Serviced Apartments in Somerset

Discover the best activities and attractions Somerset has to offer, and find out what makes this city a vibrant and exciting place to live or visit.

Cheddar Gorge & Caves
Cheddar Gorge is one of the UK’s most dramatic natural landmarks — a limestone gorge with cliff-top walks, showcaves, a via ferrata, and the birthplace of Cheddar cheese. It draws outdoor enthusiasts, families and school groups for hiking, caving and panoramic views of the Mendip Hills. Impact: the site is a major rural tourism driver for Somerset, supporting local guide businesses, cafes, accommodation providers and the region’s iconic Cheddar cheese producers. Visitor spending helps sustain seasonal jobs and funds conservation and visitor facilities that benefit the wider Mendips community.

Glastonbury Tor & Glastonbury Abbey (plus Glastonbury Festival)
Glastonbury Tor, crowned by St. Michael’s Tower, and the nearby Abbey ruins are central to Somerset’s mythic and spiritual identity. The Tor is a draw for walkers, pilgrims and those interested in Arthurian legend and Celtic spirituality. Nearby, the internationally famed Glastonbury Festival — held each summer near Pilton — brings world-class music, arts and a huge economic boost. Impact: year-round visitation sustains local shops, B&Bs and eateries, while the festival injects tens of millions into the local economy, creating seasonal employment, supporting infrastructure hires and raising Somerset’s global profile as a cultural destination.

The Roman Baths & Pump Room (Bath)
The Roman Baths are one of the best-preserved ancient spas in Europe and form the heart of Bath’s UNESCO World Heritage cityscape. As both a museum and an experiential historic site, they attract millions of visitors who come to learn about Roman Britain and the city’s thermal heritage. Impact: tourism linked to the Baths underpins Bath’s hospitality, retail and cultural sectors — supporting hotels, restaurants, guided tours and specialist conservation jobs — and helps fund ongoing preservation and interpretation that benefit the city and surrounding Somerset communities.

Clarks Village, Street (outlet shopping)
Clarks Village is Britain’s first purpose-built designer outlet centre, established on the historic C. & J. Clark shoe factory site in Street. It offers discounted high-street and designer brands in an open-air setting and is a popular draw for local shoppers and day-trip visitors from further afield. Impact: the village provides substantial year-round employment, recycles and reuses an industrial site, keeps retail spending in Somerset, and supports ancillary businesses (cafés, family attractions), helping to stabilize the local economy and attract repeat visitors.

The Pig (near Bath) — farm-to-table restaurant and hotel
The Pig near Bath is part of a well-known small group of country-house hotels and restaurants celebrated for their vegetable-focused menus sourced from on-site kitchen gardens and a network of local Somerset and West Country producers. It’s popular with food tourists and weekend-break visitors seeking high-quality, locally sourced dining in a relaxed rural setting. Impact: by prioritising local suppliers and seasonal produce, The Pig helps sustain local farms, artisan food businesses and food-service jobs, promotes Somerset’s culinary reputation and channels tourist spending into the regional food economy.

Explore the diverse transport options available in Somerset, from efficient public transportation systems to convenient road networks. Whether you're commuting to work or exploring the city, this section will give you an overall look at the available transportation systems.

Public Transit System
- Rail (National) - Regular operator services (primarily Great Western Railway and CrossCountry) link Somerset towns such as Taunton, Yeovil, Castle Cary, Bridgwater, Weston‑super‑Mare and Highbridge to Bristol, Exeter, London Paddington and destinations across the South West and national network.
- Heritage Railways - Tourist and heritage lines (notably the West Somerset Railway) provide seasonal leisure services and support local tourism.
- Local and Regional Buses - Commercial and council‑contracted services operated by companies including Stagecoach, First and several local operators serve urban centres, market towns and rural communities, providing frequent corridors and many rural lifeline routes.
- National Coach Services - National Express and other coach operators provide longer‑distance connections from towns in Somerset to London and other major UK cities.
- Park & Ride and Town Shuttles - Park‑and‑ride facilities and shuttle services operate in and around some larger towns to reduce town‑centre traffic and connect with rail/bus services.
- Community Transport and Demand‑Responsive Services - Volunteer, charity and council‑supported minibuses, Dial‑a‑Ride and on‑demand services help serve rural areas and people with limited mobility.
- Integrated Ticketing and Information - Passenger information is available via operator websites and apps, with ongoing local initiatives to improve multi‑operator ticketing and real‑time journey information.

Major Highways
- M5 - Main north–south motorway running through Somerset (serving Taunton, Bridgwater and Weston‑super‑Mare) connecting the South West to the national motorway network.
- A303 - Key east–west trunk route along the southern part of Somerset that links the county with the South East and the A303 corridor to London and the West Country.
- A38 - Major road providing a longer-distance north–south route through parts of Somerset and linking into Devon and other regional centres.
- A37 - Important regional road linking Bath/Bristol direction with Shepton Mallet, Yeovil and south Somerset.
- A39 - Coastal and rural route serving north and west Somerset towns and linking coastal communities along the Severn Estuary and into Devon.
- A358 - Strategic connector between Taunton and the A303 corridor, important for regional traffic and access to the M5.
- A361 - Regional route serving north‑east to south‑west movements within Somerset and on toward neighbouring counties.

Cycling Infrastructure
- Cycle Network and Off‑road Paths - Somerset offers a mix of on‑road cycle lanes, traffic‑calmed streets in towns, multi‑use traffic‑free trails (including converted former railway lines) and signed National Cycle Network routes; local authorities have produced Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans and there are growing bike‑hire schemes and cycle parking facilities in larger towns.

Recent and Upcoming Improvements
- Road capacity and safety schemes - Targeted upgrades, junction improvements and maintenance works on key A‑roads and M5 junction approaches to reduce congestion and improve safety on major commuter and freight corridors.
- A358/A303 corridor upgrades (planned/planning stages) - Government and local plans to improve the A358/A303 linkages to better connect the M5 with east–west routes, relieve bottlenecks and support regional journey times (subject to consenting and delivery timelines).
- Rail station and capacity works - Platform lengthening, accessibility improvements, station refurbishments and timetable adjustments at several Somerset stations to accommodate longer trains, improve accessibility and increase capacity on key routes.
- New and upgraded rolling stock - Introduction and continued deployment of modern trains on Great Western routes serving Somerset, improving passenger comfort, accessibility and reliability.
- Bus investment and service improvement programmes - Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and local authority funding used to support bus priority measures, fleet renewal pilots (including low‑emission vehicles), improved frequencies on key corridors and better customer information.
- Active travel and cycling investments - Local and national active‑travel funding supporting new cycle lanes, multi‑use paths and safer walking/cycling routes within towns and between population centres to encourage modal shift.
- Airport and surface access planning - Ongoing studies and incremental transport improvements to enhance access to nearby aviation hubs (particularly Bristol Airport), including road links, bus/coach services and proposals for better public‑transport integration.
- Community transport and rural mobility pilots - Continued support and expansion of demand‑responsive services and community transport initiatives to maintain connectivity in rural areas and address first/last‑mile needs.