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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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.

Dunster Castle and Water Mill

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

Exterior of Dunster Castle, Somerset, from the main road on a day with blue skies.

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.

Lytes Cary Manor

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

The outside of Lytes Cary in summer with hedges to the left

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

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

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.

Prior Park Landscape Garden

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

View over the Pasture towards the Palladian Bridge at Prior Park and the city of Bath beyond.

Coleridge Cottage

Home of Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Wellington Monument

A striking landmark recently restored, on the edge of the Blackdown Hills. Tours of the monument will resume on 5 April - they are available to book at the link below.

Brean Down

A natural pier with dramatic cliffs and Victorian fort

Tintinhull Garden

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

A view of The Fountain Garden at Tintinhull on a sunny day in Somerset

Three children run across the grass at Tyntesfield, Somerset, with the house in the background

Family-friendly places in Somerset

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

Walking in Somerset

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

Ready for a fun-filled summer? Take part in Summer of Play throughout the school holidays, sponsored by Starling Bank, and whether you’re an archaeological amateur or the next Indiana Jones, get stuck into our Festival of archeology celebrations. There's plenty of outdoor entertainment on offer too.

Summer of play in Somerset

Ready for a fun-filled summer? Take part in Summer of Play, sponsored by Starling Bank, and create memories with the whole family. However you choose to play, your adventure starts today. And after all that excitement, why not relax with a picnic, find a play area, or visit one of our cafés for a well-earned ice cream?

A child wearing heart-shaped sunglasses laughing as another child cups their cheeks, with yellow flowers in the foreground and lots of colourful flowers visible in the background at Calke Abbey garden

Festival of Archaeology

The Festival of Archaeology will take place between the 19 July and 3 August 2025 and it's a chance to uncover more about places near you through walks, digs, displays and more.

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.

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.

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.

Cadbury Camp

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

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

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.

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

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.