The ultimate guide to Somerset

In Somerset you will encounter a mass of exciting contradictions: old-school cider drinkers barely look up as a noisy media crowd joins them at the scrubbed pub table; ancient monuments host raucous carnivals; travelling people tether carthorses pulling painted caravans while townies bid for Georgian houses with walled gardens. All with the background throb of the Glastonbury Festival, ever bigger, ever better, ever wilder.

The countryside? Narrow gorges snake through limestone hills; woods are carpeted with wild garlic, daffodils, bluebells; moorland tumbles right down to the sea. The residents? Artisans have lived here quietly for years, and now a new gang of creative types has moved in: Sam Taylor-Wood has set up shop; Pearl Lowe has bottled the fizz of Frome and sent a note back to London. And the artistic community - from painters and potters to photographers, writers and film-makers - is growing all the time. International gallery Hauser & Wirth opened an outpost, in Bruton in 2014.

But still, oh joy, the rhythm of the rural year dominates, with its folk festivals, farm shows and village celebrations. Somerset is no longer just the blurred countryside you pass through on the way to your beach holiday. It's the destination.

Where to drink cider in Somerset

Wilkins Cider Farm, SomersetAlamy

WILKINS CIDER

Best for: A genuine scrumpy house

Beloved over the years by the likes of Johnny Rotten and Joe Strummer, Wilkins Cider Farm in Mudgely is the real deal. Roger Wilkins will take a break from cider-pressing to plonk you on a peeling red vinyl sofa right in front of the press, thrust a tankard of scrumpy into your hand, and offer you a plate of crackers and cheddar. Local workers stop in for a liquid lunch, and all the while the cider-making continues. Takeaways are by the gallon, in petrol cans. Do not expect to drive home.

Address: Wilkins Cider, Lands End Farm, Mudgley, Wedmore, BS28 4TU
Telephone: +44 1934 712385
Website: wilkinscider.com

TUCKER'S GRAVE INN

Best for: Traditional cider in a proper local pub

Tucker's Grave Inn, in Faulkland, is a traditional pub with beautifully kept real ale. A tankard of the luminous orange local cider (correctly drunk with a slice of lemon) in the tiny wooden nook – more of a front room, really - will put you on a relaxed footing with the regulars.

Address: Tucker’s Grave Inn, Faulkland, Bath, Radstock BA3 5XF
Telephone: +44 1225 962669
Website: tuckersgraveinn.co.uk

The best shops and markets in Somerset

Catherine Hill, Frome, SomersetAlamy

CATHERINE HILL, FROME

Best for: Unmatched indie shopping

Is Catherine Hill, in Frome, the best independent shopping street in the UK? Highlights include Deadly is the Female for Fifties-style frocks and swimsuits; Baxter for quirky gifts; Pilea and Bramble & Wild for houseplants, homewares and workshops; Studio Ashay for stripped-back textiles and womenswear.

KILVER COURT, SHEPTON MALLET

Best for: stylish outlet shopping in a former textile mill

Kilver Court in Shepton Mallet is the place to find Anthropologie, Cefinn, Chinti & Parker, Joseph, Hackett, Paul Smith and Whistles, not forgetting the original Mulberry factory store, all at discounted prices. It is set in immaculately manicured gardens with boulders, a stream and waterfall (the mature rockery is a highlight). Planted with sedums, rock roses, geraniums and dianthus, it is a riot of summer colour; and the Japanese acers are impressive in the autumn. The café focuses on local produce with spelt from Sharpham Park, salmon from Chesil Smokery and milk from Longman’s Dairy in Yeovil.

Address: Kilver Court, Kilver Street, Shepton Mallet BA4 5NF
Telephone: +44 1749 340422
Website: kilvercourt.com

WELLS RECLAMATION

Best for: quirky cast-iron finds

The characterful Wells Reclamation in Coxley sells an amazing variety of ironmongery. You're as likely to find tanks and rockets as bathtubs and garden gnomes.

Address: Wells Reclamation, Coxley, Wells BA5 1RQ
Telephone: +44 1749 677087
Website: wellsreclamation.com

WESTCOMBE DAIRY, SHEPTON MALLET

Best for: cheese connoisseurs

Jamie Oliver's favourite cheesemaker, Tom Calver, makes award-winning cheddar, Caerphilly, ricotta and more at his family farm, Westcombe Dairy. Drop into the shop for tasters after inspecting the ageing rooms.

Address: Westcombe Dairy, Lower Westcombe Farm, Evercreech BA4 6ER
Telephone: +44 1749 838033
Website: westcombedairy.com

BROWN & FORREST, HAMBRIDGE

Best for: traditional smokery

Suppliers to Scotts of Mayfair and Fortnum & Mason, Brown and Forrest in Hambridge offers every imaginable smoked delicacy, including cheese, scallops and lamb. Fishermen can take in their day's catch and have it smoked, too.

Address: Brown & Forrest, Bowdens Farm, Hambridge Road, Langport, TA10 0BP
Telephone: +44 11458 250875
Website: smokedeel.co.uk

Where to eat and drink in Somerset

The Ethicurean's kitchen garden

Read our full guide to the best restaurants in Somerset, from Michelin-starred pub grub to locally-sourced lunch menus.

Where to stay in Somerset

Read our full guide to the best hotels in Somerset, from converted Georgian homes to stylish newcomers, or keep scrolling for more ideas for where to stay.

RAILWAY CARRIAGE

Best for: an unusual family-friendly holiday home

All the pale and pretty properties from Lavender Hill Holidays – including a railway cottage and a treehouse – have good access to south Somerset, Exmoor and the Quantocks. They are family-oriented, with shared or exclusive use of an indoor pool, hot tubs, climbing frames and rubber ducks for the bath.

Address: next to the West Somerset Steam Railway
Telephone: +44 1984656622
Website: lavenderhillholidays.co.uk

Flint House, Somerset

FLINT HOUSE

Best for: a classy B&B

Holcombe's Flint House is a Georgian classic in a spectacular setting, with beautifully kept formal, kitchen and walled gardens (you can pick roses to take home with you), a tennis court, delicious breakfasts (try the corn fritters) and views of rolling countryside. Hallways are flagstoned, the kitchen has a bright red dresser, and the bedrooms are elegant in toile de Jouy and antique French linen.

Address: Flint House, Common Lane, Coleford, Holcombe, Radstock BA3 5DS
Telephone: +44 1761 232419
Website: flinthousebandb.co.uk

At the Chapel, Somerset

AT THE CHAPEL

Best for: A stylish restaurant with fab rooms

At The Chapel is a converted church in Bruton now famed for its excellent restaurant and bakery (sourdough bread is baked overnight in the wood-fired pizza oven). It has eight elegant bedrooms, all white, with comfy beds, surround-sound systems and contemporary art from Hauser & Wirth; some also have original ecclesiastical stained-glass windows. Bags of croissants from the bakery are hung on your doorknob every morning along with the paper.

Address: At the Chapel, 28 High Street, Bruton BA10 0AE
Telephone: +44 1749 814070
Website: atthechapel.co.uk

Mollie's Hut in Somerset

MOLLIE'S HUT

Best for: glamping in a shepherd's hut

A tiny converted shepherd's hut on the edge of a farm at Trudoxhill, Mollie's Hut contains just a double bed, an upholstered chair, a roaring wood-burner and a shelf stacked with homemade sloe gin. Whitewashed on the inside and made up with lovely fabrics, it's the perfect place to disappear from the crowds. The friendly owner will cook you a full English breakfast with eggs and milk from the farm, and there are showers, a loo and a kitchen in the barn. Kids are welcome to pitch their own tents at no charge.

Address: Mollie’s Hut, Belle Vue Farm, Trudoxhill, Frome, Somerset BA11 5DW
Telephone: +44 1373 836213
Website: mollieshut.co.uk

Starlings, SomersetAlamy

What to see and do in Somerset

Tsunamis of starlings gather over the Somerset Levels at dusk from November to January, in a swirling spectacular. Call the Starling Hotline (+44 7866 554142) for the best places to watch.
In Mells, wander along by the romantic former iron works and have a coffee at the award-winning café or a pint at The Talbot Inn.
Nunney has the immaculate ruins of a Norman castle, moat intact. Entry is free, and family favourite Nunney Street Fayre takes place annually towards the end of summer holidays.
Approach Wells from the north and you will catch your breath at the soaring Gothic cathedral; it's worth attending a service to hear the famous choir. Wells also has a great twice-weekly market (Wednesdays and Saturdays), excellent craft shops and a brilliant vegetarian café, The Good Earth.
Run by a bunch of bearded, be-capped train enthusiasts, West Somerset Railway offers all the pleasure of steam travel, including beautiful stations with original fittings.

Fairs and festivals in Somerset

Glastonbury is king, but here are three other great Somerset jamborees you should know about...

On the first Saturday of November, Bridgwater Carnival is spectacle of floats blazing with thousands of bulbs, dancing girls in sparkly costumes, marching bands and majorettes, plus clashing sound systems banging out the tunes.

Somerset Art Works give you the chance to find handmade fabric in a tiny sitting room, or a startling painting in a garden shed, as artists throw open their homes and studios.

At the vast Royal Bath & West Show in Shepton Mallet, all kinds of animals from bulls to bunnies compete to be the pride of their region. Watch stunt riders and dancing dogs; gaze at giant leeks and carrots; then ride the loop-the-loop at the fairground.

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