Bruton

When I started hearing of Londoners heading for weekends in Bruton I was a little confused- it’s a small village, and as far as I could remember from my brief dealings with it growing up, there wasn’t a huge amount going on. I obviously wasn’t looking in the right places. Over the past decade it’s been taken over by rich folk moving out from the city for a slice of countryside life, and with that comes the boutique hotels, restaurants and shops that wouldn’t look out of place in East London. Slight cynicism aside, there is a lovely little community of shops and places to eat, and it makes for a great base during a trip to the county, even if you don’t end up getting much further.

Stourhead

If you’re staying in Bruton, you won’t be too far from the National Trust’s Stourhead. I suppose it’s technically mostly in Wiltshire, but it’s so close by that I couldn’t not include it. This property and its famous gardens are well worth the entrance fee. You can spend an entire afternoon strolling the walk around the lake, coming across monuments, temples and grottoes all placed thoughtfully along the route, which is said to have been inspired by Aeneas’s descent into the underworld. Pack a picnic and find a spot by the lake to enjoy it, although you might have to share with the ducks! 

You might recognise the Temple of Apollo from the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice.

Mells

There isn’t a shortage of pretty villages in Somerset, but Mells is one of my favourites (and it seems I’m not the only one, as it was voted among the “20 most beautiful villages in the UK and Ireland” by Condé Nast Traveler in 2020). Not too far from Frome (in fact, you can do a river walk between the two), it’s home to the award-winning Talbot Inn pub, a great place to head for lunch or dinner. It’s Walled Garden Cafe is also a great place to stop. 

Frome

Another spot with a burgeoning creative and independent scene that you might have already heard of! I wrote a guide to visiting Frome a few years ago (it requires a little updating, as is, unfortunately, the nature when talking about independent businesses) but you won’t miss many of its highlights if you wander the length of beautiful Catherine Hill or Cheap Street.

Grab a coffee at Moo & Two, shop menswear at Assembly, scour vintage at The Dandy Lion and Life of Riley, stop by Studio Ashay for in-house design and made women’s clothing, get lunch at Rye Bakery or Bistro Lotte, and hunt down records at Raves from the Grave. 

Frome really comes alive during its once-monthly independent market, so if you can time your visit for that you’ll be in for a treat. 

Oh. And it’s pronounced FROOME, just to avoid any potential future embarrassment! 

Wells

Not far from Cheddar you’ll find the smallest city in England, Wells. You’ll probably have seen Wells before if you’re a fan of the Cornetto Trilogy- it’s where Hot Fuzz was filmed, so is frequently full of visitors taking pictures of the locations and looking for swans. They aren’t too hard to track down- just head to the Bishops Palace moat. If you like wandering around old buildings as much as I do, the Bishops Palace and gardens and neighbouring cathedral are worth investigating. The most picturesque spot is Vicar’s Close by the Cathedral, claimed to be the oldest purely residential street with original buildings intact in Europe. 

The Good Earth is always a good spot to grab lunch, and stop by at Wells Reclamation for vintage and antiques.

Vintage & Antiques

If you are keen to hunt down antiques, coincide your trip with the Shepton Mallet Antiques and Collectors Fair or the Giant Flea Market at the Bath & West Showground. The next Antiques fair is on the 17th-19th September, and the Giant Flea on May 30th, July 18th and September 26th. 

If you want to do a bit of bargain hunting on a regular weekend, Cheddar Car Boot is one of the biggest and best. It runs every Sunday from 6am- get there as early as possible if you want to find the best bits as that’s when all of the experts will be there scooping up the most valuable finds. 

Glastonbury

When you think of Somerset, perhaps the iconic Glastonbury Tor comes to mind? On a nice evening, a walk up the Tor with a picnic to watch the sunset couldn’t be more ideal. It does get busy at times depending on when you’re visiting and the weather- it can get pretty windy up there! But the views across the levels and all the way to Wales are very much worth it.

Bath

I can’t not mention Bath! Again, I’ve written a separate post about Bath (now a little outdated and in need of an update- please do check that places are open before heading to them to avoid disappointment!) but I thought it worth including in this more broad guide as a suggestion for a day trip while you are visiting Somerset. There isn’t a chance you haven’t already heard of beautiful Bath and its warm golden Bath stone streets. It’s only around half an hour’s drive away from some of the places listed above. 

Where to Stay

Normally when I’m in Somerset I’m sleeping in my childhood bedroom, so I don’t have many personal recommendations to offer you as far as places to stay, but last year I had a wonderful night at Mollie’s Hut. You’ll have friendly horses for neighbours (the kitchen is located in the stables!) and very friendly hosts- they had baked us an entire Victoria sponge for our arrival! 

If I were booking a trip to Somerset, I’d have my eye on The Newt, Number One Bruton, The Talbot Inn, and The Pig Near Bath. Or for something a little more rustic- the selection on Canopy & Stars is pretty wonderful.