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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.

Places to visit

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Top places to visit in Somerset

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 2025 there is plenty to see on the ground floor, and in the garden and parkland.

Somerset

Fully open today
View up West Drive to Montacute House, Somerset

Dunster Castle and Water Mill 

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

Minehead, Somerset

Fully open today
An exterior view of Dunster Castle from the A39, taken in Autumn. The Castle is bathed in winter sunshine and a cow grazes in the foreground.

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.

near Ilminster, Somerset

Fully open today
The Herbaceous border at Barrington Court

Lytes Cary Manor 

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

near Somerton, Somerset

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

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.

near Mere, Wiltshire

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

Tyntesfield 

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

Bristol, North Somerset

Fully open today
The Gothic west front of Tyntesfield on a sunny day in autumn, wrapped in purple climbing plants

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.

Bridgwater, Somerset

Fully open today
A man and woman with a dog looking at flowers in the cottage garden at Fyne Court

Prior Park Landscape Garden 

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

Bath, Somerset

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

Coleridge Cottage 

Home of Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Bridgwater, Somerset

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

Wellington Monument 

A striking landmark recently restored, on the edge of the Blackdown Hills. Tours of the monument will resume on 5 April.

Welllington, Somerset

Partially open today
Wellington Monument, Somerset

Brean Down 

A natural pier with dramatic cliffs and Victorian fort

Brean, Somerset

Fully open today
Brean Down

Tintinhull Garden 

A place of floral beauty, tranquility and innovation - a gardener's garden paradise. Re-opens Friday 28 March 2025.

Yeovil, Somerset

Closed now
Tintinhull House

October half term and Christmas

October half term in and around Somerset 

From spooky ghost tours to orchard fun and enchanted trails, Somerset’s National Trust places are packed with family-friendly half-term excitement.

Visitors with their dogs sit in the garden in autumn

Christmas in and around Somerset 

For Christmas 2025 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 2025.

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

Coast and beaches in Somerset

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

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.

Somerset

Fully open today
Bossington Beach, looking West on the Holnicote Estate, Somerset

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.

A view down towards Middle Hope beach in autumn

Brean Down coast 

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

Brean, Somerset

Fully open today
Brean Down

Castles and forts in Somerset

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

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.

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

Cadbury Camp 

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

A winter view from Cadbury Camp

Brean Down 

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

Brean, Somerset

Fully open today
Brean Down

Outdoor activities in Somerset

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

Webber's Post 

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

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

Get involved

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.

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

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.

Visitors walking through Truckle Wood, Tyntesfield

Places to visit in Somerset car-free

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

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.

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

Upcoming events

Civil War Tours 

Dunster Castle and Watermill, Minehead, Somerset

Travel back in time on Dunster Castle’s brand new Civil War Tour, where the dramatic story of the castle’s role in one of England’s most turbulent periods is brought vividly to life.

Event summary

on
8 Nov to 29 Nov 2025
at 13:30 to 14:30+ 3 other dates or times

Dunster Uncovered Tour 

Dunster Castle and Watermill, Minehead, Somerset

Join one of our knowledgable guides and discover Dunster Castle beyond the visitor rope.

Event summary

on
9 Nov to 30 Nov 2025
at 11:00 to 12:00+ 7 other dates or times

Toddler Tuesdays 

Fyne Court, Bridgwater, Somerset

Join the team at Fyne Court for a morning of Nature Play, Storytelling and Crafting.

Event summary

on
11 Nov to 9 Dec 2025
at 10:00 to 11:30+ 4 other dates or times

Christmas Needle Felting Workshop 

Dunster Castle and Watermill, Minehead, Somerset

Feeling crafty this Christmas? Come along and make a decoration to add some festive cheer to your home.

Event summary

on
17 Nov 2025
at 10:00 to 14:00

Christmas Market at Lytes Cary Manor 

Lytes Cary Manor, near Somerton, Somerset

Join us for some festive cheer. Wander the craft market for those unique gifts.

Event summary

on
22 Nov to 23 Nov 2025
at 10:00 to 15:00+ 1 other date or time

Montacute House Sings 

Montacute House, Somerset

Experience the sounds of Christmas at Montacute House this winter.

Event summary

on
29 Nov 2025 to 1 Jan 2026
at 10:00 to 16:00+ 31 other dates or times

Christmas Wreath Making Workshop 

Dunster Castle and Watermill, Minehead, Somerset

Feeling crafty? Join Forest Catkins in Tenants' Hall and make a Christmas decoration for your home.

Event summary

on
2 Dec 2025
at 10:00 to 14:00

A Country Christmas at Dunster Castle 

Dunster Castle and Watermill, Minehead, Somerset

Soak up the festive atmosphere and make Dunster Castle a part of your Christmas traditions.

Event summary

on
6 Dec 2025 to 4 Jan 2026
at 10:00 to 16:00+ 22 other dates or times
A group of four women along a path, in the background, down a hill is a reservoir

Where will you visit next?

Discover lots of gardens, historic houses, days out at the coast and more.