On Location Steeped in myth and legend the county of Somerset boasts fine gardens.

A direct train from London Paddington to Taunton takes one hour forty minutes, and to Bath it’s an hour and twenty minutes.

SOMERSET

Timeless Landscapes

Steeped in myth and legend, this ancient county features some fine gardens

If one place evokes the spirit of ancient England, it is the county of Somerset. This is the beginning of the West Country, where cider apples hang thick upon boughs and the deep vowels of the traditional West Country burr shift minutely from town to town. Its landscape is by turns deeply wooded and expansive, bordering Dorset and Devon in the south, Wiltshire in the east and metropolitan Bristol in the north.

Central to the county is Glastonbury Tor (nationaltrust.org.uk), a prominent 158m hill rising sharply from the surrounding flat landscape. Visible from miles around, this striking landform is steeped in legend: Jesus is supposed to have visited it as a young boy and the Holy Grail, the cup used at the Last Supper, is rumoured to be buried here. The legend has made it a place of pilgrimage over millennia, and the remains of the monastic St

The atmospheric ruin of monastic St Michael’s Tower tops Glastonbury Tor in Somerset.

Michael’s Tower are a reminder of its long history. It also inspired William Blake to pen ‘Jerusalem’, later set to music by Hubert Parry. The hymn, so integral to English identity, has been the uno cial anthem of the Women’s Institute since the 1920s.

The Somerset Levels are tracts of coastal plain drained for agriculture but richly biodiverse: willow for weaving is grown here. In contrast, the Cheddar Gorge (nationaltrust.org.uk) to the east is a striking arrangement of limestone cli s: a drive along the hairpin bends of the gorge is a rewarding adventure.

Breathtaking gardens abound. Margery Fish’s former cottage garden at East Lambrook Manor (eastlambrook.com) is a masterclass in this planting style. Penelope Hobhouse gardened at Tintinhull, (nationaltrust.org.uk) now open to the public. ■

Great Escapes

Explore ancient Wells, visit The Newt, and stop at the Pig, a boutique hotel serving home-grown produce

VISIT WELLS CATHEDRAL The 850-year-old cathedral is a delight. Smaller and less wellknown than others, its Gothic interior possesses an appealing intimacy, with a stunning stained-glass east window dating from the 14th century. Explore the moated Cathedral complex, and look out for the swans trained to pull a bell at feeding time at the Bishop’s Palace. wellscathedral.org.uk

A GARDEN TO VISIT Formerly Hadspen House, The Newt in Somerset has won acclaim for its magnifi cent gardens that have been developed around the footprint of grounds designed by its former occupant, Penelope Hobhouse. Having explored the walled Parabola garden, fi lled with trained apple trees, consider a luxury overnight stay in the remodelled country house. thenewtinsomerset.com

EAT The Pig near Bath o ers seasonal menus (left) using select produce largely grown in the hotel’s kitchen garden. Further south, Bruton is earning a reputation as an artist’s town. After visiting the Piet Oudolf-designed garden at Hauser+Wirth, stop for lunch at the gallery’s Durslade Farm Shop. thepighotel.com; dursladefarmshop.co.uk