iKnow Somerset
South Somerset Accommodation
Yeovil is the main shopping centre for South Somerset
Yeovil's grand church in the town centre
South Somerset has lots of historic villages dotted around the countryside
Crewkerne's market town centre
Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park near Chard makes a great family day out
Several circular walks explore South Somerset off The River Parrett TrailSouth Somerset Tourist Guide Yeovil Ilminster Crewkerne Chard
South Somerset is full of old, historic villages where the locally quarried golden Ham stone makes up the large proportion of the buildings. These were once important market towns, some of which carry on today. The centres often have a good range of independent shops selling local produce. Holiday accommodation in South Somerset can often be found in bed and breakfasts in traditional cottages.
The River Parrett Trail runs right through this part of Somerset and down into Dorset. It's an excellent way of exploring the South Somerset towns and villages and the beautiful countryside that lies around them. Ham Hill Country Park is one of the major countryside attractions. This is topped by the largest Iron Age hill fort found in Europe. A network of paths lead you around Ham Hill where you can see the remnants of the hill fort and the wide range of wildlife including the grassland containing a wide range of wild flowers and butterflies.
Yeovil Tourist Information
Yeovil is the main centre for South Somerset. It makes a good base for exploring both Somerset and Dorset as it's near both borders.
The town itself is a good shopping centre with a wide range of cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants. There is also a good choice of accommodation in the town centre and in its suburbs where you'll find more traditional accommodation in the older period houses.
There are a lot of family attractions around Yeovil. Some of the most popular are the National Trust Montacute House and Gardens, The Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton near Ilchester and Montacute TV, Radio and Toy Museum.
If it's the countryside you want to explore you can climb up Ham Hill to the Iron Age hill fort and where the local honey coloured stone has been quarried for centuries.
Somerset South Tourism Stoke Sub Hamdon Martock South Petherton
South Somerset is full of picturesque, historic villages like Stoke sub Hamdon, Martock and South Petherton. Many of the older cottages and buildings are built from Ham stone quarried from local quarries. There is also a smattering of other architectural styles particularly Georgian.
You'll discover plenty of historic buildings and churches and there's some wonderful character holiday accommodation to be booked. Church Walk trails and the River Parrett Trail offer guided walks through the South Somerset countryside and villages.
Ilminster Tourist Information
Ilminster is a town with a long traceable history. Its grand church is the fifteenth century Minster in the title and there are plenty of historic buildings of differing architectural styles.
The Meeting House is now an art gallery and concert hall and has a varied events programme and changing art exhibitions. Ilminster is also on the Somerset Carnivals circuit which is not to missed in Autumn. There are plenty of countryside walks around Ilminster including Herne Hill and the route of the old Chard Canal.
Crewkerne Tourist Information
Crewkerne is an historic market town that dates from Saxon times when it was known as Creucerne. Its grand parish church is one of the finest medieval churches in Somerset. The town centre is characterised by its mix of medieval and Georgian buildings and makes a pleasant place to stroll round and check out the shops. You can find out more about the town's history at the Crewkerne Museum and Heritage Centre.
On the hill overlooking the town is Bincombe Beeches Local Nature Reserve which gives good vantage points over the town as well as a picnic area and nature trail. The town has a good selection of traditional inns, hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation some of which are over four hundred years old!
Chard Tourist Information
Chard is an historic town that has been the birthplace of several innovative and influential people. The excellent Chard Museum has a fantastic array of artefacts telling the story of its famous residents including John Stringfellow who was the first to invent powered flight, John Gillingham who designed artificial limbs and Margaret Bondfield who was Britain's first women cabinet minister.
You can follow the Heritage Plague Trail around the town to find out more about its historic buildings or take the Lace Riot Audio Tour and listen to a re-enactment of this troubled period in Chard's history. Nearby Chard Reservoir has some pleasant country walk and Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park is a great family day out.
Ham Hill Country Park
Ham Hill is covered in quarries from which the honey coloured Ham stone is cut which you see in the traditional cottages and houses all over South Somerset.
Ham Hill is regarded as a country park centred around the two hundred acre Iron Age hill fort - the largest found in Europe. A whole range of historic artefacts have been excavated here, some of which are on display in the Somerset County Museum in Taunton. The Iron Age ramparts stretch for 5km over which are pathways for you explore. The Romans later occupied the site leaving remains of a villa and what is likely to have been a military camp.
Ham Hill is also a nationally protected wildlife site, mainly for its geology which is an important insight into how southern England developed in the Jurassic period. The habitats on Ham Hill are also important for its species rich chalk grassland with interesting species such as quaking grass, cowslip, burnet-saxifrage, salad burnet, bellflower, autumn gentian, horseshoe vetch, squinancywort and eight species of orchids including frog orchid, musk orchid, fragrant and pyramidal orchids. Butterflies are abundant on the site and a scarce species that is known to survive here is the Duke of Burgundy along with dingy skipper, green hairstreak and dark green fritillary.
Check the Ham Hill website link right for downloadable leaflets on Ham Hill Country Park including children friendly leaflets.
The River Parrett Trail
Stoke sub Hamdon is not far from The River Parrett Trail. This is a 50 mile, long distance hiking trail that extends from near Crewkerne to Combwich near Steart, just south of Burnham-on-Sea. You can complete the whole trail over 3 or 4 days or break it up as a series of shorter walks during your holiday in Somerset.
The trail follows the River Parrett from the Dorset Hills where it starts through the Somerset Levels countryside and characteristic Somerset market towns, ending at its mouth at Bridgwater Bay. The going is relatively easy as most of the walk is on flat ground. If you want more of a challenge along the way you can have a go at canoeing on the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal or hire a bike from the Langport Visitor Centre and explore further afield.
There is a good variety of attractions along the way. Historic towns such as Langport (the River Parrett Trail Visitor Centre is also here) and Muchleney and you can join the Battle of Sedgemoor Trail at Westonzoyland near Bridgwater to find out more about the last battle on English soil.
If wildlife's more your thing there is a good range of nature reserves to explore in the heart of the Somerset Levels where you can do a bit of birdwatching at West Sedgemoor RSPB reserve or slight further inland around Shapwick Heath. You can also find out more about the willow weaving that has been a traditional craft of the area for thousands of years at the Willows and Wetlands Centre at Meare Green Court, Stoke St Gregory, Taunton, Somerset TA3 6HY. Tel: 01823 490249. Fax: 01823 490814. Check The Parrett Trail website for more information. You can get a free leaflet from Tourist Offices or buy the Trail Guide to plan your trip.
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