| SOMERSET |
| Admiral Blake Museum |
Blake Street, Bridgwater |
Battlefield relics of Sedgemoor, where the Duke of Monmouth's
pretensions to the throne were dashed in 1685, are among the exhibits in this museum. As
well as armour and weaponry from the battle, there is a large model of the cavalry charge
that routed Monmouth's rebels. The museum is housed in the birthplace of Robert Blake, the
local MP who became a general in Cromwell's army in the Civil War, and subsequently a
brilliant admiral. |
| Barrington Court |
Off B3168, 3 miles north-east of Ilminster |
The best view of this Tudor mansion is from its south lawn, on the
opposite side of the house from today's entrance. Built in 1514, the house is on an E-plan
- unusual for such a Gothic building. The seven gable ends that form the facade are
decorated with twisted finials and chimneys that are entirely French in style. The
designer Gertude Jekyll inspired the delightful gardens. |
| Brympton D'Evercy |
Off A3088, 2 miles west of Yeovil |
This stately mansion displays a range of architectural styles from its
remarkably well preserved 14th century Priest House - now a museum of cider-making and
coopering - to the 16th century west front. The imposing classical south front, with its
asymmetric window lintels, was added in the 1670s. A superb collection of mature trees, a
lake and a vineyard are features of the gardens, within which stands the 15th century
parish church. |
| Cheddar Gorge and Caves |
Off A371, at Cheddar |
A plunging, 2 mile cleft in the Mendip Hills presents nature at its
most awesome. Soaring 400ft cliffs crowd the narrow road. Secret streams riddle the hills,
and there are more than 400 caves or holes in the area, some lit with electricity to
expose their lustrous stalactites and stalagmites. Gough's Cave is the largest and most
spectacular. It was in this cave that the famous Cheddar Man - a 10,000- year-old skeleton
- was discovered; it is on display in the adjoining museum. |
| Cleeve Abbey |
Off A39, 6 miles south-east of Minehead |
The venerable buildings of a Cistercian monastery throw light on the
cloistered life of its inmates 500 or more years ago. The 13th century dormitory survives
very much as it was built. The refectory range was re-modelled in the late 15th century;
it has a magnificent wagon roof and, off the stairs, a parlour with wall paintings. The
gatehouse also survives. |
| Combe Sydenham Hall |
On B3188, 3 miles south of Watchet |
The 100lb stone sphere displayed in the great hall of this Elizabethan
mansion is said to have won Sir Francis Drake his bride. Elizabeth, daughter of Sir George
Sydenham who built the house in 1580, had promised her hand to Sir Francis, but tired of
waiting for his return from sea and agreed to marry a rival suitor. At the door of the
church, however, the bridal party was scattered by the descent of the great stone - in
fact a meteorite. Believing the missile to be a cannonball fired from Drake's distant
ship, Elizabeth refused to go ahead with the ceremony. Sir Francis landed with the next
tide, and married Elizabeth. |
| Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park |
Off A30, 4 miles east of Chard |
The Georgian mansion is known to millions as 'Grantleigh Manor' in the
TV series To the Manor Born. In reality it once belonged to the Hoods, a great
naval family, and Lord Nelson was a frequent visitor. Peacocks which have long strutted
the lawns of this historic estate have in recent times been joined by many other exotic
creatures in a 1000 acre wildlife park. Other birds include storks, cranes and black
swans, while there are enclosures for monkeys, raccoons and other animals. |
| Downside Abbey Church |
On A367, 12 miles south-west of Bath |
Its full name is the Basilica of St Gregory the Great, and it is the
church of the senior Benedictine monastery in Britain. It is also one of the largest Roman
Catholic churches built in England since the Reformation. The abbey has the appearance,
the character and the grandeur of a medieval foundation. In fact, the earliest part was
completed in 1882 and the most recent - the nave - was opened in 1925. The result is a
triumph of inspiration and dedication. |
| Dunster Castle |
On A39, 3 miles south-east of Minehead |
The castle rises dramatically above the Exmoor village which shares its
name. The hill has been fortified since before the Norman Conquest, when the castle was
granted to the Mohun family by King William. Dunster was sold to the Luttrells in 1376,
and remained their home for 600 years. Besieged by Royalists and then by Parliamentarians,
it was all but razed in the aftermath of the Civil War. A 13th century gateway
and a gatehouse of 1420 have survived, but much of the present exterior is Victorian.
Inside there are splendid furnishings from Tudor times and later. |
| Farleigh Hungerford Castle |
On A366, 6 miles north-east of Frome |
Overlooking the valley of the River Frome are the extensive ruins of a
great castle built for Sir Thomas Hungerford in the 1370s. The original building had a
five-storey tower at each corner, and the ruins of these still stand. The tallest is the
Lady Tower, so known because one Lady Hungerford was immured in it by her husband for four
years in the 1530s. The outer bailey of the castle was extended to include an existing 14th
century parish church, now the chapel. Carefully restored, this houses the tombs of
Hungerfords spanning 250 years. |
| Fleet Air Arm Museum |
Off A303, 9 miles north of Yeovil |
A collection of more than 50 aircraft at Yeovilton Royal Naval Air
Station puts special emphasis on naval flying in both strike and rescue roles. That
legendary Second World War carrier biplane the Fairey Swordfish is there; so are jets such
as the Sea Vampire, and several helicopters. But the supreme attraction for many is the
first British-built Concorde, 002, in its own exhibition hall. Visitors can walk through
the plane, and see displays illustrating the story of supersonic flight. |
| Fyne Court |
Off A38, 6 miles north of Taunton |
The Quantock countryside as it was before the changes wrought by modern
farming and forestry methods is being re-created in the 26 acre grounds of what was once a
grand mansion. Specimens of almost every indigenous British tree and shrub have been
planted, and nature trails have been marked through the woodland. Only a few of the
old stone outbuildings and a wing remain from the original Fyne Court, which was
devastated by a fire in 1898. |
| Gaulden Manor |
Off B3224, 9 miles north-west of Taunton |
Modest by manorial standards, the medieval house still serves the
purpose for which it was built, as a working farm. The large pond in the garden was
providing fish 700 years ago to the monks of Taunton Priory, proprietor of the manor from
the 12th to the 16th century. The main feature of the interior is the great hall,
dominated by a spectacular Tudor plaster wall frieze. Several other splendid rooms have
Tudor fireplaces. |
| Glastonbury Abbey |
Glastonbury |
The 13th century walls of Glastonbury Abbey retain a sacred dignity.
The abbey once held dominion over more land and lives than any other outside London. The
abbey gatehouse contains lovely Norman carvings from the ruins, and a section of mud
plaster from the previous church site. There is also a model of the abbey as it might of
looked. |
| Lyte's Cary Manor |
Off A372, 8 miles north of Yeovil |
This medieval manor house blends the architectural styles of six
centuries. The earliest part of the house is the chapel, built in 1343. The great hall is
from a century later. The oriel room, purpose-built as a dining room, is an early example
of the Tudor trend away from the medieval custom of eating communally in the hall. The
great parlour has superb 17th century panelling and the great bedroom has its original
decorated plaster ceiling of 1553. |
| Montacute House |
Off A3088, 3.5 miles west of Yeovil |
Started in 1588 and built by Sir Edward Phelips, Montacute remained in
his family's tenure until 1931 when it was saved from demolition by the National Trust.
The many rooms which retain their original panelling and carving, plasterwork and heraldic
stained glass, have been faithfully restored and contain furniture, tapestries and
paintings dating back to the 15th century. |
| Nunney Castle |
Off A361, 4 miles south-west of Frome |
The four great towers of this ancient fortress rise more than 50ft from
its deep moat. Nunney was built in the 14th century by Sir John de la Mare. During the
Civil War it was a Royalist stronghold, but it eventually fell to Cromwell's cannons and
was stripped of its three floors. The castle has been a ruin for 350 years, but its
interior still offers interesting insights into the way its early occupants lived. |
| Poundisford Park |
Off B3170, 3.5 miles south of Taunton |
All the rooms on view in this Tudor house are still in regular use by
the owner's family. Started in 1546 to an H-shaped floor plan, the three-storey house is,
unusually, plastered externally, which sets off the golden Ham Stone mullioned windows.
Inside, the Great Hall with its Elizabethan moulded plaster ceiling is overlooked by a bay
window from a gallery, where a fine collection of English and foreign porcelain is
displayed. The Georgian dining room, with its ancient leaded casements, is in complete
contrast to the Tudor style. |
| Taunton Castle |
Castle Bow, off North Street, Taunton |
During the Civil War a Parliamentary garrison defended this 13th
century bishop's fortress against 10,000 Royalist troops. In the process most of the town
was destroyed, but the castle stood fast and some of its formidable buildings remain to
this day. Today, the great hall functions as the core of the Somerset County Museum. This
houses an exhibition of Somerset arts and crafts, collections of English and Chinese
pottery and geological and natural history displays. There is also a military exhibition
centred around the former Somerset Light Infantry. |
| Wells Cathedral |
In centre of Wells |
The greatest gallery of medieval sculpture in Europe, a unique
600-year-old working clock and scores of 12th century carvings are among the attractions
of the vast Cathedral Church of St Andrew in Wells. The famed West Front, started in 1230
- some 50 years after the main building - is honeycombed with 400 niches, most containing
original medieval statues. The astronomical clock, made around 1390, is in the north
transept. Its face is 6ft 4in across. The grandeur of the cathedral's 12th century nave is
softened by the charming carvings made throughout by the original masons. The newest part
of the cathedral, the cloisters, completed in 1508, lead to one of the most beautiful
bishops' palaces in the country. |
