Hotels in Taunton and Somerset Coast

Somerset coastal walks and hotels in Taunton

With so many great hotels in Taunton, it is very tempting to prolong a stay in Somerset in order to take in the stunning coastal scenery. Somerset boasts the longest National Trail in the form of the South West Coast Path. Starting at Minehead the trail runs no less than 630 miles and covers some amazing places. The Coast Path is unlike any other because it was originally designed to be patrolled by coastguards whose job it was to spot potential smugglers before they could do any damage. Coastguards’ cottages still line the route at intermittent places and these buildings offered shelter to the wandering coastguards whose main aim was to apprehend the dangerous and brutal smugglers who haunted this region. Staying in hotels in Taunton will undoubtedly give you a taste to discover more about Somerset and the Coastal Path is a must-see attraction.

The paths hug the edges of the cliffs very closely and this was done deliberately in order to give the coast guards the maximum chance of peering into inlets and coves where smugglers may have lain in wait or hidden supplies and even the spoils of their dishonourable trade. The paths are a rich source of history and they were a large part of many people’s lives, the coast guards children were as familiar with the paths as the adults and many would use them to travel to and from school each day whilst their Mothers used them to get to various fishing hamlets either for business or shopping.

                                          

Nature along the coastal path and hotels in Taunton

Hotels in Taunton afford the traveller to not only get closer to history but also to nature. The South West Coast Path is a naturally beautiful haven for nature in its many forms and there are a great many types of birds and insects to be seen here. Another fascinating fact about the area is that the geology is extremely variable. All kinds of stone is to be found in this area including granite, limestone and chalk. Fossils abound here with many different examples to be discovered by the casual wanderer.

The area is truly magical and many people have been inspired by it to create great art; some of those people are Coleridge who often walked parts of the route during his life, Rudyard Kipling, Agatha Christie and Barbara Hepworth; these people have all made this place even more special by spending time there. Hotels in Taunton make a great start to an epic journey and travelling from Taunton to the coastline is made simple with great public transport as well as good link by road. If you did want to walk the entire length of the South West Coastal path it would take a reasonably fit person no less than 8 weeks to complete the journey which lets face it, may not be the idea way to spend a relaxing break...unless of course you are an extremely keen rambler! Hotels in Taunton are a good way to begin thinking about such epic journey’s though...maybe over a large glass of cider!