Somerset is known for more than just cider and cathedral cities. Here are some places the county has quietly kept to itself.
Somerset tends to keep its secrets. While its well-known landmarks draw visitors, most people drive past the quiet lanes in between. Away from the main tourist spots, villages lie scattered across moors, marshes, and the Mendip hills, remaining peaceful for centuries. There are no crowded tea rooms or coach parks here. In many of these places, life has changed little over the years.
Locals and walkers may know these ten villages, but they remain truly peaceful. When you arrive, you might only hear your own footsteps and the wind. Here’s what makes each one special.
Quick Facts
- County: Somerset, South West England
- Regions covered: Exmoor National Park, the Mendip Hills, the Somerset Levels, South Somerset
- Best time to visit: Spring to autumn, as each season brings its own charm.
- Getting there: You’ll need a car for most villages, since many roads are narrow and have only passing places.
- What to bring: Pack waterproofs, walking boots, and be ready to take your time.
1. Selworthy Holnicote Estate, Exmoor
Selworthy is a thoughtfully planned village. Six thatched cottages, painted cream and topped with tall chimneys, sit in a circle around Selworthy Green. Sir Thomas Dyke Acland designed this layout in the early 1800s for estate pensioners. The unique arrangement and the rural setting make it a site where history and nature come together.
The village is a timeless rural landscape of thatched cottages, nestled in the Holnicote Estate’s vale. From Selworthy, you can walk through wooded combs and see sweeping views across to Dunkery Beacon, Exmoor’s highest point. National Trust. Above the village, the whitewashed Church of All Saints sits on the hillside, with a 14th-century tower visible from most of the vale below. The village was held by Queen Edith of Wessex in 1066 and was recorded in the Domesday Book as Selewrda. Wikipedia
The National Trust owns Holnicote Estate, which covers over 12,000 acres of Exmoor’s coast and countryside and has more than 240 kilometres of bridleways and footpaths. Selworthy feels as if it has been perfectly preserved within this landscape.
- Where to Stay: National Trust Holiday Cottages at Holnicote Estate offer a range of self-catering properties within the estate, from farmhouses to single-bedroom thatched cottages with views across the moors.
- Worth Knowing: The Periwinkle Tea Room in the village is one of England’s better-known tea rooms, set in a historic thatched cottage on Selworthy Green.
2. Winsford Exmoor National Park, near Dulverton
Winsford is defined by its peaceful atmosphere, a central ford, and eight bridges, including ancient packhorse crossings over the River Exe. The local stone buildings help the village blend with its landscape and preserve Exmoor’s traditional character. There are no flashy landmarks, only a feeling of calm and timelessness.
Winsford is located within the Exmoor National Park and around 10 miles south-west of the coastal town of Minehead. To the east of the village is the hamlet of West Howetown. Winsford Hill is the location of the Wambarrows, a number of Bronze Age burial sites, and Road Castle, an Iron Age bank and ditch approximately 2 miles west of the village. Wikipedia: A herd of Exmoor ponies still wanders freely on the hill.
In the 17th century, Tom Faggus, a highwayman and a gentleman, was said to have held up travellers near the inn in Winsford. Wikipedia: The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Some of its farm names, including Nethercote, Staddon and Halse, have remained unchanged in tax records since the reign of Edward III.
- Where to Stay: The Royal Oak, Winsford, is a Grade II-listed thatched inn in the centre of the village, dating back to the 16th century. It offers individually styled rooms, real ales, and locally sourced food. This inn is a notable place to stay in Exmoor.
- Worth Knowing: The village was the setting of the R.D. Blackmore novel Christowell (1882) and features in the landscape described throughout his more famous Lorna Doone.
3. Mells Near Frome, East Somerset
Mells is known for its rich history reflected in its many historic buildings. It appeared in the Domesday Book as Mulne, referring to its historic mills. In the 1500s, iron ore mining earned it the name Iron Burgh. Despite its small size, layers of history are visible throughout the village.
In 942 AD, the Saxon King Edmund granted land at Mells to Count Athelstan, who in turn gave it to Glastonbury Abbey. It was Glastonbury that built most of the medieval part of the village, including the Tithe Barn, Bilboa House, New Street, Selwood House and part of The Talbot Inn. Mellsvillage
The churchyard of St Andrew’s is where First World War poet Siegfried Sassoon lies buried, having chosen the spot near his friend Ronald Knox’s grave. It also holds a memorial by Edwin Lutyens to Raymond Asquith, who died in France in 1916. The village war memorial, also by Lutyens, carries an inscription by Poet Laureate Robert Bridges: “We died in a strange land facing the dark cloud of war, and this stone is raised to us in the home of our delight.”
Condé Nast Traveller named the village one of the 20 most beautiful in the UK and Ireland, and it truly deserves the recognition.
- Where to Stay: The Talbot Inn, Mells, established in 1480 as a coaching inn, remains at the heart of the village. Eight rooms surround a cobbled courtyard. Seasonal British food, local ales, log fires, and a sitting room in a restored tithe barn are included. It is about twenty minutes from Bath.
- Worth Knowing: The Talbot Inn sits in a building that Glastonbury Abbey began constructing in the medieval period, making it one of the oldest continuously used inns in Somerset.
4. Hinton St George Near Crewkerne, South Somerset
Hinton St George sits three miles from Crewkerne and ten miles from Yeovil. Its wide main street is lined with hamstone cottages, some with thatched roofs. The hamstone, quarried nearby at Ham Hill, gives the cottages a warm golden colour and a unique look. This golden glow makes the village stand out from others in England.
The village was first mentioned in the Domesday Book as Hanstone. It came to the Poulett family through marriage during the 1400s, and the family remained in the village until 1968, occupying Hinton House for over 500 years. Hintonstgeorge
The village carries on traditions established generations ago, including Wassailing, the Village Fete, Oak Apple Day, Pantomime, and the more esoteric Punkie Night held on the last Thursday in October. Punkie Night involves children carrying lanterns made from carved mangolds through the village. It is one of the oldest lantern festivals in England and predates Halloween’s commercial revival by centuries.
- Where to Stay: The Lord Poulett Arms, a thatched hamstone pub dating to 1680, offers six rooms, a well-regarded kitchen, and a French-style courtyard garden. It is frequently recognised for food and hospitality and is one of Somerset’s finest small inns.
- Worth Knowing: The 13th-century Church of St George in the village was built by masons from Wells Cathedral, and its features include Elizabethan monuments and a four-stage tower dated 1485 to 1495.
5. Muchelney, Somerset Levels, near Langport
Muchelney means ‘great island’ in Old English. The village is about a mile south of Langport on the Somerset Levels. In the past, marshes surrounded the raised village, and winter floods sometimes turned it into an island. This history of isolation still shapes Muchelney’s character and its place in the landscape.
Monks first arrived at Muchelney in about 700. The monastery’s founder was King Ine of Wessex. The abbey was established during a time when people in Anglo-Saxon England were converting to Christianity. English Heritage The abbey was sacked by Vikings, rebuilt in the 10th century, expanded through the medieval period, and dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538. Its ruins, managed by English Heritage, still stand beside the parish church.
The parish church of St Peter and St Paul, a Grade I listed building next to Muchelney Abbey, has a ceiling with Jacobean paintings of bare-breasted angels, their nudity thought to symbolise innocent purity. It is the kind of detail that makes you look twice. Twice is the right number of times.
The village still experiences flooding, and in harsh winters, it can be completely cut off. This isn’t meant to discourage visitors—it’s part of what makes Muchelney unique.
- Where to Stay: The nearest comfortable base is Langport, a mile to the north, where several B&Bs and self-catering cottages operate. The National Trust also offers properties across the Somerset Levels for longer stays.
- Worth Knowing: The monks’ lavatory at Muchelney Abbey, a thatched two-storey structure, is considered unique in Britain. It survived the Dissolution when almost everything else was demolished.
6. Croscombe Mendip Hills, between Wells and Shepton Mallet
Croscombe is a village and civil parish on the River Sheppey. It was first mentioned in 706 during the reign of King Ine of Wessex. The village grew in the 16th and 17th centuries thanks to the booming wool trade, and many of its houses, cottages, and buildings date from that time.
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is the reason to visit, and it makes the visit entirely worthwhile. It is not the most dramatic church in Somerset from the outside. The interior is something else. The church has an unusual spire for Somerset, and Jacobean interior woodwork of national renown. Wikipedia Gifted by the Fortescue family in the early 17th century, the carved pews, pulpit, rood screen and ceiling represent one of the most complete sets of Jacobean woodwork in any parish church in England. The Bishop of Bath and Wells called it, at the time of its installation, the finest in the diocese.
The village lies in the steep valley of the Sheppey, just two miles from Wells. Most travellers heading to Wells stick to the main road and miss Croscombe entirely.
- Where to Stay: The George Inn, Croscombe, is a 17th-century inn on Long Street that was named local CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2015. It serves up to four West Country ales and runs two beer festivals a year. Rooms available.
- Worth Knowing: Northeast of the village, within the parish, is Maesbury Castle, an Iron Age hill fort. It is little visited and rewards the short walk from the village.
7. Stoke sub Hamdon, near Yeovil, south SomerStoke sub Hamdon is built almost entirely from the same stone. The village wraps around Ham Hill, which is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest, an Iron Age hillfort, a Roman site, and a country park. The hill’s name comes from the distinctive hamstone quarried from its sandy limestone ridge above the lower clay valleys.
After the Norman Conquest, West Stoke belonged to the Beauchamp family until 1421, when it passed to the Crown, and later to the Duchy of Cornwall in 1615. The village has two old manors at its centre, which have given it a divided character—two communities and two histories, but one landscape of warm golden stone.
The village is the site of the 14th-century Stoke sub Hamdon Priory, a former priests’ house of the chantry chapel of St Nicholas, which was destroyed after the dissolution of the monasteries. The priory has been owned by the National Trust since 1946 and is designated as a Grade I listed building by English Heritage. Wikipedia is open to visit. The 12th-century Church of St Mary the Virgin beside it has medieval carvings of particular interest, including what are believed to be rare Sheela na Gig figures on the exterior stonework.
- Where to Stay: Ham Hill Country Park, just above the village, has a small campsite for those who want to wake up inside the hillfort. Indoors, the village has two pubs and self-catering cottages available through local agencies.
- Worth Knowing: Ham Hill is one of the largest Iron Age hillforts in Britain, covering around 200 acres. Quarrying has taken place here since at least Roman times, and the warm golden stone it produces has shaped the look of south Somerset more than any other single material.
8. Luccombe Holnicote Estate, Exmoor
In 1944, Luccombe was the subject of a study by Mass-Observation, the only entirely rural project the government-funded social research organisation ever conducted. The results were later published in W.J. Turner’s 1947 book, Exmoor Village. Wikipedia: The village at that time had 24 cottages and 74 residents. It has not changed enormously since.
The village of Luccombe lies at the foot of Dunkery Hill. Along with Stoke Pero and Horner, it forms a civil parish. Horner is on the eastern bank of Horner Water, crossed by two medieval packhorse bridges, one of which, Hacketty Way Bridge, is crossed by the Coleridge Way. Wikipedia: The parish church of St Mary has a chancel dating from about 1300.
Most of Luccombe’s thatched cottages are quite old. The lanes between them are so narrow that two people can’t always walk side by side. The nearby oak woodland of Horner is ancient, with lichen-covered trees that are among the richest in the southwest. Red deer often pass through at dusk.
- Where to Stay: National Trust Holiday Cottages at Holnicote Estate include properties in and around the Luccombe area, from working farmhouses to small cottages within walking distance of Horner Wood. Booking through the National Trust website.
- Worth Knowing: The Burrowhayes Farm campsite in the valley below Luccombe has been used by the Scout Association and walking groups for decades and is among the most atmospheric camping locations on Exmoor.
9. Stoke Pero Holnicote Estate, Exmoor
Getting to Stoke Pero takes some effort. The lane is narrow, steep, and mostly unmarked. There’s no pub, no shop, and hardly any traffic. But in exchange, you’ll find one of the most remote and quietly special places on Exmoor.
At Stoke Pero, the tiny church is the highest church on Exmoor, at 300 metres above sea level. National Trust. It has a 13th-century tower, a small nave and a churchyard that looks out across moorland with nowhere particular to look back at you. Services are still held here. When the congregation gathers, it has to come a long way.
The name Pero appears in medieval records and may refer to an early landowner. The settlement that once surrounded the church has nearly vanished, gradually becoming part of the Holnicote Estate. Today, all that’s left is the church, a farm, and a rare, deep silence.
- Where to Stay: National Trust Holiday Cottages at Holnicote Estate are the practical choice for this part of Exmoor. Several properties sit within easy walking distance of Stoke Pero, including Cloutsham Farm, a 19th-century Swiss chalet-style farmhouse on the estate.
- Worth Knowing: Stoke Pero Church requires a key to enter, which can be collected from a local keyholder. Details are posted on the church door. The walk to the church from Horner via Horner Wood and the ridge is one of the finest short walks on Exmoor.
10. Allerford Holnicote Estate, Exmoor
Allerford is recognisable from the unusual round chimneys on its cottages and is home to the 15th-century packhorse bridge and one of the few working forges left in the country. National Trust: The bridge is the reason most people stop. It is small, ancient, perfectly placed above the River Aller, and appears in more photographs of Exmoor than almost any other single feature.
The forge is worth a closer look. Forges of this old age are rare in Britain. Here, the tradition of hand-forging iron continues in a building that has served the same purpose for generations, even as the craft has disappeared elsewhere.
The village is located between Selworthy and Porlock, just a short walk from both, but it’s quieter than either one. The packhorse bridge was built in a time when mules and ponies carried goods across the river, before proper roads existed, and the moor above was a real barrier. The bridge has lasted for centuries beyond the economy that created it and still fits its setting perfectly.
- Where to Stay: National Trust Holiday Cottages at Holnicote Estate include properties in and around Allerford and the surrounding hamlets. The Allerford Museum, housed in a Victorian schoolhouse, is adjacent to the bridge and is worth an hour.
- Worth Knowing: The West Somerset Rural Life Museum in Allerford documents the area’s farming and rural life from the 19th century onwards. Admission is modest, and the collection is thoughtfully presented.
Practical Tips
- Navigation: Download the AllTrails app before your visit. Many lanes and footpaths in these villages aren’t well marked, and the phone signal can be unreliable on Exmoor above 300 meters.
- Driving: Most villages are reached by single-track roads. Take it slow, use passing places properly, and be ready to reverse if necessary.
- Parking: Parking is limited in most villages. Park in the first available spot and walk from there. Please don’t block farm tracks or gateways.
- Timing: Early mornings and late afternoons are the quietest and have the best light. For a peaceful visit, avoid bank holiday weekends in August.
- Flooding: Muchelney and other villages on the Somerset Levels can be cut off during severe winters. Check local conditions before visiting between November and February.
Responsible Visiting
People live and work in these villages, and the roads and verges weren’t built for lots of visitors. Please take your litter home, keep dogs under control near livestock (which roam Exmoor all year), and respect private gardens and property. In the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate villages, stay on marked footpaths in the woods to protect plants and nesting birds.
If you visit a church and it’s open, please consider leaving a small donation. Rural Somerset churches are costly to maintain and have only small congregations.
Reader Q&A
Which of these villages is easiest to reach without a car? Mells is the most accessible by public transport. It is four miles from Frome, which has regular rail connections, and a taxi or cycle from Frome is manageable. Croscombe is two miles from Shepton Mallet. Most Exmoor villages are car-only for visitors.
Which is best for a family with young children? Winsford. The ford, bridges, and open space around the village are engaging for children. The Royal Oak welcomes families, and the moors above the village offer short walks without difficulty.
What is the best single walk linking two or more villages? The Allerford to Selworthy walk via Selworthy Wood is about 3 miles and includes the packhorse bridge, ancient woodland, and village green. It is one of the finest short walks in Somerset. The Coleridge Way passes through Luccombe and Horner and connects with routes across Exmoor.
Are any of these villages good in winter? All Exmoor villages have a special character in winter, especially after snow on the high moorland. Mells and Croscombe are good in any season. Muchelney in midwinter, if accessible, is the most atmospheric place on this list. The Somerset Levels in flood, seen from the raised road into the village, is a remarkable sight.
Where to Stay
- National Trust Holiday Cottages, Holnicote Estate for Selworthy, Luccombe, Stoke Pero and Allerford
- The Royal Oak Inn, Winsford, for Winsford and southern Exmoor
- The Talbot Inn, Mells for Mells, Frome and East Somerset
- The Lord Poulett Arms, Hinton St George, for Hinton St George and south Somerset
- The George Inn, Croscombe, Wells and the Mendips
Somerset keeps these places peaceful. They’ve lasted not because they’re unknown, but because they move at a slower pace than most visitors are used to. If you slow down and match their rhythm, you’ll discover much more.
