About rural Somerset

Somerset is one of the most rurally distinctive counties in England — a landscape of apple orchards, dairy pastures, wetland meadows, and winding lanes. From the Mendip Hills to the Levels, Exmoor to the Blackdown Hills, it is a county of long traditions, varied topography, and deep agricultural roots.

The Somerset Levels dominate the central landscape — low-lying, flat land historically prone to flooding, now drained and crisscrossed by ditches and rhynes. These meadows are ideal for cattle grazing and haymaking, and they remain some of the most ecologically rich farmland in the country.

The Mendip and Quantock Hills offer upland pasture, sheep grazing, and limestone grassland, while cider orchards and mixed farms fill the valleys around Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, and Langport. The Blackdowns and Exmoor fringes in the west bring a wilder rural edge, where common grazing, native breeds, and smallholdings coexist with conservation schemes.

Somerset’s rural identity is also tied to its food and drink — Cheddar cheese, farmhouse cider, and local meats have earned the county a proud place on the map of British produce.

It’s a land of traditions and texture — where farming is not just heritage, but still the rhythm of everyday life.