Watch Starling Murmurations

A wonder of the natural world and a sight not to be forgotten as thousands of beautiful starlings come home to roost on the levels just before sunset. The starlings group in large numbers from October through to March, with the most popular viewing times towards the end of the year. Visit this site for the best times to view and where to park.

Trip to a Reclamation Yard

On the A39 between Glastonbury and Wells is the Wells Reclamation Company a large site full of architectural antiques, garden statues, pots, containers, vintage furniture, hardware and salvage. This is a fascinating place just to wander around and perhaps pick up an unusual item for the house or garden, especially if you are looking for something to fit a period home. To find out more, click here

House of Treasure

The Treasurer’s House, Church Street, Martock TA12 6JL

Owned by the National Trust, a small medieval house with Great Hall completed in 1293 is the oldest house in Somerset. The house was built as a parsonage serving All Saints Church opposite. In 1227 it was purchased by Hugh the Treasurer of Wells Cathedral, hence the name Treasurers House. To find out more, click here

Try a Stone Carving Workshop

Tom Clark is a very talented stone mason who carries out commissions of all types. He also runs small workshops in Martock for anyone wanting to try their hand at carving something of their own. A friend of ours went on a course bought for him for a special birthday and he thoroughly enjoyed it and has something unique to keep for years to come. To find out more, click here

Cider Tasting

Burrow Hill Cider Farm, Kingsbury Episcopi

A visit here is like stepping back in time. The wonderful, ancient apple barn houses casks of the world-famous Somerset Cider Brandy and barrels of Burrow Hill Cider. In the autumn, see the seventy year old copper still, Josephine, and her younger sister, Fifi, working their magic to turn apple juice to the nectar you can taste and purchase in the shop. In recent summers, the Somerset Cider Bus has been a fixture at the farm and you can picnic beneath the apple trees in the orchard. To find out more, click here

Day at the Newt

The Newt in Somerset, A359, Hadspen, BA7 7NG Phone 01963 577777

The gardens around Hadspen House Hotel (open to residents only) are stunning and are a large working estate open to the public. The famous gardens have been entirely replanted and re designed, the centrepiece is the egg shaped Parabola walled garden, now replanted with a comprehensive collection of 460 trained British apple trees of 267 different varieties arranged in a baroque style maze. There is a cider press and bar, mushroom house, History of Gardening Museum, farm shop, treetop walk, thatched ice cream parlour, and wild swimming ponds, not forgetting the Newts which give the Estate its name. The vegetable and fruit gardens are amazing. Open daily 9am- 6pm, tickets £17.50p which can be converted to a free annual pass.

—and other interesting Gardens

Mapperton near Beaminster - set in a valley, lovely and unique.

Burrow Farm Gardens, near Axminster - established gardens that were originally farmland.  Good plants for sale.

Minterne Gardens, Minterne Magna - beautiful trees and meandering paths

Midney Gardens & Nursery, near Somerton

Walk the Parrett

The Parrett Trail is a stunning walk that follows the river northwards and out to the sea and the Bristol Channel. A link to help you plan your route is here

Rural Life Museum

Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury

Recently carefully renovated and improved, this is a real gem. The Abbey Barn was once part of Glastonbury Abbey's estate and is one of the West Country's finest buildings. The galleries house some fascinating exhibits charting rural Somerset life through the ages. You can also book workshops and enjoy a break in the cafe. To find out more, click here

Mountain Biking

Mountain biking at Ham Hill Country Park, Stoke-sub-Hamdon

Ham Hill is a magnet for walkers but there are also areas of the hills where local youngsters have carved some brilliant jumps and tracks to challenge mountain bike enthusiasts. The tracks can be found near Tinkers Bubble in Little Norton, and behind the Co-op in Stoke-sub-Hamdon. Read more here

Trip to the Coast

We have on our doorstep the wonderful Jurassic Coast line. Within a short drive you can visit seaside towns and beaches. Just east of Bridport is Burton Bradstock—here you will find Hive Beach, a popular family destination, made up of shingle and sand, surrounded by sandstone cliffs. The beach is clean, the water is clear and it’s a great place for swimming or just taking a stroll. If you are a National Trust member parking is free. The Hive Beach Café is right on the front and serves largely fish orientated food, however this can be very busy in the summer resulting in quite a long wait for service. www.hivebeachcafe.co.uk

On the cliffs above the beach stands the Seaside Boarding House with a restaurant specialising in seafood dishes. This is a very nice place to eat. You can park in the restaurant car park and walk down onto the beach. www.theseasideboardinghouse.com

Just a couple of miles east along the coast is Cogden Beach. Again a great place for swimming but a lot quieter than Hive. The car park is again free to NT members.

Further east the beach becomes less interesting, but at West Bexington you will find the Club House Restaurant. www.theclubhousewestbexington.co.uk

Bruton

Hauser & Wirth

Located on the outskirts of Bruton is the Hauser & Wirth gallery and arts center. It provides a destination for experiencing art and architecture through innovative exhibitions of contemporary art. It also includes an impressive landscaped garden with a changing programme of outdoor sculptures plus an on-site restaurant, the Roth Bar & Grill. Entrance to the gallery is free of charge and the gallery website presents details of the exhibition schedule. It is certainly worth a visit, but worth checking the exhibition schedule for what might interest you first. www.hauserwirth.com

Cheese Shop

Whilst in Bruton you might also enjoy a visit to the Godminster Cheese Shop selling a great range of organic cheddar. www.godminster.com

Restaurant

In the High Street is a stylish, informal restaurant in a former 18C chapel. It includes a bakery and a wine shop. Daily menus offer rustic Mediterranean-influenced dishes; specialities include wood-fired pizzas and speciality breads and cakes. www.atthechapel.co.uk

Closer to Home

The Priory - formerly Priests House, North Street, Stoke sub Hamdon TA14 6QP

Owned by the National Trust, it is an atmospheric fragment of old Somerset built in the 14th/15th Century. An empty Tudor Manor House, initially a college, beautifully restored in 1920, with farm buildings, abundant flowers and orchards. Former Priests House of the Chantry Chapel of St Nicholas, all trace of which has now vanished.

Retail therapy!—independent garden centres & nurseries

Kelways at Langport is a delightful specialist nursery for paeonies and irises. The plants are always good quality and reasonably priced. Avon Bulbs and East Lambrook Manor are excellent and great for the more unusual bulbs. 

Groves in Bridport, and the smaller Little Groves, near Beaminster and just after the tunnel, have great plants, good prices and helpful staff.

Oaklands Nursery, just outside Street on the Glastonbury Road, impresses with the size, quality and prices of plants, especially good for large pots of perennials.  Also Oaklands carries a great variety of plants for hanging baskets and pots, like pelagoniums and pansies.

Rocky Mountain Nursery, Wells (high above Wells, hence the name!)  Very reasonably priced and reliably hardy plants.  Especially good for shrubs, roses and climbers.

Brownes Garden Centre, Coxley (just outside Wells).  Good for their large selection of seeds and bulbs.

Forde Abbey is a lovely place to visit at any time of the year but also the nursery sells extremely good plants.  Used to do a half price sale at end of the year!

Finally there is always Otter Garden Centre near Honiton (also a smaller one near Wincanton).  It's big and gets very busy on the weekends but well worth the trip, preferably on a weekday when much quieter.  They grow many of the plants they sell and are very good quality and reasonably priced.

And for great places to go with children, why not take a look at suggestions from Chiselborough families here