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Our guide to luxury holidays in Somerset

The West Country’s wild expanses of coast and countryside linger long in the memory. Here, slow travel finds new meaning. This is our guide to luxury holidays in Somerset: the finest places to stay, eat, explore and shop.

Somerset is home to several National Landscapes, including the Mendip Hills, Quantock Hills and Blackdown Hills. It’s also dotted with historic towns and cities such as Wells and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bath, all within easy reach of London. Although long associated with Arthurian legend, this is a county moving forward. Once agrarian villages like Frome and Bruton now boast independent shopping scenes and thriving arts communities. Of course, cheddar and cider are still on the menu, but Michelin‑starred restaurants are putting Somerset on the culinary map.
One thing that remains unchanged is the landscape; offering the best of both ocean and inland, it is hard to resist the county’s evergreen pull. From Cheddar Gorge’s ragged cliffs to the woodlands of the Quantock Hills, from the warren of walks along the South West Coast Path to the musical energy of Glastonbury, Somerset invites discovery at every turn. As for where to stay; for families, there is a luxury country estate with a spa, swimming pool, gym and cinema room. For romantic retreats, discover a garden folly with a tennis court and natural outdoor pool.

View all properties in Somerset

Inspiration on where to stay

Where to eat & drink

Where to explore

Where to shop

Locations in Somerset

Step into cider country, where the Quantock Hills quench travellers´ thirst for the great outdoors and Glastonbury´s ubiquitous beat drums on. From Frome to Wells, we´ve got every coveted corner of Somerset covered.

Collections in Somerset

Gather the family and head for the hills, where the biggest dilemma is: wild swim, hot tub, or outdoor pool? From gothic manors for groups to garden retreats for two, you´ll find a luxury Somerset staycation in these collections.

Journals about Somerset

Seek refuge in stories from the hills, or dive head first into secret pools in country piles. Raring to go? We´ve pinpointed the finest hiking trails along the South West Coast Path, where seabirds´ song replaces the city rush.

Earth Day 2026: eight of the UK´s most glorious garden escapes
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The romance of Britain´s moorlands
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The romance of Britain´s moorlands

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The Salt Path – and 23 unique homes to stay in on the South West Coast Path
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The Salt Path – and 23 unique homes to stay in on the South West Coast Path

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Travel the folkways
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Travel the folkways

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Somerset FAQ´s

Looking for advice on choosing between Kilve and Dunster beaches? Want to know the story of the cheddar? If you have a Somerset-specific query, you might find the answer here. For everything else, visit our general FAQs.

What is Somerset famous for?

Peppered among Somerset’s rolling hills lie acres of apple orchards, ready to produce the county’s most famous beverage – lip-smacking cider. Its rich, cider-making heritage stretches back to the 11th-century, brought over by the Romans. It was once considered a health supplement, beneficial for the skin, and even used to christen babies until the 15th-century. Now, Somerset cider is best enjoyed in the sunlit gardens of a thatched pub or at one of many raucous cider festivals across the county. Dry, sweet, flat, or sparkling: there’s no shortage of flavour or variety, just be prepared to throw the usual rulebook out the window. Truly local scrumpy is usually homemade in small batches; it tastes delicious but the owner has no idea how strong it is.

When is Glastonbury Festival usually held?

With hazy, summer days at their longest and the British weather (supposedly) at its peak, over 200,000 free-wheeling music lovers descend on the tiny village of Pilton for Glastonbury Festival every year. Whilst exact dates vary year-to-year, the festival is usually held on the last weekend of June, unless a ‘fallow year’; one in which the ground is allowed to recover and no festival takes place. Traffic over this weekend in the immediate area can be chaotic, with stationary jams sometimes lasting over four hours or more. But even those without tickets can’t help but to absorb the energy, its infectious positivity urging all around to dance to the beat of their own drum.

What is the largest town in Somerset?

Somerset is a rural idyll, coated with barley fields and wildflower meadows in the summer. But if you’re craving a little buzz without the chaos of London, head to Bath, Somerset’s largest city. Where magnificent Georgian architecture presides over royal crescents and old style boutiques dot networks of tiny streets, Bath is the only city in the UK to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From steaming Roman baths to art installations like the Southgate Umbrellas, the city has plenty to colour the memory books, all you need to do is decide what mood you’re in.

Which village is famous for its cheese?

Cheddar. Originating from the village with the same name, the UK’s favourite is still made with traditional cheese-making methods today. This tiny village sits at the mouth of Cheddar Gorge, its high street transitioning into a snaking road that carves its way dramatically through the rock. Formed during the last ice age, explore the gorge’s other-worldly caves that hide elders’ meeting chambers and secret caverns, many of which are used to mature Cheddar cheese. Then head back to the village for a hearty Ploughmans, sampling the very best that Somerset has to offer.

Where are the best beaches in Somerset?

There are over 30 beaches to choose from in Somerset, stretching from Exmoor to Weston-super-Mare. Take the children fossil-hunting at Kilve Beach, where rocky shores meet gentle tides, or for ice creams that threaten to slither off cones at sandy beaches like Brean Beach, Berrow Beach, or Dunster Beach. Whether it’s to be the setting for a teatime picnic or bracing walk in the salty air, these popular and hidden stretches of the Somerset coast are just the place:

Middle Hope Beach

Brean Beach

Dunster Beach

Minehead Beach

Weston-super-Mare Beach

Stolford Beach

Clevedon Beach

Porlock Weir

St. Audries Bay

Own a property in Somerset?

Are you the keeper of a hilltop manor? Or the custodian of a secret shack by the sea? From Bath to Frome to Crowcombe, we´re seeking Somerset´s most unique homes to join our growing portfolio.

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