Somerset is an idyllic, rural county ideal for ramblers and those who love hills. Explorers can go to the Exmoor National Park, Blackdown Hills, Quantock Hills, and Mendip Hills for their adventures, while those who like their nature a little less strenuous can visit the Somerset Levels coastal plain. The wonders don’t stop at ground level, and Cheddar Gorge and the Wookey Hole caves offer even more chances for appreciation.
A place of enormous historical significance, Somerset includes several sites of early human settlement during Paleolithic times, and settlement continued through Roman and Anglo-Saxon times. A key location during the English Civil War and the Monmouth Rebellion, Somerset has its fair share of former battle grounds and forts, such as that on Brean Down.
Of course Roman occupation has also left Somerset with its beautiful Roman Baths, though those who want to be pampered might also try the luxurious Thermae Bath Spa. Anyone more interested in culture than comfort can try the Jane Austen Centre, the American Museum in Britain and the Victoria Art Gallery.
Bristol city is actually in the county of the same name, Bristol. It is a vibrant city straddling the River Avon in the southwest of England which has a prosperous maritime history. The old city-centre port is now a cultural hub, the Harbourside, with numerous restaurants, shops and cultural institutions such as the contemporary art gallery.
