Bristol, Bath & Somerset
The poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge moved to this 17th-century cottage with his wife Sara and son Hartley in 1796. It's where he's thought to have composed some of his greatest works, including The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan and This Lime Tree Bower My Prison. An atmospheric restoration and audio installations create the sense that the poet has just popped out for a stroll.
It's in the village of Nether Stowey, 12 miles north of Taunton.
19.97 MILES
Topped by the ruined medieval Chapel of St Michael, the iconic hump of Glastonbury Tor is visible for miles around, and provides Somerset with one of its…
29.43 MILES
You could be forgiven for thinking that Caerphilly Castle – with its profusion of towers and crenellations reflected in a duck-filled lake – was a film…
22.81 MILES
There's a medieval keep at its heart, but it's the later additions to Cardiff Castle that really capture the imagination. In Victorian times, extravagant…
23.09 MILES
Devoted mainly to natural history and art, this grand neoclassical building is the centrepiece of the seven institutions dotted around the country that…
St Fagans National History Museum
23.67 MILES
Historic buildings from all over the country have been dismantled and re-erected in the semirural surrounds of St Fagans village, 5 miles west of central…
22.82 MILES
Flanked by the castle and the River Taff, Bute Park was donated to the city along with the castle in 1947. With Sophia Gardens, Pontcanna Fields and…
22.7 MILES
Wells' gargantuan Gothic cathedral sits plumb in the centre of the city, surrounded by one of the largest cathedral closes in England. It was built in…
19.24 MILES
The scattered ruins of Glastonbury Abbey give little hint that this was once one of England's great seats of ecclesiastical power. It was torn down…
7.37 MILES
The endearingly weird Bakelite Museum, 7 miles east of Dunster, houses the nation’s largest collection of Bakelite (otherwise known as…
8.92 MILES
Most visitors buzz straight past tiny, tumbledown Cleeve Abbey, but it’s one of the best examples of traditional Cistercian architecture in southwest…
9.7 MILES
Somerset's main county museum is housed in the great hall of the town's 12th-century castle. The highlight is the Frome Hoard, an enormous haul of 52,500…
4. Willows & Wetlands Visitor Centre
12.12 MILES
A chance to chart the course of the ancient willow industry, from reed harvesting and willow drying to the making of baskets. For deeper insights,…
12.61 MILES
Rosy-hued Dunster Castle crowns a densely wooded hill. Built by the Luttrell family, which once owned much of northern Exmoor, the oldest sections are…
12.62 MILES
Most of the original cogs, wheels and grinding stones continue to rotate in this working 18th-century mill. There's a picturesque riverside tearoom…
12.71 MILES
Dunster’s beautiful church dates mostly from the 15th century and boasts an intricately carved fan-vaulted rood screen. Just behind the church is a 16th…
14.03 MILES
The steam trains of this vintage railway are a fine way to see the Somerset countryside. The 20-mile route runs from it's base at Minehead to Bishops…