{"id":11916,"date":"2023-11-14T13:59:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T13:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/comfort-hotel-paris-roissy.com\/?p=11916"},"modified":"2023-11-14T13:59:18","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T13:59:18","slug":"exploring-the-somerset-levels-from-wild-wetlands-to-a-rich-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/comfort-hotel-paris-roissy.com\/travel\/exploring-the-somerset-levels-from-wild-wetlands-to-a-rich-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Somerset Levels, from wild wetlands to a rich history"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Land of myth and legend: The Somerset Levels offers wild wetlands, rich history&#8230; and some incredible birdlife<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><span>James Litston explores the Somerset Levels, which covers nearly 700 sq km<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>&#8216;Legends of King Arthur are woven into the landscape,&#8217; he writes\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>READ MORE:\u00a0Britain&#8217;s top camping and caravanning sites for 2024 revealed<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>On the wide, open Somerset Levels it\u2019s wonderfully sleepy. During a walk across the marshes from the village of Westonzoyland, there\u2019s absolutely no one else around.<\/p>\n<p>A stone marker in a fenced-off plot is the only indication this spot might be of significance. Without this memorial, you would never know the squelchy field was the site of a bloody conflict nearly 340 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>The Battle of Sedgemoor brought to an end the Monmouth Rebellion, which had sought to depose King James II in 1685.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not the area\u2019s only historical flashpoint. Somewhere here was the secret redoubt from which Alfred The Great battled Danish invaders before uniting the Saxon kingdoms to form England.<\/p>\n<p>And across the Levels in Glastonbury, the Abbey (now ruined) was once the nation\u2019s wealthiest: a fact not lost on King Henry VIII, who laid claim to all its assets.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/13\/77737065-12737281-image-a-16_1699880783653.jpg\" height=\"255\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>James Litston goes on a tour of the Somerset Levels. Above, Glastonbury Tor, which rises above the flatlands<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/12\/77736713-12737281-image-a-15_1699880217064.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Surrounded by the higher ground of the Mendip, Quantock (pictured) and Polden Hills, these low-lying wetlands are veritably steeped in history and folklore, says James\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Levels cover nearly 700 sq km. Surrounded by the higher ground of the Mendip, Quantock and Polden Hills, these low-lying wetlands are veritably steeped in history and folklore.<\/p>\n<p>Legends of King Arthur are woven into the landscape and even the county\u2019s name owes its origins to the Levels: this \u2018land of the summer people\u2019 (or Sumersata) only became accessible when winter floods receded.<\/p>\n<p>Settlements such as Glastonbury grew up on higher ground. Today, the small town revels in its hippy vibe and is, of course, famed for June\u2019s Glastonbury Festival (held nearby, between the villages of Pilton and Pylle).<\/p>\n<p>In bustling Bridgwater, the centre of town enjoys a fine assortment of Georgian buildings. It was from the tower of St Mary\u2019s Church that the Duke of Monmouth spotted Royalist forces on Sedgemoor before marching his troops to the ill-fated battle.<\/p>\n<p>Across the street from St Mary\u2019s is the Old Vicarage. Parts of this building &#8211; now a hotel and restaurant &#8211; date from the 14th century. Inside, inglenook fireplaces, age-old oak panelling and exposed beams and brickwork provide stacks of personality, but it\u2019s comfortable and welcoming, too, with fantastic food and a cosy lounge.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/16\/77737053-12737281-In_bustling_Bridgwater_James_says_the_centre_of_town_enjoys_a_fi-m-1_1699892929665.jpg\" height=\"560\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>In &#8216;bustling&#8217; Bridgwater, James says the centre of town enjoys a fine assortment of Georgian buildings<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/13\/77681213-12737281-Above_The_Old_Vicarage_in_Bridgwater_It_s_the_perfect_base_from_-m-31_1699881600299.jpg\" height=\"385\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The Old Vicarage in Bridgwater (above) is &#8216;the perfect base from which to explore the Levels&#8217;, says James\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/13\/77681215-12737281-Parts_of_the_Old_Vicarge_date_from_the_14th_century_reveals_Jame-m-40_1699883958218.jpg\" height=\"286\" width=\"306\"><\/p>\n<p>Parts of the Old Vicarge date from the 14th century, reveals James\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>All 18 guest rooms are different, and all contain period pieces that reflect the building\u2019s heritage.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the perfect base from which to explore the Levels. From Bridgwater it\u2019s a short hop down to the RSPB\u2019s Greylake reserve, with wetlands harbouring species from kingfishers to otters.<\/p>\n<p>This is a glimpse into what the Levels looked like before being drained by rhynes (ditches) dug from at least the Middle Ages onwards. The resulting loss of habitat combined with peat digging saw bird species such as bitterns and cranes wiped out here.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to nature reserves such as Greylake and the Avalon Marshes near Glastonbury, both species have by now returned \u2014 the cranes after an absence of 400 years.<\/p>\n<p>Their respective booming and bugling calls echo across the Levels in spring, adding to the atmosphere and magic of the landscape.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/13\/77681439-12737281-James_visits_RSPB_s_Greylake_reserve_pictured_which_has_wetlands-a-23_1699881359745.jpg\" height=\"317\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>James visits\u00a0RSPB\u2019s Greylake reserve (pictured), which is a &#8216;short hop&#8217; from Bridgwater <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/13\/77737797-12737281-The_wetlands_reserve_harbours_species_from_kingfishers_to_otters-m-36_1699883859495.jpg\" height=\"243\" width=\"306\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/13\/77738701-12737281-image-a-37_1699883866798.jpg\" height=\"243\" width=\"306\"><\/p>\n<p>Greylake harbours species from otters to kingfishers. James reveals that the reserve is also home to metre-tall cranes<\/p>\n<p>Bitterns are built for skulking in reeds. The metre-tall cranes are much easier to spot. Just shy of 100 hand-reared birds were released nearby in the 2010s \u2014 and stocks are thriving.<\/p>\n<p>I spy five of them \u2014 or perhaps their descendants \u2014 at Greylake, flying overhead with outstretched necks and trailing, spindly legs while a hundreds-strong flock of lapwing flickers black and white below them.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s quite a spectacle. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if Glastonbury\u2019s monks \u2014 or even King Alfred himself \u2014 would have been similarly impressed if such a sight had caught their eye.<\/p>\n<h3>TRAVEL FACTS<\/h3>\n<p>Doubles at The Old Vicarage from \u00a385 B&amp;B (theoldvicaragebridgwater.com). More details at visitsomerset.co.uk.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/travel\/article-12737281\/Land-myth-legend-Somerset-Levels-offers-wild-wetlands-rich-history-incredible-birdlife.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Land of myth and legend: The Somerset Levels offers wild wetlands, rich history&#8230; and some incredible birdlife James Litston explores<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Exploring the Somerset Levels, from wild wetlands to a rich history - comfort-hotel-paris-roissy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/comfort-hotel-paris-roissy.com\/travel\/exploring-the-somerset-levels-from-wild-wetlands-to-a-rich-history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Exploring the Somerset Levels, from wild wetlands to a rich history - comfort-hotel-paris-roissy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Land of myth and legend: The Somerset Levels offers wild wetlands, rich history&#8230; 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