North Wootton

With no hotels of its own, North Wootton makes a lovely quiet address to head back to after a day out, while leaving the choice of places to stay to its neighbours. Wells, England's smallest city, has a clutch of characterful inns and small hotels close to the cathedral and its moated Bishop's Palace, many in period buildings right in the centre. Glastonbury, a similar distance in the other direction, offers everything from simple guest houses to quirky independent hotels reflecting the town's alternative character, all within easy walking distance of the Abbey ruins and High Street.

Further afield, Shepton Mallet and the villages scattered across the Mendip Hills and Somerset Levels add farmhouse bed and breakfasts and country inns with rooms, many run by local families and well used to walkers tackling the Monarch's Way or visitors touring the area's vineyards. Because North Wootton sits almost equidistant between Wells, Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet, staying in any one of the three keeps the others, along with Wookey Hole and Cheddar Gorge, within a short and easy drive, so the choice really comes down to whether you would rather wake up next to a cathedral, an abbey, or open countryside.

The village is within easy reach of some of Somerset's best-known sights, spanning the Mendip Hills, the Somerset Levels and two historic cathedral and abbey towns.

• Wells Cathedral — England's first entirely Gothic cathedral, with its famous scissor arches and medieval clock, sits in the small city of Wells just a few miles north.
• Glastonbury Tor — the National Trust-owned hill topped by the roofless St Michael's Tower is visible from North Wootton itself and offers sweeping views across the Levels.
• Glastonbury Abbey — the atmospheric ruins of one of England's most important medieval abbeys, in the centre of Glastonbury.
• Wookey Hole Caves — a show cave system on the edge of the Mendips with its own paper mill and family attractions.
• Cheddar Gorge — Britain's largest gorge, with show caves, cliff-top walks and views over the Mendip Hills, around a 30-minute drive away.
• Mendip Hills AONB — a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty rising directly above the village, popular for walking and cycling.
• Shepton Mallet — a market town a few miles east with a long brewing history and the Royal Bath and West Showground nearby.

The village itself has no pub or shop, so eating and drinking mean a short drive into Wells or Glastonbury, both of which have a good spread of independent cafes, restaurants and traditional pubs around their market squares and high streets. Shepton Mallet, a little further east, adds further options along with its market and brewing heritage.

North Wootton sits right at the point where the Mendip Hills drop away to the Somerset Levels, which makes for a striking backdrop to camp against, even though the village has no campsite of its own within its small centre; nearby sites, including Greenacres Camping in the parish, make the most of the setting. As with the rest of England, wild camping here is not legal without the express permission of the landowner, so pitching up on the open hillside or beside the Levels without asking first is not an option — stick to licensed campsites and CAAP (Certificated Sites) instead, of which the wider Wells and Glastonbury area has a good spread.

The terrain is gently rolling rather than dramatic: the Mendip escarpment rises steeply enough to give proper views but is easily walked, while the Levels below are flat, watery and prone to standing water and mud after rain, so a pitch with good drainage and solid ground underfoot is worth seeking out, particularly outside the summer months. The Monarch's Way passes close by, giving campers a ready-made walking route straight from the tent, with Glastonbury Tor as a natural landmark to aim for across the fields.

Late spring through early autumn is the most reliable window, when the ground is firmer and the long evenings suit sitting out with a view over the Levels as the light fades behind the Tor; midsummer coincides with Glastonbury Festival traffic in the wider district, so it is worth booking ahead if travelling in June. For anyone who would rather not pitch a tent, glamping options including shepherd's huts, pods and yurts have become increasingly common on farms around Wells, Glastonbury and the Mendip villages, offering the same views with rather more comfort, and they are a good option if the Levels have had a wet spell.