Discover the River Cary & Polden Hills Places to explore near Somerton

Explore the landscape where the Blue Lias of the Polden Hills meets the River Cary

Great views over the moors Local Food & Drink Historic town of Somerton Nature Reserves Local Arts & Crafts One of a series of car-free Guides to the Levels & Moors Find out more at www.explorelevelsandmoors.co.uk A walk or cycle - choose your own route to visit the Heritage Wildlife Sites, Trails and Viewpoints features shown 8 Lytes Cary (Naonal Trust) 1 Admiral Hood monument Walking— use OS Explorer 129. The footpaths and droves This medieval manor house has Admiral Sir Samuel Hood fought at the between Somerton and Dundon can be very muddy aer rain. a beauful Arts and Cras garden. Bale of the Nile in 1798. The grade II* Cycling—the drove between Somerton Door and Hayes Farm, There are tranquil parkland walks listed monument is a 110 feet (34 m) high Dundon can be very muddy; the alternave is along the busy along the River Cary and new Tuscan column on a base. There is an B3151. community allotments inscripon from the poet Robert Southey. Public Transport— Buses run between Somerton and Street which stop at Compton Dundon. Buses to Somerton from Dundon Hill and Lollover Hill from Yeovil and Taunton. Nearest train staon is Castle Cary. above Compton Dundon For current mes, see Traveline for details— www.traveline.info or phone 0871 2002233. 1

Somerton 4 2 Admiral Hood monument from This market town has many fine buildings, many dang from 3 the 17th century. The Market Cross, The Old Town Hall and the Compton Dundon 13th century St. Michaels and All Angels frame the Market 5 2 Combe Hill Wood Square. The impressive water trough in Cow Square dates 12 from 1902. There are several cafes and pubs in the town. This 25 hectare (62 acre) area of diverse woodland is owned by the Ninesquare Trust and is open to the public. It has many 14 The memorial garden at Etsome Terrace is dedicated to 6 the 9 people who were killed by a German bomb dropped walks for all abilies, with good on the Cow & Gate factory in 1942. There is also a good viewpoints, parking and a permanent 14 children’s play area. 13 orienteering course. See www.combehillwood.co.uk 7 Just to the north-east of the town sits the 5-arch Somerton 11 viaduct built in 1906. It connected the town on the Great 3 Dundon Hill (or Beacon) Western Line to Taunton, Exeter and London. The staon This wooded Iron Age hill fort gives closed to passengers in 1962. glimpses of the Polden Hills.

10 4 Lollover Hill 8 This has good views of the Poldens and Arts & Cras Licence No. 100022861. Survey 2011. Ordnance rights and database Copyright © Crown 9 King’s Sedgemoor. 9 Somerset Guild of Crasmen Food & Drink 5 Great Breech Wood & Copley Wood Based at The Courthouse in the Market Place, Somerton, the gallery shows 11 Glastonbury Ales (Somerset Wildlife Trust) This SSSI contains as many as 60 arsts and cras-peoples Micro brewery based at Bancombe Road Trading Estate, many fungi and invertebrates. work at any one me. Open 10:00am - Somerton. Brewery shop open every day. 5:00pm, Mon to Sat. 6 The Polden Way 12 Home Farm Kingweston This trail links land with public access 10 London House Emporium Farm shop selling own-reared Gloucester Old Spot pigs, between Walton near Street, and Hurcot Working arsts’ studio and gallery beef cale and free range poultry. near Somerton. selling art works by owners and others, The Courthouse Gallery, Somerton anques and curios. Shop not always 7 Green Down Naonal Nature Reserve Image supplied by kind permission of the 13 Pitney Farm Shop manned. At juncon of New Street & Somerset Guild of Crasmen Farm shop. Home-reared organic meat, eggs and vegetables. Good views over the River Cary valley. Broad Street. Open 9.00-5.30 except Wed and Sun. Closed June 1 to July 15. Other informaon Visitor informaon is available at the local informaon centre at the Parish Rooms and in the summer at the visitor informaon centre in Market Cross Anques in West Street. Leaflets about Somerton are available in the Library and a visitor informaon board is in the Market Square. Market Place, Somerton. There is a Tourist Informaon Centre at Cartgate on the A303. permission of Ian W Stokes. Front cover image ’Hills near Compton Dundon 2007’ by kind A Country Market takes place in the Wessex Rooms every Saturday from 9.30- 11.30. Facts about the Vale of Avalon In the 13th century Somerton became the county town of Somerset. During the 14th century Somerton was inherited by junior members of the royal family and was no longer in royal ownership by the me of Elizabeth 1st. The 17th and 18th centuries were the most prosperous in Somerton's history, when it was an important coaching centre on the route from Taunton to London and from Wells to the south coast. The buildings in the old town centre mostly date from this period of prosperity. Learn more about local history at www.somerton.co.uk For just over a week every July Somerton has a Fesval which includes a wide variety of music, drama, talks and other arts. To find out more, see the Somerton Summer Arts Fesval informaon on www.somerton.co.uk The Charltons were the home of several ancestors of early policians in the United States of America, including Presidents John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Calvin Coolidge.

To find other car-free guides and ineraries, visit www.explorelevelsandmoors.co.uk For informaon on Somerset, visit www.visitsomerset.co.uk Funded by Levels & Moors Local Acon for Rural Communies (LARC) Wrien & Designed by Ma Day, Somerset Towns Forum Printed by FWB Prinng Ltd, Wincanton