Find the nearest History & Heritage in Somerset

Coleridge Cottage, home of the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge displaying of the poet’s personal mementoes. 17th-century Coleridge Cottage is managed by the National Trust.

The birthplace of Robert Blake (1598-1657), General-at-Sea, the Admiral Blake Museum houses a fascinating collection of local history and archaeology. There is plenty to see, from life in the earliest settlements to the colourful excitement of Bridgwater Carnival. Opening Times 10.00am – 4.00pm Tuesday – Saturday, from Easter to November.

Glastonbury Abbey is a ruined monastery situated in the town of Glastonbury in Somerset. First founded in the 7th century and expanded in the 10th century, the Abbey was destroyed by fire in 1184 and subsequently rebuilt. It went onto become one of the richest and most powerful monasteries in medieval England. The last abbot, Richard Whiting, was executed as a traitor in 1539 following the dissolution of the monasteries during King Henry VIII’s reign. Today the Abbey ruins are open to the public and are a popular tourist attraction due, amongst other things, to the association Glastonbury has with the Arthurian legend. Medieval monks promoted the idea that Glastonbury was the setting for Avalon and that King Arthur and Queen Guinevere could be buried here. The Abbey and its grounds are open all year round.

The Roman Baths is the site of the original public bathing house during Roman times, located in central Bath adjacent to Bath Abbey. Excavated during the 19th century, the Baths are set below the modern street level. Visitors can walk through not only the well-preserved remains of the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House and the Sacred Spring but also an interactive museum and exhibition telling the story of life in Bath in Roman times. The Roman Baths are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bath, receiving over one million visitors a year. The Baths are open all year round. There is a gift shop on site and refreshments are available at the Pump Rooms next door.

Stembridge Tower Mill, the last remaining thatched windmill in England, dates from 1822 and in use until 1910. The windmill is managed by the National Trust and although you can see the outside has limited opening of the inside.

Stoke-sub-Hamdon Priory, 14th/15th-century farm buildings, formerly a priests’ residence, now managed by the National Trust and The Great Hall is open to visitors.

Muchelney Abbey was founded in the 7th Century by King Ine of Wessex.  Muchelney has clearly laid out foundations of the medieval Benedictine abbey (and its Anglo-Saxon predecessor) and a complete early Tudor house in miniature.

The Basilica of St Gregory the Great at Downside, commonly known as Downside Abbey, is a Catholic Benedictine monastery and the Senior House of the English Benedictine Congregation. One of its main apostolates is a school for children aged nine to eighteen. Its graduates are known as Old Gregorians.

The Fleet Air Arm Museum comprises four large halls. Each hall has ground floor and upper levels telling the stories of naval aviation from the first manned kites towed behind naval vessels, to helium filled airships, seaplanes, bi planes and the carrier borne aircraft of WW2 and modern Sea Harriers and helicopters.

Bath Abbey, or to give it its formal name, The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is an Anglican church of gothic architecture in central Bath, Somerset. The Abbey was founded as a Benedictine monastery in the 7th century and was subsequently rebuilt in both the 12th and the 16th centuries. Further major restoration work was also carried out in the 1860s by Sir George Gilbert Scott. The church can seat 1200 people and today the Abbey has a regular congregation of hundreds and receives hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. It plays a central part in Bath’s calendar of events, civic ceremonies and religious services. The Abbey is open to the public all year round and visitors are asked to leave a donation.

Chalice Well is one of Britain’s most ancient wells, located in the Vale of Avalon between the Glastonbury Tor and Chalice Hill. The well is surrounded by beautiful gardens and orchards. For over two thousand years this has been a place where people have gathered to drink the waters and find solace, peace and inspiration.