Yes, it’s the part of England you drive through on your way to Devon and Cornwall, but there’s so much more to Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire.

Slow right down, escape the A303 and discover the richness of the Jurassic Coast for a spot of fossil hunting and lyrical Hardy country inland. Visit the part of Somerset around Bruton that has become a haven of country cool (check out At The Chapel and Hauser & Wirth), not forgetting the cider; and that soaring symphony in stone, Salisbury Cathedral, whose spire is visible for miles around, plus a wealth of magical, small historic houses, gardens and follies that are scattered across the whole region. And then there’s Bath, whose sweeping, honey stone Georgian crescents spread over a green and hilly bowl, make it shoo-in for England’s most beautiful small city.

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