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Historic Towns & Picturesque Villages

Ravenglass sunset

Ravenglass

a Seaside Town in the county of Cumbria

Pictures of Brent Knoll

a Picturesque Village in the county of Somerset

About Brent Knoll

Brent Knoll occupies an ancient landscape dominated by the Iron-Age fort on the summit of an isolated little round hill which rises to around 457 feet high. The fort was used by Romans and by Anglo-Saxons seeking refuge from invading Danes. From this spot visitors can gaze out over the vast flatness of Somerset and appreciate just how in 1607 the area briefly became an island cut of by rising floods. Worth mentioning, is that these lands were recorded as early as the Doomsday Book of 1086, at this time it was a sparsely populated area, with not much in the way of a living for its inhabitants, the village did not begin to prosper until better drainage of the land had been attained, making farming viable all the year round.

At the base of the hill the village straggles a long main road, this has some smart houses, shops, a couple of inns and a Norman church famous for its 15th century bench ends showing the descent from dignity to the hanging of a fox clothed as an Abbot. Visitors to the church will also note the fine tie-beam roof, Jacobean pulpit, a monument of the 17th century, and grotesque tower gargoyles. Of the inns, the Red Cow standing at the centre of the village appears to date from around the 18th century, whilst the Fox and Goose was a former coaching inn from the early part of the 19th century.

There is a delightful mix of properties which add to the rural charm of the landscape, some of these dwellings date back to the 17th century as indicated by the date over Briars Cottage (1688). Next to the pleasant Parish Hall stands Ivyclad Hall, a building from the reign of Queen Anne.

Interspersed around the area visitors will find old farmhouses with quaint farm buildings, some which have been modernised to provide holiday cottage accommodation or permanent homes. There are pleasant meadows and lovely fruit orchards filled mostly with apple trees, for fortunately cider making still flourishes in these parts.

From Brent Knoll there is easy access to the appealing sands of holiday resorts Berrow and Brean, these mostly cater for families and have more than an average share of caravan parks and amusements. A short drive inland reveals the spectacular Cheddar Gorge and a little further will take you to Wells, a small picturesque cathedral town.

Recommended towns & villages near Brent Knoll

Cheddar

Cheddar (132 Pictures) a Picturesque Village in the county of Somerset

(8.1 miles, 13.1 km, direction E of Brent Knoll)

Often called 'Englands Grand Canyon' Chedder Gorge was carved out by a river that now runs underground...

Wookey, Somerset

Wookey (5 Pictures) a Picturesque Village in the county of Somerset

(12.0 miles, 19.4 km, direction E of Brent Knoll)

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Thatched houses in the village of Holford on the edge of the Quantock hills, Somerset

Holford (4 Pictures) a Picturesque Village in the county of Somerset

(12.1 miles, 19.5 km, direction SW of Brent Knoll)

Holford lies in a peaceful wooded valley at the foot of the lovely Quantock Hills crowning the landscape where the county of Somerset sweeps towards the coast...

Market day at Glastonbury

Glastonbury (103 Pictures) a Historic Market Town in the county of Somerset

(12.7 miles, 20.4 km, direction SE of Brent Knoll)

This little town now enjoys world renown for its annual music festival which attracts thousands of visitors from all over the globe. None-the-less, this still remains very much a.....

Wells Cathedral

Wells (137 Pictures) in the county of Somerset

(13.9 miles, 22.4 km, direction E of Brent Knoll)

Wells, situated at the foot of the picturesque mendip hills, is most certainly one of England's most delightful cathedral cities...

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Nearby attractions..

Sunset, Birnbeck Pier,Weston-Super-Mare

Birnbeck Pier (1 Pictures)

(7.4 miles, 12.0 km, direction N)

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A picture of Cheddar Caves and Gorge

Cheddar Caves and Gorge (84 Pictures)

(8.6 miles, 13.8 km, direction E)

The mile or so of pale-grey limestone cliffs rising above the winding road through Cheddar is awesome in its untamed beauty, it.....

Wookey Hole Caves, Wookey Hole village, Somerset.

Wookey Hole Caves and Papermill (10 Pictures)

(12.6 miles, 20.2 km, direction E)

These dazzling show caves offer a glittering experience in floodlit chambers deep underground. This is the spiritual home of the.....

Glastonbury Abbey, Fall 2006

Glastonbury Abbey (95 Pictures)

(13.0 miles, 20.9 km, direction SE)

This is believed to be the site of the oldest Christian Church in the world, for centuries it has been the focus of Christian.....

Chalice Well Entrance

The Chalice Well Gardens (11 Pictures)

(13.2 miles, 21.2 km, direction SE)

There are many associations with Chalice Well covering countless centuries; it is a timeless and sacred place, full of legend,.....

Glastonbury Tor, Glastonbury, Somerset

Glastonbury Tor (37 Pictures)

(13.5 miles, 21.7 km, direction SE)

Swirling mists rise over the Somerset Levels, where approaching the town of Glastonbury, suddenly above the mist you catch a.....

Quantock Hills

Quantock Hills (216 Pictures)

(13.6 miles, 21.9 km, direction W)

This beautiful range of hills is a part of England where stags and deer can still be seen roaming freely. In many ways the.....


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