Discover Somerset: Cheddar Gorge, abbeys and walking trails

Somerset appeals to a range of travel interests: the landscape of Cheddar Gorge, short and multi-day walking options, abbey history and insights into regional work. If you are looking for hotels in Somerset, first consider which activities you want to focus on during your stay. The destinations featured here differ both in their themes and in how you can visit them.

Landscapes and trails

Cheddar Gorge is almost 400 feet deep and three miles long; it is considered England’s largest gorge. Feral goats roam freely in the gorge, bringing a specific nature theme to its striking landscape. If you want to focus your trip on walking, you can choose between individual paths and longer routes: the River Parrett Trail is a scenic 50-mile walking trail that can be completed in three to four days or in shorter sections.

The River Parrett Trail runs from the bridge near Stathe Farm via Stoke St Gregory and Meare Green Court, home to the Coates English Willow Baskets Visitor Centre. The route then passes over Windmill Hill, follows the River Tone and continues to a road near Burrowbridge. The route may change, so check the current trail route before setting out. Along the trail, you can experience the landscape, history, heritage, nature and wildlife. For broader context, Somerset’s publicly accessible Right-of-Way network covers more than 3,803 miles (6,129 km); this network figure may change.

The Coates English Willow Visitor Centre invites you to learn about the history and art of growing willow and making baskets. The Centre also offers a longer circular walk along the River Tone and up to a viewpoint on Windmill Hill. This gives you a choice of different types of walk: the 50-mile trail, suitable for multi-day stages or shorter sections, and the Visitor Centre’s circular walk.

Glastonbury and the abbeys

Glastonbury Tor combines historical significance with walks and picnics. The Tor has been a place of religious significance for more than 1,000 years. Four orchards lie at the foot of Glastonbury Tor’s slopes, two of which are open to the public. Check the orchards’ access arrangements before visiting.

Cleeve Abbey and Muchelney Abbey also offer distinct architectural highlights. Cleeve Abbey has the most complete and unaltered collection of monastic cloister buildings in England. The oldest refectory floor dates from around 1270 and is displayed in a purpose-built wooden shelter. There is also an exhibition and a virtual touchscreen tour about monastic life. Muchelney Abbey was once a wealthy and important monastery. Its two-storey abbot’s lodgings are a perfectly preserved small-scale early Tudor manor house.

The interior of Muchelney Abbey can be visited on selected days as part of a guided tour; advance online booking is required. Check the booking details before travelling. In Glastonbury, the Somerset Rural Life Museum explores rural life and work from the 19th century onwards. The museum’s Abbey Barn is both a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building.

Cider and a heritage railway

The guided Thatchers Cider Tour explains how Thatchers has been making cider in Somerset for more than 120 years. The tour lasts around two hours and offers the chance to sample different ciders. As tasting arrangements and other practical details may change, check them when booking. For planning purposes, the approximate duration is a different kind of guide from a walking route, whose timeframe ranges from multi-day stages to shorter sections.

The West Somerset Railway offers another perspective on Somerset: this heritage railway is 20 miles long and runs through the countryside and along the Somerset coast. The railway’s 20 miles and the River Parrett Trail’s 50 miles represent different ways to experience a route: one by heritage train, the other on a walking trail that can be completed in three to four days or in sections.

Discover more destinations:

Yeovil, Woolverton, Wiveliscombe, Wincanton, Wells, Washford, Templecombe, Taunton, Sparkford, Shepton Mallet, Redlynch, North Petherton, Montacute, Minehead, Martock, Lydford, Langport, Ilminster, Ilchester, Highbridge, Hatch Beauchamp, Glastonbury, Frome, Dunster, Dulverton, Cheddar, Chard, Castle Cary, Bridgwater, Brent Knoll, Horsington, Crewkerne, Beckington, Lyng, Burnham-On-Sea, East Brent, West Huntspill, Holford, Winsford, Somerton, Catcott, Lovington, Norton St Philip, Nether Stowey, Bishops Lydeard, Puriton, Street, Lympsham, Holcombe, Williton, Axbridge, Exford, Ashwick, Burrow Bridge, Wedmore, West Quantoxhead, Litton, Brompton Regis, Kilve, Kingsbury Episcopi, Bruton, Fitzhead, South Petherton, Fivehead, Tintinhull, Bagborough, Laverton, North Curry, West Chinnock, Wellington, Milborne Port, Mark, Henstridge, Evercreech, Clatworthy, Chilcompton, Baltonsborough, Badgworth, Staple Fitzpaine, North Brewham, West Camel, Porlock, Stoke-sub-Hamdon, Queen Camel, Tolland, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Rode, West Coker, Maundown, Stogumber, Stowell, Nunney, Ditcheat, Goathurst, Cucklington, Ashcott, Chiselborough, Othery, Milverton, Cutcombe, Buckland Dinham, Stawley, Mells, Hornblotton, Otterhampton

For the main travel overview: South West England.