Market Towns in South Somerset

As classically Somerset as you can find, Somerton evokes memories of country life at its most quintessential. It’s conveniently walkable: start at the historical heart of Market Square and take in the town’s many landmarks like the rare octagonal-tower Church of St Michael and All Angels.

This ancient market town lies at the heart of the Somerset Levels, strategically placed at a crossing point over the River Parrett. 

The quintessential English village, with wide streets and glowing hamstone buildings, many of which are thatched which welcomes visitors to its many attactions.

Known as Ivell in Thomas Hardy’s Wessex, Yeovil is mentioned in the Domesday Book as a thriving market community and is still a country town at heart surrounded by beautiful countryside. An important centre for the leather industry in the 19th century, the town is famous for its glove-making with its football club nick-named the Glovers and for making helicopters. It has numerous shops, a country park, theatre and entertainment centre.

Settled in ancient times on a major Roman route through the West Country, Yeovil means ‘town on the river’. It’s south Somerset’s centre for entertainment and shopping, and is a centre for everything from top-league football to leather goods to military technology.

Bruton is a bit of a one off, even more so than every Somerset town.

Miles from anywhere, it’s a tiny and intense place, with shops, houses and chapels crowded close together even though it stands in the middle of tracts of rolling hills, and this gives it a very special character.

Chard is geographically the highest town in Somerset and nestles in a corner of South Somerset between Dorset and Devon.

Castle Cary - one of the most attractive of Somerset's market towns.

Tucked away in a secluded spot a few miles off the A303, the golden stone of Castle Cary and Ansford exudes a warm glow complemented by its glorious setting in the South Somerset countryside and its friendly inhabitants.

Most people have heard of Judge Jeffreys and the Bloody Assize but perhaps not so many know that the decisive events leading up to the mass hearings and executions took place near the tiny village of Westonzoyland.

Ilminster takes its name from the River Ile and the Minster church dating from 1450.  The town grew up around the church and some of the oldest buildings are close to the churchyard including the grammar school founded in 1549. 

Two hundred years ago as many as seventeen stage coaches a day would pass through Wincanton.  

Today approach it from the north along what was once the main London road (the A303 bypasses the town) and it is easy to imagine very little has changed.