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Somerset

Photo: Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Holidays in Somerset

From first-visit essentials to local favourites, this is our honest guide to holidays in Somerset: where to stay, what it costs and what not to miss. Exmoor, cider country and the seaside charm of Minehead and Weston.

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Popular places in Somerset

The famous spots people build a whole trip around — each with its own guide to staying and exploring nearby.

Holiday ideas in Somerset

Know what would make the week? Start from the thing that matters most.

Weather in Somerset

Thu

8° -3°

💧0%

Fri

8° -1°

💧1%

Sat

10° 3°

💧4%

Sun

12° 6°

💧64%

Mon

8° 6°

💧55%

Tue

11° 5°

💧53%

Wed

9° 3°

💧8%

Forecast: Met Office

All places to stay in Somerset

Must-have facilities
Brook Cottage

Brook Cottage

🏖️ 2.99 miles from Berrow North of Unity Farm (Good water quality)

Burnham-on-Sea, South West England

Sleeps 5

£626 per break

Check availability
Pier View

Pier View

🏖️ 1.15 miles from Weston Main (Poor water quality)

Weston Super Mare, South West England

Sleeps 4

£517 per break

Check availability
The Malthouse

The Malthouse

✓ Large 15th-century self-catering house sleeping up to 14 guests

🏖️ 2.29 miles from River Frome at Farleigh Hungerford (Poor water quality)

Bath, South West England

Sleeps 14

£3,860 per break

Check availability

More around Somerset

Haunted Britain

From the blog

Somerset gives you three quite different holidays in one county: the moor-and-coast end around Minehead, the buckets-and-bird-gardens end at Weston-super-Mare, and the honey-coloured streets of Bath. With 955 places to stay on BritStays across the region, you can pick a base that suits the sort of days you want and still reach the rest without much fuss.

Days out that work with children

Weston-super-Mare is the obvious starting point for younger families. Brean Down Bird Garden is small-scale and easy to manage in an hour or two, while Webbington Farm and Oakham Treasures both reward children who like poking about at things — Oakham Treasures in particular is the sort of place where grandparents start pointing at packaging they remember. If the weather turns generous, Greenbank Pool is a straightforward swim-and-splash option.

Older children and teenagers usually do better with Cheddar Gorge, where the scale of the cliffs does the work for you, or the climb up Glastonbury Tor, which is short enough to be reasonable and steep enough to feel earned.

Rainy-day standbys

Somerset weather can be changeable, so it helps to have indoor options held in reserve.

  • The American Museum (Claverton Manor) near Bath — a full afternoon's worth, and quite unlike anything else in the county.
  • Museum of Bath Architecture and Museum of Bath Stone — both explain why the city looks the way it does, which makes any later wander round the streets more interesting.
  • Blagdon Pumping Station & Visitor Centre — Victorian engineering on a grand scale, and a good antidote to a washed-out beach plan at Weston-super-Mare.
  • Dulverton Heritage Centre and the Nash Point Fog Horn — useful smaller stops when you're based around Minehead and Exmoor is sitting under cloud.
  • Glastonbury Tribunal — a compact museum that pairs neatly with the Abbey next door.

Outdoors, when the sky clears

Exmoor is the big one: moorland, wooded combes and enough waymarked walking to fill several days without repeating yourself. Minehead sits on its edge, which makes it the natural base if walking is the point of the trip. Cheddar Gorge offers a different kind of drama, with the road through the bottom and the paths along the top giving two entirely different views of the same place. Glastonbury Tor is the quick win — a short walk with a very long view.

Heritage and houses

Glastonbury Abbey is the headline ruin, and the grounds are generous enough for a picnic. For houses, Dyrham Park and Priest's House are National Trust properties, so a membership card pays for itself quickly. Beyond those, Iford Manor, Great Chalfield Manor, Sutton Court, Saltford Manor House and Pixton Park give you a good spread of stately homes; check individual opening arrangements before setting out, as they vary considerably.

Grouping them into a sensible day

The trick in Somerset is to resist criss-crossing the county. Three days that hang together:

  • Bath day: Museum of Bath Architecture in the morning, lunch in town, then either Museum of Bath Stone or The American Museum (Claverton Manor) in the afternoon — one indoor stop before lunch and one after is usually plenty.
  • Weston and the Mendip edge: Oakham Treasures or Webbington Farm first, Brean Down Bird Garden after, with Blagdon Pumping Station & Visitor Centre kept back in case of rain.
  • Glastonbury day: Glastonbury Abbey, then Glastonbury Tribunal, then the Tor late in the afternoon when the light is better and the car parks have emptied.

Exmoor and Cheddar Gorge both deserve a day of their own rather than being bolted onto something else.

Where to eat

Pubs do the heavy lifting here. The Lamb Inn, The Woodborough Inn, Rosewood and The Railway all hold five-star hygiene ratings, which is a reasonable first filter when you're unfamiliar with an area. For walking days on Exmoor or a picnic in the Abbey grounds, Sam's Deli is the better call — put a lunch together in the morning rather than hoping something turns up at the top of a hill.

Turning it into a short break

Three nights is the sweet spot. Base yourself in Bath for heritage and rainy-day cover, Weston-super-Mare for family days, or Minehead if Exmoor is the draw. A four-night stay lets you do all three without long drives on consecutive days.

Practical notes before you set off

Book pub tables on Sunday lunchtimes and in school holidays. Ring smaller museums and the privately owned houses to confirm they're open on the day you want them. Take boots for Exmoor and the Tor, and something waterproof regardless of the forecast. Parking near Cheddar Gorge and Glastonbury fills by mid-morning in summer, so an early start saves circling.

Frequently asked questions

Where's the best base for a Somerset break?

It depends on your plans. Bath suits heritage and indoor attractions such as the Museum of Bath Architecture, the Museum of Bath Stone and The American Museum (Claverton Manor). Weston-super-Mare works well for families, with Brean Down Bird Garden, Webbington Farm and Oakham Treasures nearby. Minehead is the natural choice if Exmoor walking is the main draw. There are 955 places to stay on BritStays across the region.

What can we do in Somerset if it rains all day?

Plenty. The American Museum (Claverton Manor), the Museum of Bath Architecture and the Museum of Bath Stone are all indoors, as are Blagdon Pumping Station and Visitor Centre near Weston-super-Mare, the Glastonbury Tribunal, the Dulverton Heritage Centre and the Nash Point Fog Horn. Oakham Treasures is another good wet-weather standby.

Which Somerset attractions suit younger children?

Brean Down Bird Garden, Webbington Farm and Oakham Treasures around Weston-super-Mare are all manageable for small children, and Greenbank Pool is a straightforward swimming option. Older children usually get more from Cheddar Gorge or the climb up Glastonbury Tor.

Is National Trust membership worth having in Somerset?

If you plan to visit houses, yes. Dyrham Park and Priest's House are National Trust properties, and four of the region's listed houses and landmarks are National Trust in total, so a card can pay for itself over a short break.

How should we plan a Glastonbury day?

Start with Glastonbury Abbey, follow it with the Glastonbury Tribunal, and save Glastonbury Tor for late afternoon when the car parks have thinned out and the light is better. Pick up a picnic from Sam's Deli if you want to eat in the Abbey grounds.

Where can we eat with confidence about hygiene standards?

Rosewood, The Lamb Inn, The Woodborough Inn and The Railway are all pubs and inns with five-star hygiene ratings, and Sam's Deli is a good choice for picnic supplies. Book tables ahead for Sunday lunch and during school holidays.

Somerset on the map

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🎭 Theatres near Somerset

All UK theatres →
Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre

Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre

Taunton · 5.2 mi

 The Warehouse Theatre

The Warehouse Theatre

Ilminster · 12.5 mi

 Strode Theatre

Strode Theatre

Somerset · 11.8 mi

 Wellington Arts Centre

Wellington Arts Centre

Wellington · 13.1 mi

🎭 Venues with something on in Somerset

What's on at each, with tickets and places to stay within walking distance.

🎪 What's on in Somerset

Events from SkiddleSkiddle

Shiiine On Weekender - Minehead

Fri 13 Nov · 11:00

Shiiine On Weekender - Minehead

Butlins Minehead Resort, Minehead · 21.3 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Hindsight's 27th Birthday - Fright Night

Fri 13 Nov · 19:00

Hindsight's 27th Birthday - Fright Night

Labyrinth, Taunton · 7.2 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Taunton Audio Tour: Echoes of History and Heritage

Fri 13 Nov · 12:00

Taunton Audio Tour: Echoes of History and Heritage

County Hall, Taunton, Taunton · 7.6 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Glastonbury Audio Tour: A Sacred Tapestry Tour

Fri 13 Nov · 12:00

Glastonbury Audio Tour: A Sacred Tapestry Tour

Glastonbury Abbey, Glastonbury · 12.7 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Christmas Party Bookings - Buzz Bingo Weston Super Mare

Fri 4 Dec · 18:45

Christmas Party Bookings - Buzz Bingo Weston Super Mare

Buzz Bingo Weston Super Mare, Weston Super Mare · 16.5 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Taunton Audio Tour: Echoes of History and Heritage

Fri 4 Dec · 12:00

Taunton Audio Tour: Echoes of History and Heritage

County Hall, Taunton, Taunton · 7.6 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Glastonbury Audio Tour: A Sacred Tapestry Tour

Fri 4 Dec · 12:00

Glastonbury Audio Tour: A Sacred Tapestry Tour

Glastonbury Abbey, Glastonbury · 12.7 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Mambo Presents: The Sound of Christmas

Fri 4 Dec · 20:00

Mambo Presents: The Sound of Christmas

Mambo, Taunton · 7.3 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

Explore Holidays in Somerset

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