Somerset

From mansion houses and lush gardens to hidden gorges and eye-catching tors. There's something for everyone to enjoy on a day out in Somerset.

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Golden sunshine lights up a view of Montacute House, surrounded by autumn trees

Place

Montacute House

A masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture and design, with towering walls of glass, glowing ham stone and surrounding garden. While the upper floors of the house will remain closed for 2024 there is plenty to see on the ground floor, and in the garden and parkland.

Exterior view of Dunster Castle and Garden in Somerset

Place

Dunster Castle and Water Mill

An ancient castle and comfortable country home with dramatic vistas and subtropical gardens

View of the White Garden at Barrington Court

Place

Barrington Court

An atmospheric fragment of old Somerset; the estate is the vision of Colonel Lyle, with a glorious garden, farm buildings, orchards and a wider estate. Currently open weekends only until Saturday 9 March.

View of the manor house at Lytes Cary, with autumn flowering borders with purples and reds in the foreground

Place

Lytes Cary Manor

An intimate medieval manor house with an Arts and Crafts-inspired garden.

Light on a tulip tree on an island in the lake at Stourhead, Wiltshire

Place

Stourhead

A Palladian house and world-famous landscape garden bordering Somerset. A magnificent lake reflecting classical temples, a mystical grotto and rare and exotic trees are just some of the things to discover.

Tyntesfield House in Early Summer, showing pink flowers and a central flower bed on the walk up to the House.

Place

Tyntesfield

An ornate Victorian Gothic Revival house with extensive garden and parkland, just a stone's throw from Bristol

View from the Fountain Garden to the west front of the house at Tintinhull, Somerset

Place

Tintinhull Garden

A place of floral beauty, tranquillity and innovation - a gardener's garden paradise.

The Courtyard at Fyne Court in early autumn

Place

Fyne Court

A hidden gem in the heart of the Quantock Hills. Explore this wild garden and discover pieces of its history hiding in the undergrowth.

A view over the Pasture towards the Palladian Bridge at Prior Park, view of Bath city in the background

Place

Prior Park Landscape Garden

Beautiful and intimate 18th-century landscape garden in Bath with one of only four Palladian bridges found in the world

Coleridge Cottage, Somerset, with cream walls, pale green window frames and doors, behind a low stone wall

Place

Coleridge Cottage

Home of Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Place

Wellington Monument

A striking landmark recently restored, on the edge of the Blackdown Hills. Tours of the monument take place on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays - click on the button below to book. The countryside is open all year.

Place

Brean Down

A natural pier with dramatic cliffs and Victorian fort

A child smiles as she sits on a horse-shaped swing, hanging from a tree with golden autumn leaves

Family-friendly places in Somerset

Volunteers climbing down the stairs towards the beach from Brean Down in autumn

Walking in Somerset

Dahlias flowering in a range of orange shades against an old brick wall

Gardens and parks in Somerset

A library with ornate blue wallpaper, a marble fireplace in the centre, and dark wood bookshelves. There are a blue sofa and armchair and wooden desk and chair in the room.

Houses and buildings in Somerset

A stream cutting through Horner Wood on the Holnicote Estate, Somerset.

Countryside areas in Somerset

Dog walking on the Holnicote Estate, Somerset

Dog-friendly places in Somerset

Visitors sit outside having tea and scones in the cafe tea garden at Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire

Places to eat in Somerset

A child running towards a Christmas tree at Dunster Castle in Somerset

Christmas in and around Somerset

For Christmas 2024 discover magnificent houses, enchanted winter woodlands, Elizabethan revelry and seasonal food and drink in and around Somerset. Here's a few suggestions to start planning your festive visit in 2024.

Explore the Somerset coast from wide open beaches to high coastline walks with far-reaching views.

Bossington Beach, looking West on the Holnicote Estate, Somerset

Place

The beach at Bossington

From Bossington hamlet on the Holnicote estate you can wander down to the pebble beach, where there's plenty of coastal wildlife to spot and far-reaching views.

A view down towards Middle Hope beach in autumn

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Sand Point and Middle Hope

The stunning stretch of coastline around Sand Point and Middle Hope sits north Brean Down. It's one of the most beautiful parts of North Somerset, with a natural pier into the Bristol Channel.

Place

Brean Down coast

Toward Weston-Super-Mare you'll find Brean Down, a natural pier jutting out into the Bristol Channel.

Discover an ancient castle with dramatic vistas and subtropical gardens or explore an Iron Age hillfort repurposed to defend against a possible Napoleonic invasion.

A visitor standing on a platform overlooking Dunster Castle below through the trees, in Somerset

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Dunster Castle

Explore 1,000 years of history at Dunster castle, from its collection of painted leather hangings – the only one of its kind in the UK – to its historic working watermill.

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Cadbury Camp

Sweeping views can be found from the top of Cadbury Camp with buzzards circling overhead, amazing sunsets and a variety of fungi.

Place

Brean Down

Uncover the secrets of Brean Down as you discover the site of a Roman temple and explore the Palmerston Fort.

Get active with outdoor activities at a National Trust place near you in Somerset

Three mountain bikers cycling through the woods with a dog, near Webber's Post on the Holnicote Estate, Exmoor National Park, Somerset

Activity

Webber's Post

Discover where to go for a run or take on a mountain bike ride.

Expand your skills and meet new people when you volunteer with us. You’ll be helping to care for nature and history for many others to enjoy.

Visitors and volunteer in the Great Hall at Lytes Cary Manor, Somerset

Volunteering in Somerset

Whether you help to look after one of Somerset's gardens, give your time to nature conservation or light up the stories of historic places for visitors, you'll find a rewarding role.

Visitors walking through Truckle Wood, Tyntesfield

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Supporter groups in Somerset

Discover what you could get out of joining a supporter group in Somerset, and where your nearest is. Volunteer, meet up with like-minded individuals and enjoy a programme of talks and trips.

Whether you’re looking to travel by bus, train, bike or foot, there are many places in Somerset you can visit without a car.

Silhouettes of two mountain bikers riding near Webber's Post on the Holnicote Estate, Exmoor National Park, Somerset

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Places you can visit in Somerset without a car

Whether you’re looking to travel by bus, train, bike or foot, there are many places that we care for in Somerset that you can visit without a car. Here’s a little more information that can help you plan your a car-free day out.

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Event

Behind the scenes: Attic Tours (from 17 September)

Dunster Castle and Watermill, Minehead, Somerset

If you've always wanted to see more of Dunster Castle, come on an attic tour with one of the castle's knowledgeable tour guides.

Event

West Wing Open Days

Lytes Cary Manor, near Somerton, Somerset

Take the opportunity to explore the West Wing of Lytes Cary Manor - normally used as a holiday cottage and not open to visitors. It will be open Wed 8 & Thu 9 May 2024 Wed 18 & Thu 19 September 2024.

Event

Afternoon Tea

Dunster Castle and Watermill, Minehead, Somerset

Relax with a delicious afternoon tea at the Watermill Tearoom.

Event

Holnicote Nature Night

Selworthy, Somerset

An evening of nature-fuelled entertainment with the Holnicote Estate's National Trust team. Watch the film 'Six Inches of Soil', hear about our latest work and get involved in virtual reality experiences and interactive exhibits.

Event

Victorian Kitchen Tours

Dunster Castle and Watermill, Minehead, Somerset

Go behind the scenes and into the past with one of the knowledgeable volunteer guides.

Event

Aborea

Horner Wood, Somerset

Experimental photography installation that takes windfall lichens from Exmoor woodlands and reimagines them as a symbol of global environmental change.