Chew Magna

Chew Magna makes a peaceful base for exploring the countryside between Bristol and the Mendip Hills, and while the village itself has only a handful of places to stay, the wider Chew Valley is well stocked with hotels, inns and bed and breakfasts. The Bear and Swan, right in the centre of the village, pairs boutique rooms with a proper pub atmosphere, while The Pony Chew Valley offers a smarter, food-led stay just outside the village on Moorledge Road. For a wider choice of hotel rooms, Bristol and Bath are both under half an hour's drive away and offer everything from budget chains to grand Georgian townhouses, making it easy to combine a night in the city with days out in the valley.

Further afield, villages around Chew Valley Lake and towards the Mendip Hills have their own smaller inns and farmhouse B&Bs, many with views over the reservoir or the surrounding fields. These tend to book up quickly in summer and during the autumn birdwatching season, so early booking is worthwhile if you want to be close to the lake itself. Wherever you stay, the compact size of the Chew Valley means nowhere is really far from Chew Magna, and a short drive brings you back into the village for dinner or a morning walk along the River Chew.

Chew Magna rewards unhurried exploring, and its surroundings offer some of the best walking, wildlife-watching and history in this corner of Somerset.

• St Andrew's Church — a Grade I-listed 12th-century church at the heart of the village, with later medieval additions and a fine tower typical of the region's wool-funded churches.
• Chew Valley Lake — a 1,200-acre reservoir completed in the 1950s to supply Bristol, now a Site of Special Scientific Interest and one of the most important sites in Britain for wintering wildfowl, with more than 270 recorded bird species.
• Tun Bridge and the raised pavements — a 15th-century packhorse bridge over the River Chew, reached along one of the village's distinctive elevated stone walkways.
• Chew Court — the surviving fragment of a former summer palace belonging to the Bishop of Bath and Wells, a reminder of the town's medieval importance.
• Pensford Viaduct — a striking 95-foot Grade II-listed former railway viaduct across the River Chew, a few minutes' drive from the village and a popular spot for photographs and walks.
• Stanton Drew Stone Circles — one of the largest complexes of Neolithic standing stones in Britain, just outside the village and cared for by English Heritage.
• Woodford Lodge — the fishing and permit hub on Chew Valley Lake, with a tackle shop, bird-watching hides and a lakeside restaurant.

The Pony Chew Valley, a former coaching inn on the edge of the village, has built a strong reputation for its garden-grown produce and has held a Michelin star, drawing diners out from Bristol and Bath. The Bear and Swan, in the centre of the village, combines a traditional pub atmosphere with boutique rooms, making it a popular stop for both a pint and an overnight stay. Woodford Lodge, on the shore of Chew Valley Lake, offers a more relaxed lakeside restaurant for those out walking, fishing or birdwatching.

England does not permit wild camping without the landowner's explicit permission, so anyone wanting to camp near Chew Magna needs to book into one of the established sites dotted around the Chew Valley and the fringes of the Mendip Hills. The valley's gently rolling farmland and hedgerowed lanes make for pleasant, sheltered camping country rather than dramatic wilderness, and several working farms in the area have diversified into small campsites offering grass pitches for tents and campervans alongside glamping options such as yurts and bell tents. A cluster of sites sit within a few miles of the village, with more choice around Cheddar and the Mendips to the south, many combining easy access to Chew Valley Lake with the caves and gorges the wider area is known for.

Spring through early autumn is the most comfortable stretch for camping here, when the ground is drier and the long evenings suit a fire pit and a view over the valley; the reservoir's birdlife is at its most active in autumn, which appeals to campers happy to wrap up for cooler nights. Given the Chew Valley's modest size, most sites are within a short drive of the lake itself, Stanton Drew's stone circles and the village pubs, so a tent here doubles as a comfortable base for walking, fishing and birdwatching rather than a remote retreat.

For those who prefer a roof and a proper bed without giving up the outdoor feel, glamping has taken hold across the area, with yurts, pods and bell tents available on farms within a short drive of Chew Magna, including sites up on the Mendips themselves. These typically come with fire pits, and some offer on-site shops or cafes, making them a straightforward, low-effort way to enjoy the valley's scenery without full camping kit.