Crewkerne

Crewkerne sits in the folds of south Somerset, a few miles from the Dorset border and within easy striking distance of the Jurassic Coast. Built largely from the local golden hamstone, the town grew wealthy first on wool and cloth in the medieval period, then on sailcloth and webbing during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when Crewkerne firms famously supplied sailcloth for Nelson's HMS Victory. That prosperity left behind a genuinely handsome townscape, centred on the sprawling fifteenth-century St Bartholomew's Church, one of the largest and most admired parish churches in the county.

Today Crewkerne is a working market town rather than a tourist honeypot, which is part of its appeal. It makes a relaxed, well-connected base for exploring the hidden corners of south Somerset and west Dorset: rolling farmland, ancient hillforts, National Trust gardens and a scatter of villages that rarely see a coach party. The surrounding countryside rises to Ham Hill in one direction and drops towards Beaminster and the coast in the other, so it suits walkers, garden visitors and anyone who wants a quieter alternative to the honeypots of Devon and Dorset.

Top things to do in Crewkerne

Crewkerne's own streets reward a slow wander, and the countryside around it is packed with well-known Somerset landmarks.

• St Bartholomew's Church — a soaring fifteenth-century parish church, regarded as one of the finest in Somerset, with a striking west front and hamstone tower.
• Crewkerne and District Museum — a small volunteer-run museum in the old Market House telling the story of the town's wool, flax and sailcloth industries.
• Ham Hill Country Park — a few miles north, an Iron Age hillfort, Roman quarry site and Site of Special Scientific Interest rolled into one, with sweeping views across the Somerset Levels and miles of walking trails.
• Clapton Court Gardens — historic terraced gardens around a seventeenth-century manor house just outside town, known for their topiary, woodland walks and rare trees.
• Wayford Woods — a peaceful pocket of ancient woodland on the edge of Crewkerne, laced with streams and bluebells in spring.
• Crewkerne Farmers' Market — held on the third Saturday of every month outside the Town Hall in Market Square, selling local produce, cheese and crafts.
• Montacute House — a little further afield, one of England's great Elizabethan houses (National Trust), with formal gardens and a long gallery.

Getting to Crewkerne

Crewkerne sits just off the A30, roughly midway between Yeovil and Chard, with the A303 a short drive to the north giving fast access from London and the South East. The town has its own railway station on the West of England Main Line, with South Western Railway services running through to London Waterloo in around two and a half to three hours, and westbound connections towards Axminster and Exeter. The station itself is actually just outside town in neighbouring Misterton. The nearest airports are Exeter and Bristol, both under an hour and a half's drive.

Best time to visit Crewkerne

Late spring through early autumn is the best window, when Clapton Court's gardens and the woodland walks at Wayford and Ham Hill are at their most colourful and the surrounding lanes are easiest going for cycling and walking. May and June bring bluebells and rhododendrons in the gardens; September sees the long-running Crewkerne and District Agricultural Show, a fixture of the local calendar for over 150 years. Winter has its own quiet appeal for anyone chasing empty trails and cosy pub fires, but many gardens and smaller attractions reduce their hours out of season.

Where to stay in Crewkerne

Crewkerne has a small choice of pubs-with-rooms and B&Bs in and around the town, plus a wider spread of country inns and farmhouse accommodation in the surrounding villages. It works well as a low-key base for touring south Somerset and west Dorset without the peak-season prices of the coast.

Food and drink in Crewkerne

The White Hart Inn is a sixteenth-century coaching inn turned pub and restaurant, retaining plenty of original character. The Crooked Swan on Church Street combines a pub, hotel and restaurant under one roof. For something more casual, Bar 5 on Market Street is a micro-bar serving locally brewed beers, ciders and gins, while Oscar's wine bar offers a broad list by the glass alongside cocktails. Sue's Café on Station Road and Sheila's Café in the George Shopping Centre both cover breakfasts, sandwiches and cake for a daytime stop.