SWALING (swale-ing)
Walking up in the Quantocks last week, we came across plumes of smoke rising from the heathland and on getting closer we found a group of AONB staff setting light to the heather and gorse on the hillside by Dowsborough Hill Fort.
This was swaling, probably from the middle English word ‘Swelen’ meaning to burn […]
We’ve been offering Hinkley Point accommodation to our guests for the past 15 years and thought it would be a good idea to go down and see what they are doing down there. So we booked onto one of the Hinkley Point C (HPC) tours offered by EDF.
The tour starts at the Bridgwater office in […]
When I wrote the Coleridge Way Companion Guide I was keen to loop it back to Nether Stowey to make the walk a one hundred mile round trip. That only became possible in 2016 when the relevant parts of the England Coast Path were opened. However, the inland route was a little hit and miss […]
The Quantocks are a lovely location in which to hold a wedding and we get many guests attending churches and wedding venues in the area staying with us. So, in order to get the most out of your visit here are a few tips:
Leave plenty of time. The West Country is a very popular tourist […]
Here at The Old Cider House we try to use as many local ingredients and products as possible and with Yeo Valley Yoghurt just down the road in Cannington, we always have Yeo Valley yoghurts available at breakfast time.
As we get though so many yoghurts we occasionally get the opportunity […]
This may look like we were playing boules in a bordello but it’s actually the George Hotel in Nether Stowey and this was the annual boules and barbecue afternoon as one of the Twinning Association’s French themed events over the year (we’re twinned with Theillay just off the Loire).
Usually, the event is held outdoors, but […]
Article for Somerset’s Pints of View – Stowey Brewery Spanish Ale
In April and June 2018 Ian and Lynne from the Stowey Brewery travelled to northern Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago, a five hundred mile trek to find the supposed resting place of St James the Apostle. Whilst many make this pilgrimage for religious […]
The Coleridge Way signage has been up since 2005 and after twelve years or so it’s getting a little tired in places. So, a small team of keen volunteers went out to replace all those old, cracked and faded signs in the Quantocks with nice new ones.
The Coleridge Way signage is a burgundy quill in […]
Most walks are dog friendly, some more than others, and this book identifies those in Somerset that are perfect for a day out with your canine companion.
The ‘Dog Walker’s Guides’ are a collection of books published by Countrywide Books providing dog-friendly walks in twenty five counties in the UK – they also do pub guides!
A […]
Looking for something a bit different to do in the Quantocks this spring? Why not go all Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall or Ray Mears for the day?
How about learning how to make a fire or learning to whittle?
Join Chris Silverwood up in the Quantock Hills for a spot of ancient handicraft. On Saturday, 10th March Chris will […]
