Wiveliscombe

Hotels in the strict sense are scarce in Wiveliscombe itself, since this is a small market town rather than a resort, but that is very much part of its charm. What you will find nearby is a good spread of farmhouse B&Bs, inns with rooms, and converted barns scattered through the villages of the surrounding Ten Parishes and up into the Brendon Hills, many run by people who know the local walking routes better than any guidebook. These tend to suit visitors after a genuinely rural stay, with breakfasts built on local produce and views over the sort of farmland that has surrounded the town for centuries.

For a wider choice of conventional hotels, with more facilities and a broader price range, Taunton is only about five and a half miles away and makes a sensible alternative base, particularly if you are arriving by train and want to explore Wiveliscombe and Exmoor by day. Wherever you stay, booking ahead is wise during the summer months and around the town's Street Fair, when local accommodation fills up quickly. Whichever option you choose, you will be well placed for the Brendon Hills, Exmoor National Park, and the quieter reservoirs at Wimbleball and Clatworthy.

Wiveliscombe rewards slow exploration on foot, with the Brendon Hills and Exmoor National Park both within easy striking distance for longer days out.

• The Square — the historic heart of the town, once its principal market place, still ringed by handsome old buildings and now home to independent shops, cafes and the Saturday farmers' market.
• Church of St Andrew — a 13th-century church built of local red sandstone, with a light interior and painted ceiling; its catacombs were reportedly used to store national treasures during the Second World War.
• Exmoor Ales brewery — brewing returned to the town in the historic Hancock's Brewery site, continuing a brewing tradition in Wiveliscombe that dates back to 1807.
• Brendon Hills walking routes — quiet lanes and bridleways climbing out of the town into wooded valleys and open moorland, including the popular loop along the River Tone via the footbridge.
• Exmoor National Park — with Wiveliscombe sitting at its eastern gateway, the high moorland, coastal cliffs and wild ponies of Exmoor are only a short drive away.
• Wimbleball Lake and Clatworthy Reservoir — two reservoirs within easy reach offering sailing, fishing, kayaking and lakeside walking trails.
• WiveyPool — the town's outdoor swimming pool, heated and open through the summer months, popular with families.
• Wiveliscombe Street Fair — a long-running annual town event, alongside the wider 10 Parishes Festival held across the surrounding villages.

Wiveliscombe has a strong reputation locally for its food and drink scene given its size, built on a long brewing heritage. Exmoor Ales, based in the town's historic former Hancock's Brewery site, keeps that tradition alive, and its beers turn up on the bar in several of the town's pubs. The Saturday farmers' market in the Square is the best way to sample what the surrounding farms produce, from vegetables and cheese to fish and freshly baked bread. The town's independent shops and cafes are well suited to a slow morning of coffee and browsing before heading out to the hills.

Wiveliscombe sits at the eastern edge of Exmoor, where the Brendon Hills roll down towards the Somerset lowlands, and this fringe country makes for rewarding, if occasionally demanding, camping. As everywhere in England, wild camping without the landowner's explicit permission is illegal, so stick to established sites, farm campsites and the handful of certified locations dotted through the surrounding parishes and up towards Exmoor proper. Many of these are small, family-run affairs on working farms, offering simple pitches with sweeping views over the hills rather than elaborate facilities, which suits the quiet, unhurried character of the area.

The terrain around Wiveliscombe means most campsites sit either in sheltered valley locations near the River Tone or on higher ground with views towards the Brendon Hills and Exmoor beyond; it is worth checking a site's exact position before booking if you want easy access to specific walking routes. Late spring to early autumn is the best window for camping here, when the ground is drier underfoot and the moorland tracks are at their most inviting, though the area rarely gets as crowded as Exmoor's coastal fringes even in August. Nights can turn cool quickly once you gain height towards the Brendons, so it is worth packing for a wider temperature range than the daytime weather might suggest.

For those who would rather skip guy ropes altogether, glamping has taken hold in this part of Somerset much as it has elsewhere in the West Country, with shepherd's huts, safari tents and small eco-pods appearing on farms around the town. These typically come with proper beds, wood-burners or heaters, and often a fire pit outside, giving you the setting of a hilltop or valley campsite without sacrificing a comfortable night's sleep. It is a good option for a first visit to the area, or for anyone keen to explore the Brendon Hills and Exmoor by day and return to something warmer than a tent by night.