. If you like to explore country houses and gardens, Somerset has so much to offer - some dating back to Elizabethan times, others with the formal Edwardian Gardens of Lutyens and Jekyll.

Somerset is the home to some wonderful museums - the larger Fleet Air Arm Museum, Haynes Motor Museum and Helicopter Museum contrast with the small and quirky Bakelite or Dolls museums. For something unusual, why not visit the reconstructed Iron Age Village at Westhay, near Glastonbury. The ancient craft of working with willow is still alive today in Somerset, visit the Willow & Wetlands Centre to find out more.

AND CASTLES TOO ...

The English Civil War (1642-1651) left its mark on the castles at Taunton (the historic county town) and at Dunster in West Somerset. The magnificent ruined castle at Nunney (near Frome) is also a sombre monument to violent and bloody times.

WASSAIL !

Many of Somerset's ancient traditions and customs can still be witnessed today such as the 'Wassailing' of the apple orchards to ensure a good crop or the strange procession of the 'Hobby Horse' (or Obby Oss) through the streets of Minehead in early May.

Somerset's Mardis Gras !

The largest illuminated procession in Europe takes place each Autumn in many of Somerset's towns and villages, the famous Somerset Carnivals have to be seen to be believed !