Leafy Winscombe in north Somerset is a charming village, set against the backdrop of the Mendip Hills. This village is idyllic for visitors wanting to explore the delights and attractions of Somerset. What’s more, with a position close to the coast at Weston Super Mare or Burnham on Sea, and just a short drive from Cheddar Gorge, Winscombe could be a great choice for discovering some of the best of Somerset on a rural country cottage holiday.
Information on Cottage Holidays in Winscombe
The village has a number of food shops and speciality shops, banks, a post office, a chemist, a butcher’s, a baker’s shop, a pub and a hotel. Winscombe once had a railway station that was on the Strawberry Line, carrying, in the main, strawberries from Cheddar. The route of this line has been re-opened as a cycleway/walkway and the station restored as a Millenium project. This is an excellent way of viewing the village and its surrounds whilst on a cottage holiday, passing through a rail tunnel on your journey to Axbridge. A short diversion will take you to King John’s Hunting Lodge. Previously a wool merchant’s house around 1500, and now a National Trust attraction, the timber framed building has been recreated in medieval style and is a museum full of local historic interest.
Just 20 minutes from Winscombe is the traditional seaside resort of Weston Super Mare which is well worth a visit on a self-catering break. Long golden sands, donkey rides, a miniature railway, crazy golf, fish and chips and a pier - it doesn’t get any more English than that. Weston is also home to the largest helicopter museum in the world. 70 full size exhibits of different types of aircraft are on display and the museum has its own helipad from where you can experience a 15-minute flight along the coast and over the countryside.
Less distance away from Winscombe and in contrast to the coast is the phenomenon that is Cheddar Gorge. This fascinating gorge comes highly recommended for a visit for those who want to take part in some adventurous activities. This 3-mile gorge has the highest inland limestone cliffs in the UK and at the other end is Britain’s largest underground river and awe inspiring stalactite caverns. For the less adventurous, an open top bus tour could be the best way to see the stunning gorge whereas the more adventurous may want to climb the 247 steps to the lookout tower and do the cliff-top walk which covers 3 miles in total. The more adventurous might also like to take advantage of caving or rock climbing facilities on offer to visitors. North Somerset also offers some interesting and historic towns and country houses to visit and Winscombe is perfectly situated to provide easy road access to them. With so much to see and do in this corner of Somerset, just when will you book a country cottage getaway?
Whether you choose to book a holiday cottage in Winscombe, an apartment, a lodge or another type of self-catering holiday accommodation, we hope you have your best holiday yet in Somerset.