The ultimate Somerset bucket list: 100 things to experience before you die

Somerset’s a big county, and as one of the leading window, door and conservatory installers in the region, we definitely vouch for that. Our county also has an incredible variety of things to offer residents and visitors.

With that in mind, here is our list of 100 things in Somerset that you have to experience before you die.

The ultimate Somerset bucket list

100. To get a fantastic view of the Somerset Levels and Glastonbury, climb Wearyall Hill and admire the Holy Thorn at the same time.

99. For lovers of regional cuisine, eating a Priddy Oggy (a Somerset pasty!) is a must!

98. Summer and Autumn are the perfect seasons to explore the county. Get up close to nature by going for a summer bike ride along the Somerset moors.

97. Somerset has some beautiful piers. Walk along the Grade 1 listed Clevedon pier and find out for yourself.

96. The Somerset coastline near the Quantocks is renowned for the quality of its fossils. You can hunt for fossils (carefully) on Kilve Beach.

95. Have a cream team at Sanders Garden World; one of the regions biggest (and best) garden centres.

94. Find a bargain at Cheddar Car Boot Sale: Somerset’s largest open-air and covered car boot sale.

93. The Somerset Levels and Wetlands are considered a Site of Scientific Interest thanks to their huge bird population. Admire these animals up close in special viewing huts that have been built across the moors.

92. Sample some Cheddar cheese which is one of the foods that the Somerset region is renowned for. Traditionally it was matured in the famous caves at Cheddar.

91. Find out about the rather creepy Somerset origins of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ at Fyne Court, near Taunton.

90. Go shopping in Clarks Village, Street: one of Somerset’s biggest retail outlets and home to some major brands at discount prices.

89. Travel back in time to a simpler era by having a steam train ride on the East Somerset Railway.

88. Visit Somerset’s county town, Taunton and find out more about its fascinating 1000 years of history.

87. Admire the faded beauty of Birnbeck Pier in Weston: the only UK pier to connect an island to the mainland.

86. If you’re up for an adventure, why not ramble across the stunning Mendip Hills? There’s a variety of footpaths and trails that you can follow.

85. Experience the beauty of the Quantocks by walking the course of the Coleridge Way: a route that traces the steps of the Romantic poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who lived in Somerset for a period.

84. The captivating rock formations of Cheddar Gorge are considered one of the natural wonders of the UK. Visit this beautiful site and find out more about how it was formed over millions of years.

83. No seaside town, like Burnham-on-Sea, would be complete without ice-cream. Sample one from the locally renowned ice-cream vans.

82. Visit the site of the Battle of Sedgemoor in Westonzoyland: the place where the last battle on English soil was fought in 1684.

81. Find out more about Weston-super-Mare’s history as a popular seaside resort at the Weston-super-Mare Town Museum.

80. For adventurous foodies, experiencing the culinary delicacy of Mendip Wallfish (Somerset snails!) is again, a must. Apparently they’re good with

79. Autumn sees hundreds of thousands of starlings flocking over the levels. Make sure you visit the levels during the end of August and start of September to see the beautiful sight of them flocking.

78. Pay a trip to the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton and find out more about Somerset’s fascinating aviation heritage.

77. Appreciate the joys of home grown produce by attending a Harvest Home event. They’re held across the county during the autumn.

76. Brean Leisure Park features a huge array of rides, amusements and attractions to amuse both children and adults alike. Get your change ready and go and visit!

75. Visit the historic Montacute House and admire nearly 500 years of history: from the Elizabethan period right up to the modern day.

74. Check out the grand Norman architecture of Nunney Castle.

73. The Georgian architecture of Bath is one of the reasons behind its title as a ‘World Heritage City’. Go and admire the splendour of the Regency-period buildings of the city and see for yourself.

72. If you love sport, Somerset’s the perfect county for you. We’ve got an established history as being a great place to watch sport. Why not watch a cricket match at the County Ground in Taunton.

71. Go scrumping (picking apples) in a traditional apple orchard! Make sure you get permission before hand though.

70. Visit the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury and find out more about the lives of your Somerset ancestors. The museum is a great place to find out more about how country people lived a hundred years ago.

69. Discover the fascinating world of animal rescue and rehabilitation at the Secret World Rescue Centre in Mark. With lots of badgers and other animals, Secret World is the perfect day out for families!

68. Relax in style at Cheddar Reservoir cafe. Admire the beautiful lake and treat yourself to a delicious cream tea.

67. Visit the cottage where Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge lived in Nether Stowey for 5 lives in the late 18th century.

66. Dance around a Maypole at Midsummer: a quintessentially ‘Somerset’ tradition.

65. Follow in the Romans’ footsteps and take a relaxing dip in the Thermae Baths, at Bath.

64. Have a picnic on the gorgeous Ham Hill.

63. Explore Uphill‘s fascinating roofless hill-top church and discover the intriguing story behind it.

62. For lovers of cars, the Haynes International Motor Museum is a must-visit destination. With over 400 cars, motorbikes and other automotives, this museum is definitely worth a visit.

61. Go Wassailing in the new year and discover more about this ancient Somerset tradition. Hint: it involves an apple tree, a shotgun and lots of cider.

60. Gaze at the shipwrecks on Berrow beach. These are visible at low tide and when the weather’s good.

59. Find out about the village of Street‘s fascinating shoemaking history. The world famous shoemakers Clarks, were based here for many years.

58. Explore the imposing, and intriguing, Butleigh Monument and find out more about why it was built.

57. Join in a Morris Dance: another Somerset tradition. You can normally find Morris Men outside a range of country pubs during the summer.

56. Trek across the Brendon Hills.
streets of Wells and admire the freshwater channels on the roads. These channel excess water from the Springs and Wells that the city is named for.

54. Pick blackberries from the hedgerows. You can find these growing wild many sites across the county.

53. Visit the Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare: once one of the aviation capitals of the county.

52. Continuing the flight theme, why not take a trip to the town of Chard and find out about its leading role in aviation history.

51. Walk the course of the Fosse Way; the ancient Roman road that was one of the four main highways the Romans built across the England.

50. Admire Banksy’s artwork in Bristol: the city where he honed his craft.

49. Visit the site of the Glastonbury Lake Village: one of the best examples of an iron age village site in the UK.

48. Find out more about the history of the game of cricket in Somerset at the Somerset Cricket Museum in Taunton.

47. Visit court of the ancient Saxon king, Alfred the Great at Athelney. In his time (before the Levels were drained), Athelney would have been a small island fortress in the middle of a large expanse of water.

46. Watch a sunset from Sand Bay near Weston-super-Mare which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its rare flora and fauna.

45. Go to Wookey Hole Caves and see the famous ‘Witch of Wookey Hole’ who was turned to stone by a monk from Glastonbury Abbey in the Medieval period!

44. Climb Brent Knoll: also known as the ‘Hill of Frogs’ in ancient Anglo-Saxon.

43. Watch the Stock Car Racing at Mendip Raceway, Shipham: another popular Somerset sport.

42. Appreciate the beautiful Royal Crescent in Bath, popular with locals and tourists alike.

41. Buy some roadside strawberries around Cheddar: they are lots of stalls next to many of the major roads around the area offering local fruit and vegetables.

40. Drink from the Chalice Well in Glastonbury. It is here that Joseph of Arimathea supposedly dropped the holy grail containing Christ’s blood: hence the red colour of the water.

39. See the Cheddar Man: one of the oldest skeletons ever discovered in the UK.

38. Find out more about the mining heritage of the Mendip Hills at Radstock Museum.

37. Admire the historic Priddy Circles: some of the mot ancient earth-works in the county.

36. Wander around the Bishop’s Palace and Gardens in Wells: the home of the Bishop of Bath and Wells for over eight hundred years.

35. Visit the St. Margaret’s Chapel & Magdalene Almshouses in Glastonbury and find out more about how the poor and sick were looked after in medieval times.

34. Learn all about birds of prey at the North Somerset Bird of Prey Centre.

33. Check out the Weston-super-Mare sand sculptures: a must see for families.

32. Have fun with the kids at Animal Farm Adventure Park in Brean where you can get up close and personal with a whole range of animals and insects.

31. Trek out to the end of Brean Down and explore the ruins of the Victorian and WW2 barracks. A fascinating visit if you like local history.

30. Pay a visit to Tyntesfield House in Wraxall, one of the best surviving examples of Gothic Victorian architecture in the county.

29. Have a drink in one of the oldest pubs and hotels in Somerset: the George and Pilgrim in Glastonbury.

28. For a special day out with the kids, why not go karting at the karting centre in Cheddar.

27. Watch the infamous Bridgwater squibbing in November. This is a popular tradition dating back hundreds of years an involves a long stick and some serious fireworks!

26. Visit Wookey Paper Mill and find out more about how paper was made in the old days!

25. If you’re a lover of a good garden, pay a visit to Hestercombe House and Gardens near Taunton and admire the beautiful collection of plants and flowers.

24. Marvel at the Roman mine workings at Charterhouse, originally one of the largest centres of lead production in the South West.

23. Visit Steepholm Island, a dedicated nature reserve home to an array of rare birds and plants. Ferries run regularly during the summer months from Weston-super-Mare.

22. Go to Burnham-on-Sea’s annual folk music festival and listen to some brilliant local acoustic music.

21. Love cider? Visit Wilkins Cider farm in Wedmore and find out more about how it is made.

20. If you’re feeling active, try cycling or walking the Strawberry Line path. The route runs from Cheddar to Yatton along the route of the old ‘Strawberry Line’ railway.

19. Look around Glastonbury Abbey; one of the most famous monastic settings in British history. It was here in 13th century that the monks of the Abbey supposedly found the graves of King Arthur and Guinevere.

18. Climb Burrow Mump. The famous hill is crowned with the ruins of an old church.

17. Wander around Taunton Castle, one of Somerset’s most famous castles. It was here that Judge Jefferies resided during the infamous ‘Bloody Azzizes’ following the Battle of Sedgemoor.

16. Attend Priddy Folk Festival which is one of the most renowned folk festivals in the country.

15. Ride a Donkey on Weston beach; an activity that many of us will remember fondly from our youth.

14. Watch the Bike Race on Weston beach which is incredibly popular with people from across Somerset.

13. Visit the Bristol Balloon Fiesta. The week-long festival brings hundreds of balloon teams to Bristol. Check out the famous night illuminations.

12. Complete the Space Walk on the Bridgwater to Taunton canal, which has sculptures of the planets from the solar system laid out in scale along the canal.

11. Watch the freemen and women of Glastonbury drive sheep through the town centre: a sight that has to be seen to be believed.

10. Climb Glastonbury Tor and admire the gorgeous views of the surrounding countryside and Polden Hills.

9. Climb back down Glastonbury Tor and follow the ancient ledges that monks drove into the hill to climb it more easily.

8. Watch The Wurzels perform, live.

7. Go to Glastonbury Festival (known as ‘Pilton’ Festival to locals)

6. Admire the beautiful Bristol Channel from Weston-super Mare pier.

5. Whilst you’re there, play Crazy Golf in Weston-super-Mare too.

4. Go to Bridgwater Carnival: the biggest illuminated carnival in the world.

3. Learn the Somerset dialect which has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon language.

2. Drink a pint of cider! (responsibly)

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Somerset’s best double glazing installer, Majestic Designs serve homes across the region: from Wells to Weston-super-Mare. Find out more about our products and services by giving us a call on 01934 741 294 or by sending us an email.