Somerset ~ England

This south western county has borders with Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north east, Dorset is south east, to the east is Wiltshire and going south west is Devon. There are few cities in Somerset but there excellent market towns and the county town of Taunton. Areas in Somerset are of great historic, geographic and scientific interest. Cheddar has the largest gorge in the UK and the river Cheddar Yeo which is in Gough's Cave is the largest underground river. Cheddar was also of major importance to the Saxons and Romans who had sites here. Agriculture and especially cheese making was high profile here as far back as 1170 AD. Having many water mills in the 17th and 18th centuries it was a centre for grinding corn. The internationally famous archaeological site of Gough's Cave was a tomb to the oldest complete skeleton, 9,000 years old, ever found in Britain.

There is a great tradition of music and art here and the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge found inspiration when visiting this county. Traditional folk songs and dances have been a part of the rural life and this still exists today. One of the groups well known for such entertainment is the Wurzels.

Wells is a favourite tourist destination where the Cathedral dating back to the 10th century attracts visitors who also intend to visit Bath and Stonhenge which are closeby. The name origintes from three wells in the Bishop's Palace grounds

Geography

The landscape of Somerset is determined by the underlying geology. There are landscapes of limestone to the north east with the Mendip Hills and numerous caves, gorges and underground rivers. To the south and west are the wetlands and vales of clay. In the north east the famous Cheddar Gorge is found with extensive caves and nearby is Wookey Hole. A combination of grasslands, arable farming, hills, valleys and moors bring together an area of outstanding interest and beauty.

Industry

In this county farming and agriculture are still one of the main sources of income. The apple orchards produce strong cider which is probably unrivalled. Yeovil's link to aviation is evident in helicopter production. Probably tourism is the industry which supports the economy with Cheddar Gorge, the Glastonbury Festival, Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton and Exmoor and the West Somerset Railway.

Minehead is home to Butlins Holiday Camp and was one the first to be opened and is still popular with families and a valued employer for the local people. Being on the coast this town provides activities such as sailing and wind surfing. It is also the starting point for the Southwest Coast Path National Trail, which is of country's longest long-distance countryside walks.

Cities, towns and villages within Somerset