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Quantock and Coast Line

Taunton - Watchet - Washford - Dunster - Minehead - Porlock

Stretching from the far west of the county to Taunton and Bridgwater, the forked Quantock and Coast Line encompasses the widest variety of must see sites.

Download your copy of the Quantock and Coast Line Intinerary

Watch the Quantock and Coast Line short film

From historic houses, castles and abbeys to collections of modern plastics, boats and dolls, 60 miles of winding scenic roads delivers it all.

Download the full Heritage Touring Map

Bakelite Museum

Spy cameras, monstrous perming machines and an entire car! Come explore the quirky world of Bakelite.

'Leakproof, Vermin Proof, Hygienic', don't miss the Ultralite Bakelite Coffins came in a variety of colours and are the quirkiest items in the collection.

Bishops Lydeard Mill and Rural Life Museum

Jump off the nearby steam train line and step into a working watermill, complete with waxworks going about the mill's daily business and rural crafts.

The waterwheel here weighs over two tones yet can be turned from inside the mill using just two fingers.

Blue Anchor Railway Museum

Hop aboard a Great Western steam train and discover one of the delights along the Somerset coast at Blue Anchor Station.

A collection of railwayana and changing exhibitions ensure something for everyone.

Cleeve Abbey

Follow in the footsteps of the Cistercian monks and explore this picturesque abbey, set deep in the tranquil countryside.

Visit the splendid Refectory with its original wooden ceiling complete with beautifully carved angels.

Coleridge Cottage

Soak up the inspiring surroundings in the house where the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote the famous Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

A statue of the Ancient Mariner from Coleridge's poem can be found at Watchet Harbour.

Combe Sydenham Hall and Country Park

Nestled deep in a hidden valley, explore 500 acres of parkland complete with a large herd of fallow deer.

Local legend states that Francis Drake sent a mysterious cannonball, preserved in the house, to prevent his wife remarrying. She believed him to be dead.

Dovery Manor Museum

Take a stroll in the physic garden by the stream after enjoying the photographs and artefacts in the 600-year-old manor house.

On nearby Porlock beach there is a layer of grey clay where seashells known as piddocks can be found.

Dunster Castle

Dramatically sited on a wooded hill, a castle has existed here since at least Norman times.

Explore the sumptuously decorated rooms or enjoy the extensive gardens.

Dunster Dolls Museum

Bring childhood memories flooding back and see a massive collection of over 900 toys, dolls and action figures.

Don't miss this pair of dolls from the 1820s similar to those owned and dressed by Queen Victoria as a girl.

Dunster Working Watermill

Enjoy the tranquil riverside setting of this 220-year-old working watermill and see how flour is made.

The water source for the mill is the River Avill, which runs beneath Dunster Castle.

Minehead

Discover the joy of the seaside and explore the historic harbour town, beach and promenade.

Every May Day the town celebrates with the ancient tradition of the Hobby Horse. Inhabitants are awoken by the beating of a loud drum as the Hobby horse dances its way around the town.

Kilve Chantry

Watch the birds darting in and out of the ruins of this 680-year-old medieval house found on the stunning coastline at Kilve Beach. This is a dangerous building, view from the footpath.

The house is known as a chantry. These were founded by people who wished that prayers would be said for their souls after their death.

Selworthy Village, Holnicote Estate

Enjoy sweeping scenic views from the surroundings of a beautiful village of thatched cottages leading to woodland paths and the coast.

Nearby Selworthy Beacon, at 308 metres, is one of the highest points on Exmoor.

Somerset and Dorset Railway Museum

Step back in time as you operate the levers in the reconstructed Midford Signal Box.

Explore the mass of exhibits, ponder on the old station names and soak up the evocative atmosphere.

Stogursey Castle

Follow the village trail and step back in time to the days of the powerful de Curci family who built the motte and bailey castle nearly 800 years ago. Private land, view from the footpath.

Washford Radio Museum

A fascinating collection of broadcasting technology and recordings covering over 85 years of radio and television history housed within a 1930s former BBC transmitting station.

Don't miss this example of the BBC's first portable sound recorder. Developed for on-the spot reporting in World War II.

Watchet Boat Museum

Set sail for a journey through a fascinating array of maritime objects: flatners, knots, maps, and a curious contraption known as a 'nossler'.

This contraption, known locally as a mud horse, was used to collect fishing nets and pots from the treacherous mud flat during low tide.

Watchet Burh and Daws Castle

Now a popular fishing harbour, explore one of King Alfred's ancient Saxon defensive forts built in 914.

Don't miss the statue of the Ancient Mariner, as described by Samuel Taylor Colleridge's poem.

Watchet Market House Museum

Choices, choices, choices! Fossils, sailors knots, photographs, alabaster sculptures, these are just some of the delights you will discover here.

View one of the few surviving cork lifejackets here. Most have been destroyed and the cork used for fishing floats.

West Somerset Mineral Railway

A fascinating insight into Victorian ingenuity, this 11 mile long railway was constructed from 1857-1864 to transport iron ore from the Brendon Hills to the harbour of Watchet.

Don't miss the summit winding house at the above grid reference.

West Somerset Railway and Gauge Museum

Take a journey of discovery through more than 500 artefacts including drawings, books, photographs and models.

Don't miss the beautifully restored Great Western Railway first class sleeping car built in 1897.

West Somerset Rural Life Museum

Investigate three rooms of rural history contained in a Victorian schoolhouse. Enjoy a picnic in the garden by the stream.

The West Somerset Photographic Archive is also housed here.