The 21 weirdest (and most wonderful) things for kids to do in Somerset

It’s time to get the little ones doing some odd stuff.

From prison visits to finding fairies, here’s our run down of the 21 most unique things to do and places to go with the kids in Somerset.

1. Meet the Glastonbury Dragons

Twice a year, the Glastonbury Dragons awaken from their secret lair beneath Glastonbury Tor to walk the town in celebration. The white dragon symbolises Winter and the red dragon is a sign of the Summer. And once they are both complete, with all of their legs (volunteers welcomed from the crowds) they partake in a small ‘battle’ where, depending on the time of year, the incoming seasonal dragon will prevail.

The procession through the ancient streets of Glastonbury is led by some energised drummers before the dragons reconvene at the foot of the Tor for further festive rituals.

The celebration has a festival atmosphere where Morris Dancers twirl and whirl to live music while a back drop of tented stalls sell Glastonbury-themed trinkets and homemade crafts. The vast majority of the local community dresses up in medieval costume or clothing connected to the folklore of the area, giving the procession a vibe of Pagan merriment.

2. Help the fairies find their glowing eggs

There’s a lot of mystique and magic surrounding Cheddar Gorge & Caves at Eastertime. It turns out that the fairies who live in Gough’s Cave are friends with the Easter Bunny and they often help to hide the eggs in preparation for the children who are taking part in the Easter hunt.

However, there’s been a bit of a problem this year because a very mischievous troll has sneaked into the caves and hidden the glowing eggs. If the fairies can’t find the precious eggs in time, this year’s Easter celebrations will have to be cancelled. When you visit with your children, the troll will be sleeping which gives your little ones the perfect opportunity to help hunt for the glowing eggs, and save the day.

Along the way, your children will meet a host of guardian fairies who each have hidden clues to the whereabouts of the eggs. But be careful not to wake the troll from his slumber on your quest.

3. Lock up your children

For access to one of the best-preserved examples of a temporary prison, head to the market town of Castle Cary. Head to the Tourist Information Centre and they’ll give you the keys so you can have a look around the 240-year-old lock-up (and potentially have a quiet couple of hours without the kids).

The Round House was primarily intended for the temporary incarceration of drunkards but – and here’s the unbelievable part – misbehaving children over the age of seven were also locked up in there too.

Some locals say that the architecture of the lock-up was behind the design of the policeman’s helmet, whereas others affectionately refer to it as the ‘pepper pot’.

4. Walk on water in Weston-super-Mare

Roald Dahl famously said, “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” So, how about encouraging the kids to magically walk on water with a photograph taken at the Marine Lake in Weston-super-Mare?

The best time for taking the snap has to be with the sun going down in the background. So, grab a bag of chips and sit on the beach until the sun helps you to create the perfect evening optical illusion.

The Marine Lake is a really safe place for the kids to paddle and swim. At around 200 metres in length, it’s a good spot for the older kids to test out their front-crawl and see how many laps they can complete. Even though the marine lake is salt water you don’t need to wait for the tide as the water is trapped here, and for added peace of mind the quality of the water is regularly tested too.

5. Cycle through space

More than 700 years ago, a fearful milk maid-eating dragon lived in Wells. Bishop Jocelin, who built the Palace here, bravely ventured out and fought against the dragon. And, after a huge battle, the dragon was defeated. But as the beast breathed his last dying breath, he cast a curse on the villagers saying that if they ever dared to forget about him, he would return every 50 years.

As you cross the drawbridge and enter the Bishop’s Palace, you can pick up a special map which will help you explore the grounds in search of the dragon’s lair. Run around, climb trees, find the waterfalls and explore the hidden tree pods to create your own adventure as you too set out to slay your very own dragon.

6. Watch a sheep-shearing competition

What better way for country folk to make this skilled and labour-intensive task a bit more fun? Have a sheep-shearing competition, of course. Whether the shearers are using electric clippers or an old-fashioned blade, there are several classes within a sheep-shearing competition, all with the aim of shearers perfecting their skills and hoping to win the title of World Class Shearer, or even the holder of the Golden Shears.

You’ll find these competitions usually take place at agricultural shows such as the Royal Bath & West Show and the North Somerset Agricultural Show. Also, keep an eye on Facebook for county-wide events. Some farms will hold their own fairs where local shearers demonstrate how to remove the fleece from a sheep in one complete piece; such a skill.

The fleeces are usually available to buy fresh off the boards of the shearing shed, or you can buy finished woollen products from local craftspeople, blankets, jumpers and socks so you can snuggle up this coming winter.

7. Spend the night in a church

If a night under canvas doesn’t do it for you, how about spending the night in a church? Aside from probably being the biggest room you’ve ever spent the night in, you’ll also get to sleep in special ‘ChampBeds’ and read bedtime stories by battery-powered candlelit lanterns. The team behind the champing concept provide cosy sleeping bags, plump pillows, crockery, glasses and bottle-openers (for the grown-ups).

For champing, you have two options in Somerset. You can head to All Saints’ Church in Langport which was originally built in the 12th century; the medieval stained-glass windows particularly impressive in the morning sunlight. And the kids will love to find all the Hunky Punks which adorn the West Tower. A Hunky Punk is a type of gargoyle but they don’t drain water off the roof, they just look a bit ugly.

The second champing option is St Barnabas’ Church in Queen Camel. If you book a stay here on a Wednesday evening, you’ll be invited to join in with the bell ringing.

8. Visit caves where hyenas once lived

You wouldn’t think of Somerset as the living place for such exotic animals, but if you turn the clock back to 35,000BCE, the caves at Wookey Hole were home to lions, rhinos, cave hyenas and mammoths. Archaeologists are still exploring and excavating these ancient Mendip Hills. Let’s not forget that the oldest complete skeleton of the famous Cheddar Man was found in these very Somerset lands. For a peak at the 10,000-year-old fella, you’ll have to head to London’s Natural History Museum.

While you’re exploring the caves, keep your eyes peeled for stalactites and stalagmites, some of which have even met in the middle and formed a 20-metre column from the cave floor to the ceiling.

For the teenagers, there’s the ‘Wild Wookey’ experience which offers a complete ‘caving’ experience for those brave enough to climb and abseil around these ancient rocks. For the younger ones, get exploring the Enchanted Valley and Dinosaur Grove. There’s also the famous Wookey Hole Witch to look out for. And if you’re really eagle-eyed you may even spot her dog. King Kong is known to make an appearance in these parts, and if you’ve got grandparents in tow, they might recognise the caves from the filming of Dr Who.

9. Eat ice cream made with water buffalo milk

Somerset is farming country. You expect to see dairy cows and sheep grazing on the county’s lush green grass. But if you take a trip to Chilthorne Domer you’ll also see glorious beasts roaming around the South Somerset fields. Water buffalo love to wallow in water and are often seen lazing around in huge muddy puddles to cool down in the Summer months.

With a herd of 250 water buffalo, the farmers at the Buffalicious farm on the outskirts of Yeovil have a fabulous farm shop bursting with yummy home-made goods – and most importantly, ice-cream. They’ve got loads of flavours for the kids (all the usual options, including salted caramel and Stracciatella). The grown-ups can enjoy some Somerset cider flavour too.

And then there’s the buffalo milk, renowned for being super creamy and smooth (which makes the ice cream so delicious). Interestingly, it is lower in cholesterol than cow’s milk. And when it comes to giving the kids healthy teeth and bones the milk is a great source of protein too; rich in iron and minerals.

10. Go on a Yeti hunt

It’s time to head into the ancient woodland and trek through the Mendip Hills as you set off to find the ten yetis who are hiding amongst the trees. For each yeti found, you’ll get a clue. Piece together all the clues, and you’ll unveil a secret code. Then, and only then, will you get a prize.

While you’re on your exploration why not pick up a frisbee and challenge the family to a round of frisbee golf at the same time? Boasting 18-holes, the course requires strategy and precision to see who in the family will be named the winner of this fun sport. Completing the course alongside the yeti hunt keeps all members of the family involved, regardless of age. You also get to be out and about in the stunning scenery gifted by the Mendip Hills.

11. Visit Somerset’s secret waterfall

St Audrie’s Bay is a great spot to take the kids to see some of Mother Nature’s drama first hand. Known as a top spot with fossil hunters you can arm the kids with buckets and spades and see what they can unearth along the beach. The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) so you’re not allowed to hammer at the rocks in search of ammonites, but they are often washed up so keep looking at your feet and see if you can find any 66-million-year-old shelled cephalopods.

With two spectacular waterfalls tumbling over the cliff edge it’s also a fun place for kids to run and splash on hot days, as well as marvelling at all the cool rock formations.

If your hunt is fruitless at St Audrie’s, then there are other spots to go beach combing at Blue Anchor and Watchet. Belemnites and Crinoids are often found in these locations, whereas Weston-super-Mare and Portishead are known for turning up fossil corals.

12. Enjoy the spectacle of the Hobby Horse

As we welcome the arrival of the warmer Summer months, the Hobby Horse emerges from its stable to parade through two Exmoor towns. Accompanied by a band of merry music makers playing a distinctive drum beat, the Hobby Horse twirls and whirls around the streets of Minehead and Dunster as its accompanying clan raise money for local charities, including the RNLI.

The horse, also known as the ‘Oss’, is made from sacks with brightly coloured ribbons attached, and has a long tail which swishes this way and that as the Hobby Horse dances around the streets in time to the music. The original Sailors Hobby Horse of Minehead awakens from its annual slumber at the harbour on the eve of May Day and retires, in the evening, on the third day of May until the following year. It joins the Crowning of the May Day Queen in Dunster and ends its annual outing with the ‘booty’ which takes place in Wellington Square, Minehead. The ‘booty’ is a ritual where a member of the crowd is ‘caught’ by the Hobby Horse crew and ‘charged at’ by the Horse ten times before being encouraged to dance. No one is ever hurt in the process, don’t worry.

13. Learn about the Thunder and Lightning Man

There’s many a secret to discover at Fyne Court, the previous home of Andrew Crosse, the early pioneer and experimenter in the use of electricity. Known locally as the Thunder and Lightning Man, there’s even suggestion that Crosse helped to inspire Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein.

Sadly, his beautiful Georgian mansion is no longer standing after one of his housemaids heated some curling tongs and caused a devastating fire. But what is remaining is a family friendly venue which encourages kids to follow the trails, pond dip, build dens and bug hotels, and make music with the xylophone hidden in the woodland.

The music hall and library are both still standing, offering crafting activities during school holidays. A peek into his snug reveals a selection of secondhand books for sale. There’s a courtyard café selling light lunches, homemade cakes and ice creams, and with parasols and seating it’s got a great vibe going on.

Originally an Arcadian landscape garden, the grounds now have many remains of grandeur hidden amongst the woodlands. See if you can find the folly, boat house, walled garden and lakes and ponds as you take the kids on an exploration. There’s also access into the surrounding meadows where you can pick up the footpath to the village church, or explore Five Pond Wood where children are welcome to splash in the streams or go for a welly walk.

14. Crawl inside a tomb

Stoney Littleton Long Barrow was built by Neolithic farmers as a sacred burial place. Discovered by a farmer in 1760, it was then fully explored in the 19th century where several chambers were uncovered, and many burials were found.

The chambers are now empty and can be explored by crawling through the entrance way…if you dare. It is believed that the barrow may also have been a religious shrine. If you look carefully you should be able to spot a fossil ammonite at the entrance.

The walk from the car park is about 10 minutes or so, but it is across fields and over stiles so it’s definitely one for the baby carrier as it’s not buggy friendly.

15. Find the dragons in the woods

Legend has it that Castle Neroche was once the lair of a local dragon. He wasn’t a very happy dragon and would regularly pounce on passing travellers, stealing their money and gold and hoarding their treasures. The villagers decided enough was enough. So, one day they diverted water from a nearby spring to flood the dragon’s lair and share the golden treasure amongst themselves.

Whether or not the gold from this folklore still remains in the Blackdown Hills is a mystery, but Castle Neroche is well worth a visit for the kids to clamber on the wooden dragons which guard a footpath into the woods. There is so much space to run, play, tree-climb and den-build here. On a clear day you can see across to Glastonbury Tor and the Mendip Hills making it a fab picnic spot too.

For those kids who are into history, the castle is the former site of an Iron Age hill fort as well as the spot where the Normans built a Motte and Bailey castle. There are no remnants visible to the eye, but the information boards have illustrations on hand to help the kids imagine what life would have been like all those years ago.

16. Have a go at Welly Wanging

Devised in the West-Country during the 1970’s the unique sport of Welly-Wanging can be done at any age and at any time of year. Grab your welly boot, find an open space, be it field, beach or park, and see who can lob the boot the farthest to be declared Champion Welly-Wanger.

The rules can be adapted to suit the age of your kids but for a traditional Somerset-style contest you should fill your wellies with water before flinging them.

To keep the contest really on brand you could head to the Somerset town of, erm, Wellington. The official home of the World Wellington Boot Throwing Championships, annual welly-wanging events take place at village, school and church fetes, so check out social media for all the latest date info.

Wellington Park is an ideal place to mark out your own Welly-Wanging pitch. Depending on how seriously you’re going to take the competition you can bring a tape measure to keep track of your distances, or you can grab a stick and mark the spot where the furthest-flung welly has landed.

17. Hug England’s tallest tree

Hug England’s tallest tree at Nutcombe Bottom

At nearly 150 years old, the Douglas Fir tree at Nutcombe Bottom currently holds the title of being England’s tallest tree. When it was last measured in 2009 it was 60.05 metres tall. That’s about 12 houses stacked on top of each other. And is estimated to weigh 50 tonnes – the same as about 20 elephants.

Follow the Tall Trees Trail which winds through the forest, over bridges (great spot to play pooh sticks) and around the streams (you can paddle in these). There are picnic tables for snack time and the trail is really accessible so a good one for buggies.

Next to the tallest tree is one of the UK’s largest Magnolia trees which has leaves bigger than the size of your head. These are really cool in the Autumn as you can often find huge leaf skeletons laying on the woodland floor.

18. Go Wassailing

“Old apple tree, we’ll wassail thee…and hope that thou wilt bear…hip hip wassail.”

Throughout January you’ll want to head to your nearest cider farm because there’s a party to join and the kids will love the merriment. Wassailing is an ancient tradition where the apple trees are ‘blessed’ in hope of a fruitful crop the following season. Expect music, a touch of drama and community spirit.

The ‘ceremony’ begins with a parade through the apple orchard. There’s usually a master of ceremonies who will lead the charge and beside him will be the Wassail Queen (usually a small child), who will be dressed in traditional costume. Pieces of cider-soaked toast will be tied to the branches of an apple tree as an offering to the spirits before hot mulled cider is poured around the roots of the tree to thank the tree for the previous harvest, and to encourage a bountiful coming season.

The crowd will sing the wassailing carol before a flagon of hot mulled cider is passed around to share. Then, and the kids will love this bit, a lot of noise is made. Gun shots will be heard before the crowd are invited to bang their pots and pans to scare away any evil spirits that may be lingering in the orchard.

After the ceremony it’s time to head back to the cider barn and join in with some Morris dancing while enjoying last year’s cider or apple juice.

You’ll find many wassails across the county but keep an eye out for Harry’s Cider Company in Long Sutton, Rich’s Cider in Highbridge, Sheppy’s Cider in Taunton and The Newt in Somerset, near Bruton for the best events.

19. Find the fairies bonnets

Getting the kids immersed in the wonders of nature with a trip to the woods is a great way to spend a few hours. Once you start looking, you’ll soon find loads of marvels, including a type of mushroom, known as Fairies Bonnets or Fairy Inkcap Mushrooms. These tiny mushrooms measure no more than a couple of centimetres across but grow in large clusters and make quite the display. They thrive on decaying wood and will often be found around dead tree stumps or old logs that have been left to rot.

Growing between May and October you’ve got plenty of opportunity to spot these wonders. Apparently, they have been used in herbal remedies over the years. But knowing how poisonous some mushrooms can be it’s best for the kids to just look and not touch.

With so much unspoilt countryside on Exmoor National Park, one of the many woodlands here would be a good place to start your search. Try Burridge Woods, Culbone Woods, Hawkcombe Woods, North Hill Woodlands and Simonsbath Woodlands.