A Day Out In Beautiful Wiltshire and Somerset, England

I arrived at London Heathrow Airport at 7:45 GMT a little worse for the wear after a nine-hour flight in basic economy. Nevertheless, I was excited for the day ahead of me as much as for the entire trip. It was to be a day out in rural England visiting Unesco World Heritage sites, and some of the most beautiful places in Wiltshire County. 

Jules Mitra, founder of the tour company In & Beyond Bath and my guide for the day, planned a Transfer Tour for me, which included picking me up at Heathrow. 

Looking like the history professor that he was, wearing a button-down shirt and corduroy jacket, Jules confessed that he wasn’t really a morning person. That partially explained why he started his own company. But the true motivation he said, was the desire to share “the England that I love and revere with curious, inquisitive travelers looking to personally connect with authentic England, as much as the must-sees like Stonehenge and the Cotswolds. “

Read more about In & Beyond Bath transfer tours here. 

 

Traveling the Great West Way

 Our road trip followed the Great West Way, a road that runs from London to Bristol, passing through some of southwest England’s prettiest villages and historic towns in the west country. From Heathrow, we drove about an hour before arriving at our first stop.

On the itinerary was Avebury, a stone circle like Stonehenge, but much larger and far less crowded; the market town of Lacock Village and Lacock Abbey, known for its stunning cloister, has been featured in many films and TV shows, including the Harry Potter films, Downton Abbey, and Pride and Prejudice. 

 

 

Avebury World Heritage Site

Avebury is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located about forty miles from Stonehenge situated on the Salisbury Plain. The site includes Avebury village, which grew until it became intertwined with the stone circles. Unlike Stonehenge, the stones are more spread out. I was happy to have Jules along to explain what everything was because it’s not so easy to visualize.

You can walk freely around the stones at Avebury and mingle with the resident sheep.  It’s an unforgettable experience that I highly recommend.  Bonus: it was not crowded at all and there’s no entry fee.

West Kennet Longbarrow & Silbury Hill

We also visited West Kennet Longbarrow, an ancient burial tomb that you can walk inside…  we did! It is considered one of the oldest, largest, and most impressive chambers in all of the United Kingdom.

From West Kennet Longbarrow, you can see Silbury Hill, the largest prehistoric man-made mound in Europe. It is believed to have been constructed approximately 4,000 years ago. For scale, its size is compared to the Egyptian pyramids! Silbury Hill is part of the UNESCO site which includes Avebury and Stonehenge.

 

Lacock Village and Abbey

Lacock may not be as well known as Castle Combe, but it is considered one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds. A medieval market town, it is almost perfectly intact so you can easily imagine life in that period. 

the abbey

The Abbey is part of the William Henry Fox Talbot house and museum, which has an interesting story. Fox Talbot is known as the originator of the photographic negative. You can tour the cloister and the house for a fee. A visit to the abbey and a walk through the gardens is the perfect way to spend a couple of hours. 

All in all, it was an amazing beginning to my adventure in south west England. There were many major attractions I wanted to see, but one day was certainly not enough.

 

 

I asked Jules to share which historical sites and ancient monuments in Somerset and Wiltshire counties you absolutely should not miss. Keep reading to find out!

Top Attractions in Wiltshire & Somerset per In & Beyond Bath

Places To Spend a Day Out in Wiltshire

Wiltshire is home to several of England’s greatest prehistoric monuments, so a visit to Stonehenge and/or Avebury Stone Circle is a must, especially if you’re interested in the landscapes that were so important to these early peoples. But there is more to Wiltshire than prehistoric stones.

Salisbury Cathedral

Located in the medieval town of Salisbury, Salisbury Cathedral should not be missed. The city’s stunning Gothic cathedral was the tallest building in England from the 13th century until the 20th century. The cathedral city of Salisbury is also the home of one of the few remaining original copies of the Magna Carta.

Magna Carta

As a Politics Major, I personally feel the Magna Carta is a little over-rated. It is nowhere close to being the first constitutional document in the world, as is often claimed. It’s not a people’s charter either, as is also claimed. But, it was an important step on the road to the modern representative democracy that we now have, and as such, is worth a visit. The Magna Carta is on public display in the cathedral’s remarkable Chapter House. 

 

Stourhead Estate and Gardens

Also in southern Wiltshire is one other must-see that I have to extol—the magnificent Stourhead Estate and Gardens. This grand Palladian country house was built in the early 1700s by the wealthy Hoare family. The house, now owned by the National Trust, is open to the public. You really must visit as it is filled with grand paintings, exquisite period furniture, and numerous other priceless treasures and furnishings. 

But, it is the adjacent gardens that make the estate truly spectacular. Henry Hoare II wanted to create a paradise in nature and set about creating the greatest landscape garden in the world. He succeeded.

Read about another beautiful English Manor house, Palace House, here.

Beautiful gardens

Stourhead Gardens were first laid out in the mid to late 1700s, with a shallow artificial lake created by damming a small stream that carved its way through a gentle valley.  Visitors are encouraged to follow the lake’s edge, marveling at the wondrous plants and trees gathered from across the world. The exquisite classical temples and grottoes, carefully placed, persuade the viewer that they may be looking at a classical painting come to life.

The gardens have long been admired by many but were made world-famous by the prominent role they played in the 2005 Kiera Knightley film version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. 

 

Places to spend a day in Somerset

Just west of Wiltshire lies Somerset County, known for the spa town of Bath on the River Avon. Indeed, the Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, and beautiful buildings from the Georgian period are not to be missed. But there is more to Somerset than Bath, as you will discover. While Somerset and Wiltshire are adjacent to one another, the two counties feel very different. Though both are predominantly rural, historic counties, Somerset somehow feels more remote and ethereal. 

Glastonbury

Glastonbury is a good example of a city in Somerset that has this otherworldly feel to it. Home to one of the wealthiest abbeys in Catholic England, the monastery was associated with numerous legends involving King Arthur, Jesus, and the Holy Grail. Glastonbury remains a center of mysticism and spirituality to this day.  

The once splendid Glastonbury Abbey lies in ruins. Today, the Abbey along with Glastonbury Tor (the nearby Church tower the highest point for miles in the county) and the Chalice Well garden (the site where Jesus is said to have buried the Holy Grail), is a place of pilgrimage for druids, Christians and modern day hippies alike. You will find the ruins of the famous abbey are situated just off High Street. 

 

Wells

The tiny medieval city of Wells is also a must-see in Somerset. Its stunning Cathedral, built in 1220, was the first in England to be built in the Gothic style—a style that began in France and swept through Europe for three centuries. 

Wells Cathedral is a breathtaking masterpiece of architecture and ecclesiastical design, with some of the most incredible examples of medieval effigies and stained glass in the UK. It also happens to have the second-oldest working clock in England. The oldest is in Salisbury.

Bishop’s Palace

Adjacent to the cathedral is the moated Bishop’s Palace where the Bishop of Bath and Wells still resides. Once a place of real power in medieval England, the magnificent great hall was destroyed as part of Henry VIII’s reformation. However, the grounds have been transformed into a gorgeous range of gardens, with the water springs, from which Wells gets its name, bubbling up under the gaze of the skyward stonework of the Cathedral next door. 

 

Mendip Hills and Cheddar Gorge

The Mendip Hills and Cheddar Gorge must be highlighted as they are an area of outstanding natural beauty. Ancient, open hillsides, very similar to the landscapes of Stonehenge and Avebury. The Mendip Hills are home to Britain’s third-largest stone circle, Littleton Drew. If you want to visit an ancient stone circle with truly no one around, then this is the one to visit.

Carved into fields by long, dry-stone walls, the Mendip Hills house ancient farms and tiny, historic stone settlements found nestled in amongst the undulations.

A spectacular feature of the landscape is the deep, limestone gorge that has been carved into the southern edge of the hills by the Axe River. The surrounding countryside is one of the best places in the whole area for hiking, climbing, biking, and outdoor activities.

 

Cheddar Gorge

Cheddar Gorge is the result of many thousands of years of erosion. The gorge offers spectacular walks and views of the Somerset Levels below along the public footpaths that line each of its steep sides. Cheddar Gorge is also famous for its show caves, which are spectacularly lit to highlight the many vaults, nooks, rock formations, stalactites, and stalagmites that combine to form some of the most impressive subterranean caverns found anywhere in northern Europe.

Top Tips for a Day Out in beautiful Somerset & Wiltshire, England

• The weather is unpredictable but can be wet any time of year. Bring layers, waterproof shoes, and rain gear. 
• Speaking of shoes, you’re going to do a lot of walking. Bring shoes you know you can walk in without getting sores.
• Bring a hat for that unpredictable English sunshine. You’ll thank me when you see all those sunburned Brits with no hats or shirts on! 
• Plan to stay a while. This is a lovely part of the world with beautiful gardens, rich history, good food, and stately homes. 
• Finally, hire a great tour guide to make the most of your time there. In between these beautiful monuments and attractions are many small market villages and charming walking trails. A guide, like In & Beyond Bath, can show you the way. 

 Read more about everything we saw on the transfer tour in my article for Mapping Megan. 

My transfer tour was partially sponsored by In & Beyond Bath. All opinions are my own.