The Cotswolds may have long been Britain’s go-to countryside escape, but a new rival has been named, and it isn’t Cornwall or Devon. According to The Telegraph, South Somerset is the UK’s best various to the Cotswolds, scoring an spectacular 40 out of 50 in its rating of rural hotspots.
At first look, the similarities are placing. Head across the Somerset Levels towards the A303 and you’ll discover villages constructed from heat, golden Hamstone, the native limestone from Ham Hill, glowing like honey in the night solar. Streets in South Petherton, Martock, Barrington and Hinton St George are lined with cottages framed by rambling roses, giving them the same postcard appeal as Gloucestershire’s prettiest hamlets, only with fewer crowds.
But South Somerset also presents a character all of its own. The space has a deep cider-making custom, with orchards dotting the hills and family-run producers still urgent apples much as they have for centuries.
Burrow Hill Cider Farm and the Somerset Cider Brandy Company, now linked to fashion designer Alice Temperley’s household, are at the coronary heart of this heritage. Add in the bird-rich wetlands of the Somerset Levels, well-known for starling murmurations in winter, and you’ve got a panorama that is as wild and elemental as it is picturesque.
When it comes to food and hospitality, South Somerset is more and more on the map. Holm in South Petherton – run by ex-London chef Nicholas Balfe, has earned rave opinions for its foraged, seasonal menus, while Hinton St George’s Lord Poulett Arms has been hailed as one of the best countryside inns in the nation, mixing modern fashion with heat hospitality.
And while the Cotswolds attracts celebrities in droves, South Somerset is quietly catching up. Alongside Alice Temperley, the space has become a discreet retreat for creatives and foodies looking for peace without pretension.
In The Telegraph’s rating, the area scored prime marks for its honey-stone cottages (10/10), and high marks for its eating places, motels, and quintessentially British traditions, from willow weaving to village fêtes. With a whole of 40/50, it outranked many better-known locations.
For those in search of countryside magnificence, good food, and genuine neighborhood spirit, all without the sky-high costs, South Somerset is rising as the Cotswolds without the crowds.
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