National Trust just off the Great West Way

Cheddar Gorge, Somerset
Within easy reach of the Great West Way, Cheddar Gorge is one of England's most iconic and spectacular landscapes. At almost 400 feet deep and three miles long, this is England’s largest gorge, and with its weathered crags and pinnacles, one of our most spectacular natural sights.

Stourhead, Near Warminster
Just a stone's throw from the Great West Way, you can find this Palladian house and world-famous landscape garden. When Stourhead first opened in the 1740s, a magazine described it as ‘a living work of art.’ The landscape garden has at its centrepiece a magnificent lake reflecting classical temples, mystical grottoes, and rare and exotic trees, and offers a day of fresh air and discovery.

Mompesson House, Salisbury
At this 18th-century Queen Anne townhouse in Salisbury's historic Cathedral Close, you can admire the graceful plasterwork and oak staircase, and relax in the secluded walled garden. On entering Mompesson House, featured in the award-winning film Sense and Sensibility, you get the feeling of leaving the modern world behind. The walled garden has a pergola and traditionally planted herbaceous borders.

Montacute House, Somerset
Montacute, within easy reach of the Great West Way, is a masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture and design. With its towering walls of glass, glow of ham stone and surrounding gardens, it is a place of beauty and wonder. Sir Edward Phelips was the visionary force and money behind the creation of this masterpiece, which was completed in 1601.

Barrington Court, Somerset
An atmospheric fragment of old Somerset, just off of the Great West Way: an empty Tudor manor house, beautifully restored in the 1920s, with farm buildings, abundant flowers and orchards. The light, empty spaces in the house provide atmospheric opportunities to explore freely. The walled White Garden, Rose and Iris Garden and Lily Garden were influenced by Gertrude Jekyll, with playing fountains, vibrant colours and intoxicating scents. The original kitchen garden supplies the restaurant.

Lytes Cary Manor, Near Somerton
Lytes Cary Manor is an intimate medieval manor house with an Arts and Crafts garden with a collection of topiary and herbaceous borders. Originally the family home of Henry Lyte, where he translated the unique Niewe Herball book on herbal remedies, Lytes Cary was then lovingly restored in the 20th century by Sir Walter Jenner.

Tintinhull Garden, Near Yeovil
The garden, complete with working kitchen garden and orchard, lies in the charming village of Tintinhull, Somerset, not far from the Great West Way. Glittering pools, secluded lawns, colourful borders and clipped hedges provide the perfect spot to relax and unwind away from the hustle and bustle.