Wells Cathedral, in the smallest of England's cities, is the first of the English Gothic cathedrals and its magnificent West Front is known throughout the world.

Vistors may have the unique experience, here 'where prayer has been valid', of sitting right amongst the choir for Evensong. It can be the most magical of experiences as the music carries you back through the long centuries: the history of the choir is at least as old as the present building and the records of the Vicars Choral go back to 1136!

There is a regular programme of events throughout the year, including concerts by the cathedral choir.

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The Bishop's Palace is well worth a visit for its fine architecture and interior.
















There is also an arboretum in the grounds and you may even spot the Bishop playing croquet on the lawn! A stroll round the fresh water moat, fed by the springs that give the city its name, is to be enjoyed at any time of the year.
This is some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain and we are an ideal centre for exploring it. At any time of the year, this is a delightful part of the world to visit with a feast of visual delights and you will return to your everyday life refreshed and renewed.

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The Mendip Hills, known locally simply as 'Mendip', stretch from Frome in the east over to the sea by Weston-Super-Mare.















Part of the hills are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and they are wonderful for walking or simply for getting lost among their meandering lanes where it can seem that you have gone back a century or two.

At the foot of the hills, are the 'Levels', one of the finest areas of England for wild birds, in particular wild fowl. This is what Bill Oddy has to say about them:
"The Somerset Levels and Moors are the largest area of lowland wet grassland and grazing marsh remaining in England. This is some of the lowest, flattest land in the country that was once a great marshy sea.

"They are of outstanding nature conservation importance for the rich, varied mosaic of wet grasslands, reedbeds, mires and fen meadows, with 8,000km of rivers and ditches.

"Birds, plants, insects and mammals are here in abundance and include wintering wildfowl and waders, birds of reedbed and flood meadow, plants and insects that thrive in ditches and, of course, ancient pasture.
















If it's local colour you're after, then we think the pubs round here invented the term!

Some of them have live music and nearly all of them provide very reasonably priced 'pub grub'.

A lot of the buildings are very ancient, steeped in history: coaching inns; an ex bakery; even an ex gaol. And there's one where one of the last public hangmen used to plot the next day's grisly task!

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The closest town to us is Shepton Mallet. As we are here at the farm, it's just off the millennia old route that the Romans called the Fosse Way and many beautiful Roman remains have been found locally.
















In the centre of town is a beautiful market cross and Shepton, although not nearly so well known, has more secular medieval buildings than Wells and is also home to Britain's oldest gaol where the Domesday book and other important state documents were stored during the War!

The building in this picture is now known as the 'Anglo Trading Estate' but originally it was the brewery that first made India Pale Ale and is a fine example of exuberant Victorian architecture.

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Glastonbury, the ancient Avalon, the sacred isle of the Sacred Isles.
"And did those feet in ancient times walk upon England's pastures' green..." The old story is that the infant Jesus came here with his uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, who was, according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb after the Crucifixion.






























Legend has it that, in the years that we know nothing about from the bible, the infant Christ travelled with Joseph to meet great religious leaders around the world and that here that was the Lady of the Lake, the High Priestess of the old tradition.

It is difficult to unravel fact from the rich skein of the old myths but we are also told that, after the Crucifixion, the Disciples, together with Mary, came up through Europe and settled in Avalon where they were granted twelve 'hides' of land on which they built the first Christian church.

Judge the truth of the story as you will, what is sure is that this is still a magical landscape and the largest and most important medieval abbey in Europe stood here.









One of the best local restaurants - of which there are many but this is just down the road - is Blostins.

Very modestly sited on the outskirts of Shepton Mallet, nonetheless the quality of their food is superb.

They open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 7.00pm and luncheon parties are by arrangement.

Click here to visit site

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We are ideally placed for a night out in Bath. You might care to try the Theatre Royal in Bath, one of the oldest and most beautiful theatres in Britain.

Comprising three auditoria, the Main House, Ustinov and the egg theatre for children and young people, a wonderfully varied programme of top quality entertainment is on offer all year round.

The Ustinov is re-opening in February 2008 With a stunning new design by Stirling Prize nominees Haworth Tompkins, the architects of the award-winning egg theatre for children – a national theatre right in the heart of Bath. With new gallery level seating, vastly improved sightlines, and a new welcoming foyer/bar, the audience will be entering a thrilling, intimate new theatre.

Click here to visit site

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If you're a golfer, you're in for a treat! As the crow flies, we are less than 3/4 of a mile from the Mendip Golf Club, a superb 18 hole, par 71 course.

What they say of themselves is this:

"With its fairways of springy downland turf, "Mendip" boasts lies that some golfers can only dream about. The excellent greens are maintained to a very high standard, many having pronounced borrows which need careful reading.

"Located on the North slope of the Mendips, 15 miles south-west of Bath and 18 miles south of Bristol, the highest point on the course is almost 1000 feet above sea level on the 3rd fairway. Looking around on a fine day, visitors can enjoy unparalleled views over seven counties, including the Welsh mountains, spectacular King Arthur's Vale of Avalon, mysterious Glastonbury Tor, and across to Bridgwater Bay and Exmoor."

What more could you want - a course like this and staying in such splendid accommodation as ours!

You'll be more than welcome as a guest; do have a look at their website.

Click here to visit site

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Run by friends, Bowlish Contemporary Gallery is a new gallery displaying contemporary fine and applied art within an old Georgian / Jacobean clothiers house.

You can wander at ease through three south facing reception rooms of fine Georgian proportions where contemporary paintings, etchings, prints, ceramics, sculpture and metalwork sit comfortably with a collection of antique arts and crafts and oriental furniture.

Click here to visit site

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Wincanton Racecourse is only 20 minutes away by car and provides a mixture of excitement, action, sociability and areas to eat and drink in style.

The 17 fixtures of quality jump racing between October and May provides the opportunity to soak up the social atmosphere and experience the thrills of the horses thundering past the stands.

Children aged 16 and under can come racing for free!

Click here to visit site

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If you'd like a day out for the whole family, with lots to see and do, then Wookey Hole, just the other side of Wells, could be the place for you:

"With new attractions, great new facilities and the classic glory of Britain's most spectacular underground caverns, the centuries-old site near Wells in Somerset has been given a brand new lease of life."

Attractions include:

King Kong in The Valley of the Dinosaurs with a life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex and Brontosaurus.

The 'Enchanted Fairy Garden' with fairies, dragons and elves.

Wookey Hole Virtual Tours

The Victorian papermill and Penny Arcarde.

And, of course, Britain's most spectacular caves!

Click here to visit site

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The Met Office
Why not find out what the weather's going to do during your proposed stay, from the one and only Meteorological Office?

Click here to visit site
A major local attraction which brings thousands of visitors to the area is the Bath and West Showground. Here many shows and exhibitions and events take place all year round.

Click here to visit site