周辺のスポット/アトラクション・トップ20

Cakes in honesty box at Charlton

The Museum cafe is well worth a visit for the cheese scone alone.

Taunton Independent Market, an unexpected find.

Moderate trail for all to explore and enjoy

Holford is a village in West Somerset within the Quantock Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that is worth every visit .

Taunton is a wonderful place to begin or end a run. You could relax and grab a coffee or bite to eat in one of the many great cafés and restaurants, or you could explore the beautiful River Tone or Hestercombe Gardens.

Moderate trail with outstanding beauty to enjoy

Lying in the heart of Taunton, Somerset's county town, this stunning castle is a Grade I-listed building. Once part of a vast estate comprising thousands of acres, kings have visited, sieges have battered its walls and its Great Hall has been used as a court of law. Today, you can visit the castle and its fascinating museum. You'll also find a cafe there because no English castle is complete without a slice of cake.

Maunsel lock cafe is the only place to get a coffee on the canal

Nice cafe at maunsel lock

The Quantock Hills are home to many gorgeous villages and Holford is a perfect example. Inhabited since the Iron Age, the village feels like is hasn't changed in hundreds of years. Thatched cottages, a huge water wheel and a beautiful church all conspire to make Holford postcard-perfect. On the outskirts of the village is Alfoxton hotel (no longer a hotel) where Wordsworth lived temporarily. The Plough Inn, at the northern end of the village, is ideal for lunch.

One of the most majestic trails in the Quantocks, the Drove is a medieval track that travels along the top of the hills and forms an avenue with trees on both sides. Packed earth and rocky sections provide excellent hiking and cycling, and the Drove is wide although uneven throughout. There are many points along the Drove's route where you can enjoy simply phenomenal views across the lower Somerset landscape. Highland cattle and sheep also graze the fields beside it, so don't be surprised if you peer over a gate and find a furry face looking back at you.

A fab little wayside stand with honesty box. Nice selection of cakes on a sunny Saturday, most welcome!

Fab fireroad tracks perfect for MTB, CX or gravel bikes.

A lovely combe that feels forgotten in time! Beautiful ancient woodland and streams to splash in.

Built in 1107 to defend the town, Taunton Castle witnessed many wars in Britain: from the Second Barons' War to the Civil War. By the 18th century, the castle was in a bad condition and repaired in a Georgian style, by London banker Sir Benjamin Hammet. Today, part of the castle is used by the Museum of Somerset, whilst other parts are not in use. The building is listed as an Ancient Monument and listed on the Heritage at Risk register.

Holford Combe is one of those very rare places in the UK that's just as much fun up as down. Actually, I'm not sure that such a place exists - and it's a complete blast heading down, as those many, many stream crossings will attest - but it's of a sufficient gradient that you gain quite a lot of height quite quickly, and those self-same stream crossings that are such fun going downhill serve to distract your attention from how hard you're working. And it's all in gorgeous surroundings, too!

Great canal coffee stop at Maunsel Lock, half-way along. Blackberries are plentiful in the hedgerows at the moment. If you have some space in a pannier or backpack, the tasty apples from Charlton Orchard (two bridges east of Creech St. Michael) are ripe at the end of summer.

Great track with the planets laid out for added interest and the odd kingfisher if you are keeping a watch out!

A last blast back to the car park takes you down one of the Quantocks' many combes or wooded valleys. It's along the path of an old river and is littered with rocks and roots and water splashes, making for a memorable end for those who love sublime singletrack!