Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shopping
Bargain-hunters should head 2 miles south of town to
Clark's Village,
Farm Road,
Street (
&
01458/840064;
www.clarksvillage.co.uk). Over 90 familiar high-street
and luxury-brand outlets, including Barbour and Whistles, offer genuine discounts on
their end-of-line ranges. Opening hours are 9am to 6pm Monday through Saturday
(Thurs until 8pm), and 11am to 5pm Sunday.
Where to Stay
Chalice Hill House
Glastonbury's lack of quality hotels is compensated
for by a plethora of B&Bs—and this is the most seductive of the lot. The archetypal
elegant Georgian interior has been decorated with a fusion of traditional 1830s' heri-
tage and design influences from Glastonbury's New Age present. The recently
redecorated Sun and Moon Room offers the best combination of space and aspect.
Luxuriously tucked away in private grounds above a quiet cul-de-sac, the guest house
is also just a short walk from the center.
Dod Lane, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 8BZ. www.chalicehill.co.uk.
&
01458/830828.
Fax 01458/
835233. 3 units. £100 double. Rates include English breakfast. Free parking. AE, MC, V.
In room:
TV/DVD,
hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
Side Trips in South Somerset
Lytes Cary Manor
HISTORIC HOME This compact Elizabethan manor house
was home to the Lyte family for 5 centuries, and it was here that 16th-century herbal-
ist Henry Lyte wrote his famous plant directory,
Lytes Herbal.
The architectural
highlights are the original Great Hall decorated with 16th-century stained glass show-
ing family coats of arms, and a small family chantry chapel that dates to the 14th
century. The manicured Arts and Crafts-inspired formal gardens are famed for their
1
1
⁄
2
miles of topiary yews.
Nr. Charlton Mackerell, Somerton (11 miles south of Glastonbury).
&
01458/224471.
www.national
trust.org.uk. Admission £7 adults, £3.50 children 5-16, £17 family ticket. Mar 13-Oct 31 Fri-Wed 11am-
5pm. Closed Nov-Mar 12. From Glastonbury follow the A39 south, turning onto the southbound B3151
at Street. Leave the B3151 at Somerton, following signs to Lytes Cary.
Montacute House
HISTORIC SITE Begin your visit to this 16th-century
rural country seat by circumnavigating the magnificent building—it's the best way to
appreciate the glorious symmetry of its Elizabethan architecture. Upstairs, rooms off
the Long Gallery —the longest of its kind in Britain—display a unique collection,
belonging to London's National Portrait Gallery, that's a virtual
Who's Who
of royal
Tudor and Elizabethan England. You can picnic outside in the substantial shadow of
giant sequoia trees.
Montacute.
&
01935/823289.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk. Admission £9.30 adults, £4.40 children
5-16, £22 family ticket. House: Mar 12-Oct Wed-Mon 11am-5pm (closed Nov-Mar 11). Gardens: Mar
12-Oct Wed-Mon 11am-5pm; rest of year Wed-Sun 11am-4pm. Signposted off the A3088, 4 miles
west of Yeovil.
8
WEST SOMERSET & EXMOOR
West Somerset stretches from the low-lying Quantock Hills to Exmoor on the Devon
border, a captivating region of moorland and rolling hills that plunge into the Bristol
Channel. The most precious sections are protected within the
Exmoor National Park,
best explored on foot or by car, but there are several enticing targets on the fringes.
