Somerset Accommodation:
Allerford
Axbridge
Barton St David
Beckington
Berrow
Bicknoller
Bishops Lydeard
Brean
Brean Sands
Brent Knoll
Bridgwater
Bruton
Burnham On Sea
Burrowbridge
Butcombe
Cannington
Castle Cary
Chard
Cheddar
Churchill
Churchinford
Clevedon
Clutton Hill
Clutton On The Mendips
Congresbury
Corton Denham
Coxley
Crewkerne
Cricket St Thomas
Crowcombe
Culmhead
Dulverton
Dunster
East Brent
Exford
Failand
Farrington Gurney
Felton
Fitzhead
Frome
Glastonbury
Godney
Hambrook
High Littleton
Highbridge
Hinton Charterhouse
Holcombe
Ilchester
Ilminster
Langport
Limpley Stoke
Lympsham
Martock
Mells
Merriott
Midsomer Norton
Minehead
Montacute
Nether Stowey
North Curry
North Perrott
Norton St Philip
Norton Sub Hamdon
Nunney
Odcombe
Porlock
Raddington
Radstock
Rode
Rudge
Saltford
Shapwick
Shepton Beauchamp
Shepton Mallet
Shipham
Simonsbath
Somerton
South Petherton
Staple Fitzpaine
Stogumber
Stoke St Michael
Ston Easton
Street
Taunton
Temple Cloud
Templecombe
Wadeford
Washford
Watchet
Wedmore
Wellington
Wellow
Wells
West Camel
West Huntspill
West Quantoxhead
Weston Super Mare
Wheddon Cross
Williton
Wincanton
Winscombe
Winsford
Withypool
Wiveliscombe
Wookey
Woolverton
Wootton Courtenay
Wrington
Yeovil

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Information

County Town: Taunton
Population: 459,100
Area: 3451 sq km 1332 sq miles
Somerset Jobs
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County Reviews
Rather interesting Somerset facts
Somerset weather
Visitor reports
Your opinion of Somerset
Famous Dates
Famous People
Food Legends:Mendip Wallfish
Somerset Apple Cake
Cheddar Cheese
West Country Perry
Somerset Cider Brandy
Somerset Soft Cheeses
Folk Customs:
Bridgwater Squibbing
Chedzoy Candle Auction
Punkie Night
Wassailing the Tree
Haunted Britain:
Ghastly Justice for the Lord Chief Justice
The Saddest Pub Crawl in History
The Undead Lady Rises
Cultural Britain:
Glastonbury
Lorna Doone Country
TS Eliot and East Coker
Lore & legend:
Bladud and the Springs
King Alfred Burns the Cakes
The Dancers of Stanton Drew
The Glastonbury Thorn
The Legend of King Arthur
The Witch of Wookey Hole
Natural Britain:
Blackdown Hills
Brean Down
Bristol Channel
Cheddar Gorge
Chew Valley
East Lyn River
East Lyn Valley
Exmoor
Polden Hills
Quantock Hills
River Axe
River Brue
River Exe
River Frome
River Otter
River Washford
Somerset Levels
The Mendips
Wookey Hole Caves

Events

January
Mill Demonstration Day
Wassailing the Apple Tree

February
February Model Show
Humdinger and Hestercombe Hurtle Road Race
Mill Demonstration Day
Somerset Potato Day
Spring Quizzes and Trails

March
A Five Year Old Could do That: Trying to Make Sense of Modern Art
Classic Car and Vehicle Day
Mill Demonstration Day
Mothers’ Day Lunch and Tea
School’s Science Challenge
Spring Steam Gala
The Confident Gardener – ‘Seed Sowing & Saving’

April
Charcoal Burning Days
Easter Holiday Fun
Easter School Holiday Fun
Easter Weekend at Hestercombe
Lovin’ Revision!
Minehead's May Day Mayhem
Toddle Waddle

May
Burnham on Sea Food & Drink Festival
Charcoal Burning Days
Disability Somerset
Magdalen Folk Festival
Minehead's May Day Mayhem
Mystical Mind, Body and Spirit Fair
North Somerset Show
Royal Bath and West Show
Rural Living Spring Show
Seed and Plant Swap Day
Somerset Heritage Month

June
Active Hestercombe in the Half Term School Holiday
Beach Soccer
British BMX National Championship
Charcoal Burning Days
Fathers Day
Glastonbury Festival
Half Term Trails and Quizzes
Life-Music Festival
Mill Demonstration Day
Sunrise Celebration
The International Westonbirt Festival of Gardens
Yeovil Festival

July
Active Hestercombe all Summer School Holiday
Butterfly Week
Castle Cary Cavalcade of Motoring
Frome Festival
Halsway Open Day
National Salad Week
National Water Ski Races
Priddy Folk Festival
Relentless NASS
Sand Sculpture Festival
Somerset Chamber Choir
Somerton Horse Show
Somerton Summer Festival
South West Live
Spook Nights at Wookey
The Healing Weekend
The Lowland Games
Truckfest SW
Weston-super-Helidays
Yeovilton International Air Day
Yetminster Fair

August
Active Hestercombe all Summer School Holiday
Annual August Extravaganza
Big Green Gathering
Folkfest
Foodie Show Somerset
Fun Dog Show
Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza
Glastonbury children's Festival
Mid Somerset Agricultural Show
Nunney Street Market and Fayre
Priddy Sheep Fair
Sand Sculpture Festival
Sedgemoor Rail Show
Spook Nights at Wookey
St Catherine’s Medieval Street Fair
Steam Fayre & Vintage Vehicle Rally
Taunton Flower Show
Watchet Music Festival

September
10 Parishes Festival
Annual Antiques Fair
Bridgwater Fair
Burnham on Sea Food & Drink Festival
CAMRA Real Ale Festival
Cider Cheese & Chutney Festival
Disability Somerset
Frome Cheese Show
Fun Dog Show
Heritage Open Days
In the Mood For Food
National Gardening Show
Rode Model Railway Show
Sand Sculpture Festival
Somerset Showcase Festival
South Somerset Food Festival
Steam in the Park
The Autumn Country Family Affair
The Gorge Outdoor Festival

October
Active Hestercombe in the October Half Term 2011
Autumn Steam Gala
Deer Rutting Weekend
Den Building & Woodland Skills Day
Exmoor Food Festival
Exmoor Food Festival
Mendip Food and Drink Festival
Mill Demonstration Day
Motorcycle Beach Race
Somerset In Autumn Weekend
South Somerset Food Festival
Spooky Trail in the Gardens
Taunton & District Illuminated Carnival
Wells Festival of Literature
Wincanton Carnival
Yeovil Carnival

November
Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival
Bridgwater Squibbing
Bristol Classic Car Show
Glastonbury Chilkwell Guy Fawkes carnival
Hestercombe’s Christmas Market
Highbridge & Burnham-on-Sea Guy Fawkes Carnival
Iluminated Carnival
Junction 24 Christmas Extravaganza
Mill Demonstration Day
Mill Demonstration Day
North Petherton Guy Fawkes Carnival
Shepton Mallet Carnival
Wells City Guy Fawkes Carnival
Weston-super-Mare Carnival

December
Christmas Craft Fair
Dulverton By Starlight
DUNSTER BY CANDLELIGHT
Father Christmas is landing at Hestercombe!
Toy Fair
Winter Steam Festival

Somerset - 492 places to stay

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Principal towns: Taunton Yeovil Weston-super-Mare Glastonbury Wells
The county of Somerset is situated in the South West of England. It has been described as the 'Jewel of the South West' because of its unique combination of breathtaking natural scenery, together with its amazing and sometimes mystical history.

In the Stone Age, much of Somerset was either under water or marshland, with only high ground such as Brent Knoll and Glastonbury habitable. These areas have a long history of human settlements, dating back to the era of the Mesolithic Hunter Gatherers. These formerly waterlogged areas are known as the Somerset Levels. If you climb to the top of Glastonbury Tor on a misty day you can sometimes get a feel for how the area must have looked when it was still surrounded by water, with the mists replacing the water to complete the illusion. The levels are home to the oldest engineered road known to man. Dating back to around 3800 BC, The Sweet Track (named after its discoverer Ray Sweet, who found it whilst digging for Peat in 1970), is a wooden causeway made by driving wooden poles into the Marshland, to support planks made mainly of oak. The nature of the marshland makes it almost certain that the parts were prefabricated elsewhere and brought to the Levels for construction. The Mendip Hills are one of many places designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the caves in the Mendips were first settled in the Neolithic era. Much of Somerset mystical history is centred on Glastonbury and specifically Glastonbury Tor, which can be seen from many miles away. Glastonbury is associated with Arthurian Legend as the island of Avalon, where Arthur was taken after being mortally wounded at the battle of Camlann. Twelfth century monks at Glastonbury Abbey claimed to have found the bones of King Arthur. There are many Iron Age hill forts in Somerset. The Romans invaded the county in AD 47 and occupied Somerset until AD 409 leaving the area open to invasion over the next centuries by the Anglo Saxons . The Normans also established a strong presence in the area after 1066, building many castles and churches, a number of which survive at least partially today. Many Somerset towns and villages also have buildings surviving from Medieval times. The advent of the Railways and the mining of Coal and Iron Ore were key features of Somerset in the latter half of the millennium. Somerset has two cities, Bath and Wells , both of which date back to Roman times. Bath was known to the Romans as Aquae Sulis (the waters of Sulis), due to the thermal spring there that the Celts had dedicated to their goddess Sulis. The Romans associated Sulis with their own goddess Minerva, but curiously continued to use the name Aquae Sulis. Wells, one of the smallest cities in England, is graced by one of the finest cathedrals in the country. It also has a wonderfully picturesque and largely unspoilt market square. For those interested in History, there is a huge range to choose from in Somerset. From early Iron Age Forts, through Roman remains to the days of the Steam Railway, preserved by lines such as the West Somerset Railway . Those interested in the natural beauty that Somerset has to offer will also be spoilt for choice. There are beautiful walks to be had over hill and dale throughout the county of Somerset, including the 36 mile Coleridge Way which traces the paths walked by the great poet to help inspire some of his most famous poems. The coastline on the north of Somerset has many beautiful seaside resorts and also offers breathtaking views across the Bristol Channel and Severn river.

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There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it - John Lydon (Johnny Rotten)
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On this day:
Tolpuddle Martyrs Sentenced - 1834, Argentine Forces land on South Georgia - 1982
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