The Somerset Levels, Somerset

Some wild places have a very unique beauty, something that cannot be found anywhere else on earth; so it is with the Somerset Levels. This area of wetland runs from The Mendip Hills to the Blackdowns and is believed by some to be the legendary land of Avalon – it’s said that the remains of King Arthur and his queen, Guinevere were discovered at Glastonbury Abbey in 1191. A sign marks the spot at the tranquil abbey ruins.

There’s another abbey, or what remains of it at Muchelney just a mile or so from Langport and it’s well worth a visit. Whilst you’re there have a look round The Priest’s House (NT) and right opposite it, the village church where if you look up you’ll see colourful angels painted on the wagon roof in the 17th century.

The Levels have been very much shaped by the people who have lived and worked here in times gone by, with a network of drovers paths used for moving livestock about, and the whole area criss-crossed by drainage ditches called rhynes (reens). Withy growing has gone on here for centuries, with the wetlands providing the perfect conditions for growing willow used to make baskets; go to Coates English Willow Centre and you can see how it’s done. One of the most incredible discoveries on the Somerset Levels was the Sweet Track, an ancient causeway found beneath the marshes, dating back to Neolithic times and the second oldest timber trackway in Britain.

The Levels are low lying and in the past have been subject to extensive flooding in the winter; now and then hills rise out of the landscape and can be seen for miles. The most well know is Glastonbury Tor where the views are phenomenal, another is Burrow Mump where a ruined church stands on the summit. This area is rich in wildlife, with several nature reserves being a haven for migratory birds; take your binoculars to Greylake and you might well spot some rare visitors, go to Westhay Moor to see incredible starling murmurations as huge flocks perform their aerial acrobatics before coming in to roost. At Shapwick Heath you might be lucky enough to hear the plop of an otter slinking into the water or the boom of a bittern across the marshes.

This is really what the Somerset Levels is all about; apart from the people who live and work here farming the land, it’s a place for those who love nature, who respect the peace and tranquility of this beautiful part of the West Country. Go and discover it, take the time to stop and stare and to stop for a leisurely lunch at one of the welcoming country pubs.

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