Cothelstone, Nr Bishops Lydeard, Somerset
On the edge of the Quantock Hills close to Bishops Lydeard, Cothelstone is really just a manor house, a very interesting
Romanesque red sandstone church, and a few cottages, but it’s so wonderfully peaceful there, and you’ll find some good walks in these parts. It’s possible to book a guided tour of Cothelstone Manor (info@cothelstonemanor.co.uk), though it is not open to the public as such. In the field above the house is St Agnes Well, which you can walk to; the water is said to have magical properties and legend has it that on St Agnes Day (20th January) virgins divined there to discover their future husbands.
Nearby Cothelstone Hill is one of the best viewing points in the Quantock Hills, with panoramic views across the whole of Somerset and into Exmoor National Park. On top of the hill is a group of beech trees known as the Seven Sisters, and a herd of resident wild ponies can often be seen grazing there.
All information correct at the time of writing