England Guide
Bristol, Bath and Somerset
The Quantock Hills
The Quantock Hills extend just twelve miles in length, and rise to 800–900ft. Watered by clear streams and grazed by red deer, the range is enclosed by a triangle of roads leading up from Bridgwater and Taunton, within which narrow lanes connect the secluded hamlets. The village of most interest here is Nether Stowey, with its strong literary connections as the home of the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
South of Nether Stowey, a minor road winds off the A39 to the highest point on the Quantocks at Wills Neck (1260ft). Stretching between Wills Neck and the village of Aisholt, the moorland plateau of Aisholt Common is the heart of the Quantocks, best explored from West Bagborough, where a five-mile path starts at Birches Corner. Lower down the slopes, outside Aisholt, the banks of Hawkridge Reservoir make a lovely picnic stop.
The other main road route fringing the Quantocks – the A358 heading northwest from Taunton – is accompanied for most of the way by the West Somerset Railway ( 
01643/704996, 
www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk ), a restored branch line running some twenty miles between the village of Bishops Lydeard, five miles out of Taunton, to Minehead on the Somerset coast. Steam and diesel trains depart up to eight times daily between mid-March and October (plus some dates in Dec & Feb), stopping at renovated stations on the way; the full ticket to Minehead costs £8.80 single, £13 return. A special bus service links the terminus with Taunton's train station, or take bus #23 or #28A (both Mon– Sat).