Walking Holidays In Somerset

So how would we describe Somerset to walkers? Try Diverse, Secret …and Special!

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More than any other region of the South West, Somerset offers the walker a kaleidoscope of walking scenery and experiences  - quite simply this is one of England's finest and unspoilt landscapes and if you want to avoid the crowds heading to Devon and Cornwall walk here.

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Within its 40 miles of coastal walking you can climb along the heather-clad hogsback hills of Exmoor National Park at the point they plunge into the ocean, enter remote and dense wetlands, marvel at empty beaches strewn with fossils and complete the second longest stretch of sands in Europe.

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Turning inland, stretching almost from the beaches you can link into two unique and wildly different walking ridge routes along The Mendip and the Quantock Hills – Both stand glaring in defiant opposition to each other rising abruptly above the lush patchwork quilt of the Somerset Levels – often draped in rolling mists below your feet as you walk, these are the ancient marshes of Avalon

 

To walk along the spine of the Mendips is to traverse a breezy limestone plateau of hills and valleys riddled with open caves, ravines, other- worldly rock formations and the deepest gorge in the UK

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In the Quantocks, you are travelling through the first recognised Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK. A unique place where dense bracken and deep forest clad combes cut through an escarpment landscape that was beloved by and inspired the Romantic Poets.

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Overnight stays range from the sleepy thatched villages of cider country to fascinating medieval market towns, remote moorland villages, and tranquil fishing harbours.   

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Somerset’s central location is also a major bonus for walkers and with a busy international airport at Bristol and trains from London taking less than 2 hours you are out and on your walk while the rest are still travelling west with the crowds to reach the better known trails.   

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Walking through Time – Walks here come with a real sense of the passage of time and a rich evolving human heritage. It's history dating from the dawn of time itself with caves that revealed the oldest human cave skeletons amongst the bones of hyena, mammoth and cave bears.  

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Onto the magic and mystery of Avalon and King Arthur which then blends into the Medieval as you walk in the shadow of Dunster's fairy tale castle or pass the mighty Gothic Cathedral at Wells surrounded by cobbled streets.

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At Glastonbury complete the ancient pilgrimage to climb the iconic Glastonbury Tor and visit the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey - the centre of early Christianity and the resting place of King Arthur and Guinevere.

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Somerset for all Seasons - Overlooked by the hoards rushing down the motorway to Devon and Cornwall in peak season, Somerset remains the best secret of the West Country so come here to walk with a feel of freedom and space at any time. Sheltered from the exposed Western coastline it can also offer walking for all seasons, including the Autumn and Winter months when more exposed areas are off limits.