Tv’s Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies
Wolf Hall a new television series for the new year filmed a short distance from Withy Cottages at Montacute House and Barrington Court, National Trust properties will take centre stage in the six-part BBC dramatisation of Hilary Mantel’s critically acclaimed Wolf Hall, starring Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Damian Lewis as Henry VIII, and directed by Bafta-winner Peter Kosminksy.
Read MoreKing John’s Hunting Lodge – Axbridge
Wool-merchant’s house of circa 1500 This early Tudor timber-framed wool merchant’s house (circa 1500) provides a fascinating insight into local history. Its strong medieval character is enhanced by the appearance of arcaded stalls opening onto the street on the ground floor (recreated by the National Trust during the building’s restoration). Please note:King John’s Hunting lodge is run as a local history museum by Axbridge and District Museum Trust. There is a small entrance charge of £2.50 per person for all adults including National Trust members. ...
Read MoreFyne Court – Broomfield
Explore a lost garden Fyne Court is a lost garden, taken over by nature. Wander through the enchanting landscape, looking out for the boathouse and the folly. Play with the variety of games on offer in the courtyard, build a den or climb the fallen chestnut tree. Fyne Court was the home of the Crosse family who lived here until the house was destroyed by fire. Discover how the fire started and discover where the house used to stand. Find out about Andrew Crosse, Fyne Court’s most famous resident and why he became known as ‘The Thunder and Lightning Man’ by the locals. ...
Read MoreGlastonbury Tor
Prominent hill overlooking the Isle of Avalon, Glastonbury and Somerset This iconic and evocative landmark offers magnificent views of the Somerset Levels, Dorset, Wiltshire and Wales. Steeped in history and legend, excavations at the top of the Tor have revealed the plans of two superimposed churches of St Michael, of which only a 15th-century tower remains. Glastonbury Tor also has a grisly past. Abbot Richard Whiting was executed here in 1549 on the orders of Thomas Cromwell, the first Earl of Essex. Glastonbury Tor is known as being one of the most spiritual sites in the country. Its pagan beliefs are still very much celebrated. It’s a beautiful place to walk, unwind and relax. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/glastonbury-tor/...
Read MoreCheddar Gorge
Discover the heights of Somerset’s famous Cheddar Gorge Cheddar Gorge is one of England’s most iconic and spectacular landscapes. We are really proud to own the north side of this spectacular gorge and we hope that you will enjoy exploring it in a way that suits you. At almost 400 feet deep and three miles long, this is England’s largest gorge, and with its weathered crags and pinnacles, one of our most spectacular natural sights. The gorge would have begun forming about one million years ago during the last Ice Age when water from melting glaciers formed a river, which over time started to carve into the limestone rock creating the steep cliffs you see today. The Cheddar Yeo River gradually made its way underground, creating the famous Cheddar Caves....
Read MoreColeridge Cottage – Nether Stowey
Home of Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge The 17th-century cottage was home to Coleridge for three years, from 1797. It was during his time here in Somerset that Coleridge wrote his finest works, including The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan, Frost at Midnight, The Nightingale, Cristabel and This Lime Tree Bower my Prison. Both Coleridge and Wordsworth are seen as crucial in the development of the literary Romantic Movement. Coleridge Cottage has a rich and fascinating history, from a humble Georgian home to its transformation into ‘Moore’s Coleridge Cottage Inn’ during the Victorian era. As a result of a major redevelopment project in 2011, you can now explore parts of the cottage never previously open to the public, and explore atmospheric cottage rooms which have been recreated as though the Coleridge family had just walked out....
Read More