Out & About
Dunster
The medieval village of Dunster within the Exmoor National Park with it's cobbles pavements, cafes craft shops, Castle, Yarn Market, Tithe Barn and a wealth of listed buildings, Dunster is a favourite destination for many tourists.
Dunster Castle
Dunster Castle is about 5 miles from Glasses Farm and is well worth a visit. The position of the castle was chosen for its natural defensive position, its history probably lies deep in the mists of Saxon times, but the main building as we know it was begun by William de Mohun, a Norman baron. In 1375 the castle came into the hands of the Luttrell family who were to remain there for over 600 years. It is completely fascinating with many splendid features. Amongst these is a magnificently carved staircase from 1681 and a plaster ceiling in the dining room of the same date.
The castle is surrounded by magnificent gardens, woodland and picturesque tumbling streams crossed by ancient bridges. Steep terraces take you down to the fringe of the River Avill, en-route visitors can see lovely tropical plants, splendid groups of Rhododendrons, Hydrangeas and Magnolia trees. By the Avill stands a restored mill from the 18th century, this grinds flour for sale, interestingly there has been a mill on this site ever since the first fortifications where built there in around 1070. Apart from this there are many other attractive features in the grounds including a magnificent Victorian conservatory. This is a wonderful landscape to wander, not least for the splendid views of historic Dunster village and surrounding countryside.
Walking on Exmoor
Whether you are an experienced walker or someone who prefers a short stroll, Exmoor National Park is the ideal place to explore the outdoors on foot. With over 1000km of footpaths and bridleways, through woodlands, by tumbling rivers and on open heather covered moorland, the variety is infinite with much wildlife to spot along the way. Footpaths that cross the moor provide splendid opportunities for all sorts of walks and have been signposted by the National Park Authority (NPA) where they join roads and many are signposted and waymarked with coloured squares or arrows to help visitors find their way around and stop them straying on to private land.
The Coleridge Way
The Coleridge Way is a 36 mile walk through the stunning Somerset countryside of the Quantock Hills, the Brendon Hills and Exmoor, a landscape that inspired Coleridge to produce some of his best known work.
Minehead
Minehead is about 8 miles from Glasses and is our local shopping town with supermarkets, banks, cafes, Minehead Golf Club and of course Minehead beach. West Somerset Steam Railway, one of the longest private railways, goes to Watchet then on to Bishops Lydeard outside Taunton.
Cleeve Abbey
Cleeve Abbey in Washford is only 5 mins from Glasses and is one of the undiscovered jewels of Somerset, providing an interesting day out for families and budding historians alike.
The Cistercian abbey of Cleeve is a haven of peace and tranquility, said to contain the finest cloister buildings in England. Visitors today can catch a glimpse of monastic life 800 years ago; although the abbey church was destroyed by Henry VIII during the dissolution in 1536, the cloister buildings including the gatehouse, 15th century refectory with its glorious angel roof and 13th century heraldic tiles have survived remarkably intact.
The great dormitory is one of the best examples in the country, and an exhibition and virtual tour tells the story of the abbey and daily life for the holy men that once inhabited it.
Porlock
Porlock is a traditional Exmoor Village with a long history of settlements existing on or near the site of the existing village, with stone-age remains only a short distance away. It is also a working village with shops supplying all that you need, to be found in the High Street. Porlock Weir, only 2 miles away, is a quaint little harbour with a unique charm that has to be experienced. It also boasts the remains of a prehistoric forest, small parts of which are occasionally visible still at a very low tide, and it was here that some remains of an Aurochs were found. These are now on display in the Visitor Centre in Porlock.
The poets Wordsworth and Coleridge found Porlock very much to their liking and indeed Coleridge was interrupted by "a man from Porlock" whilst writing "Kubla Khan"; the consequence of which was that he lost his inspiration and never completed it. In 1798 their friend Robert Southey stayed at "The Ship Inn" at the bottom of Porlock Hill. To commemorate the association with Coleridge, Porlock is the western end of The Coleridge Way, the newly established walk from Nether Stowey in the Quantocks to Exmoor.
Tarr Steps
The ancient bridge of Tarr Steps is a 17 span clapper bridge (a bridge made of unmortared stone slabs), the longest of its kind in Britain. It was first mentioned in Tudor times but may be much older. The river has silted up over the last century and often now comes over the stones in times of flood. Tarr Steps is a well-known visitor attraction but the beautiful wooded valley of the River Barle is also worth exploring for its wildlife. Combined with the heathland of Winsford Hill and its wild ponies, this makes a varied walk.
Wimbleball Lake
The newly renovated facilities at this majestic Lake in Exmoor National Park offer first class facilities both on and off the water. The Outdoor Active Centre is open for tuition in various watersports activities including sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and rowing. Visitors can also launch their own craft or hire from the centre.
Wimbleball is also a premier trout fishery offering angling from the banks and boats. There are often tuition days for beginners and improvers. Permits are available on site and boats can be booked in advance.The land surrounding the lake offers miles of footpaths including a 9-mile round the lake walk.
The cafe, offers an indoor retreat for light lunches, beverages and snacks whilst the play area is ideal for the younger ones to burn off some energy.
The tea-room is open from April to October.