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 2023 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 green garden borders with purple flowers, and a red-brick building in the background

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.

Morning sunlight coming through the columns of the Temple of Apollo at Stourhead in 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.

View of the South Front of Tyntesfield, Wraxall, North Somerset

Place

Tyntesfield

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

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.

Palladian Bridge decorated with wreaths and garland reflected in the lake at Prior Park, Bath

Place

Prior Park Landscape Garden

Beautiful and intimate 18th-century landscape garden in Bath - reflections restored following a major restoration of the historic dams

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 have now finished for 2023 and will resume next spring. The countryside is open all year.

Place

Brean Down

A natural pier with dramatic cliffs and Victorian fort

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

Christmas in and around Somerset

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

Family-friendly places in Somerset

The trees with the sun shining through in the woodland on Horner Hill, near Webber's Post on the Holnicote Estate, Exmoor National Park, Somerset

Walking in Somerset

An adult with a child on their shoulders look up at the branches of an apple tree in the orchard at Barrington Court, Somerset

Gardens and parks in Somerset

Houses and buildings in Somerset

A view across autumnal brown bracken, lit by a low sun, to a hill patchworked with green fields and trees

Countryside areas in Somerset

Visitors with a dog enjoying an autumnal walk on the estate at Wallington, Northumberland

Dog-friendly places in Somerset

Visitors using eco cups for hot drinks at Dunster Castle, Somerset

Places to eat 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.

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.

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.

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

Place

Tintinhull Garden

A place of floral beauty, tranquility and innovation - a gardener's garden paradise. Tintinhull Garden will reopen on 29 March 2024.

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 Manor House with Arts and Crafts style garden. Lytes Cary will re-open on 10 February 2024.

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.

Looking for greener travel options to the places in our care in Somerset? Find out how you can travel by train, bus, bike or on foot.

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

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Sustainable travel in Somerset

There are a number of sustainable options for travelling to and from the places in our care in Somerset, whether you’re looking to travel by train, bus, bike or foot. Here’s a little more information that can help you plan your visit.

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Event

Christmas reindeer round-up at Montacute House

Montacute House, Somerset

Get your winter hats, coats and boots on to explore. You might find our reindeer anywhere!

Event

Fyne Court festive lunch

Fyne Court, Bridgwater, Somerset

A festive feast in the music hall.

Event

Dunster Castle and Watermill at Dunster by Candlelight

Dunster Castle and Watermill, Minehead, Somerset

Visit the castle decorated for Christmas after hours as part of Dunster Village's event Dunster by Candlelight.

Event

Wreath making at Fyne Court

Fyne Court, Bridgwater, Somerset

A chance to create some natural wreaths in the beautiful music hall at Fyne Court

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A Country Christmas at Dunster Castle

Dunster Castle and Watermill, Minehead, Somerset

We have something for everyone this Christmas inside the castle and in the gardens. Soak up the festive atmosphere and make Dunster Castle a part of your Christmas traditions.