The Quantock Hills are a small range of Somerset hills located between Taunton and Bridgwater and stretching north to the Bristol Channel. From here, you have not only a sweeping view across the channel to Wales, but also across the Somerset Levels to Glastonbury and the Mendip Hills, then westwards towards Exmoor.
In 1956, the Quantock Hills were the first area in England to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, now renamed National Landscape, and it continues to live up to this designation.
Although not very large, at just 99km2, it has a fantastic variety of landscapes, from the hill tops of red sandstone to the shale and limestone along the coast and the deep, wooded valleys (known locally as coombes), all of which support a wide variety of wildlife.
Flora and fauna
The Quantock Hills are very well wooded, with about 30% of the area covered in trees and, together with the heathlands, are notably rich in all manner of species.
Birdwatchers will be happy to note that the heath and woodlands support species such as the Dartford warbler, yellowhammer, stonechat, pied flycatcher and nightjar. Cuckoos are heard regularly during the spring.
The sessile oak (Quercus petraea) provides an important habitat for other species, including good populations of the rare lesser horseshoe, barbastelle and Bechstein’s bats, dormice, and adders.
Larger mammals, such as the iconic red deer, are also present in healthy numbers. A 2025 survey carried out by The Quantock Deer Group, recorded 821 red deer and 149 roe deer. Although not spotted at the time of the survey, both fallow and muntjac deer can also be seen.
Probably the most notable of the wildlife species are the Quantock ponies. They are not a breed in their own right, but are descended from Exmoor ponies and have interbred with other breeds. They are known for their ability to live on the open common land of the Quantocks. The ponies are a common sight, visible almost daily along the roadside.
Culture
The Quantock Hills are recognised as the birthplace of the English Romantic movement in literature. Both Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth lived in the area for a number of years and were inspired by it to write some of their finest verses. In fact, two of Coleridge’s most famous poems, ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ and ‘Kubla Khan’, were written while he lived in Nether Stowey.
More recently, a volunteer group, Music on the Quantocks, has organised a series of concerts held each year in various Quantock villages. These concerts have included performances by Sir James Galway and guitarist John Williams.
One of the most popular attractions is Coleridge Cottage in the lovely village of Nether Stowey, home to Samuel Taylor Coleridge for the last three years of the 18th century.
Fyne Court, near Broomfield, was once the home of Andrew Crosse, a 19th century electrician and early pioneer of electricity. Today, it is the main visitor centre for the Quantock Hills. Although the country house was destroyed by fire in 1894, the court is set in a beautiful woodland area and is open to visitors.
Nearby Washford is home to Cleeve Abbey, an English Heritage property. The abbey’s website claims it has “the most impressively complete and unaltered set of monastic cloister buildings in England”. Highlights include a magnificent tiled floor of the earliest refectory, dating from around 1270, and a wonderful painted chamber.
A bit further afield, and arguably outside the Quantocks, but still well worth a mention and a visit, is Dunster Castle, one of the area’s most popular visitor attractions, which dominates the village and the surrounding area.
Villages
There are many picturesque villages in and around the hills.
Holford is perhaps best known for Alfoxton House, which was built in the 18th century and was occupied by the poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy. They visited the area in July 1797 and enjoyed their time there so much that they rented Alfoxton House between July 1797 and June 1798, during the period of their friendship with Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Crowcombe was used as a setting for a small part of the filming of the Beatles’ first feature film, A Hard Day’s Night.
Nether Stowey is the site of Stowey Castle, a Norman motte-and-bailey site built in the 11th century. The foundation rubble walling is the only visible structural remains of the castle, which stands on a conical earth mound with a ditch approximately 250 metres in circumference. The castle was destroyed in the 15th century, possibly as punishment for the local Lord Audley’s involvement in the second Cornish uprising of 1497 led by Perkin Warbeck. The castle is a scheduled monument and the foundations are a Grade I listed building.
Bookworms and poetry lovers will find a unique collection of Coleridge’s works at the Thomas Poole Library in Nether Stowey.
The great outdoors
The Quantocks provide an ideal location for a variety of outdoor activities and pursuits, especially mountain biking, hiking and horse riding.
The Quantocks are especially known for their mountain bike routes which total about 100km in length.
As well as being able to see the wild Quantock ponies, there is pony trekking available, so you can experience the landscape from a different perspective.
Walkers are also well catered for in this compact area, with the many footpaths, including those along the coast. They include the Coleridge Way, a long-distance trail named after the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which starts in Nether Stowey and runs through the Quantocks to Porlock, a total of 82km.
For train enthusiasts, the West Somerset Railway is a heritage railway line that runs along the edge of the Quantock Hills between Bishops Lydeard and Watchet. The line then turns inland to Washford, and returns to the coast for the run to Minehead. At 37km, it is the longest privately owned passenger rail line in the UK.
Beaches
The beaches at Watchet and east of Watchet are known for their fossils and are part of the Blue Anchor to Lilstock Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The Quantock Hills run to the coast along the Bristol Channel and offer a number of beaches that are well worth a visit. These include Lilstock Beach (pebble); Kilve Beach (rock); East Quantoxhead Beach (rock, pebble and sand); St Audrie’s Bay Beach (large rocks, pebble and sand at low tide); Doniford Beach (rock and sand) and Watchet West Street Beach (rock and sand; while you are there, look for the rectangular Victorian tidal pool).
Somerset is best known for the Somerset Levels, but if you are in the area, don’t miss seeing some fantastic scenery and great historical sites. Take time to not only chat to the wild ponies but also to visit places with gruesome names such as Dead Woman’s Ditch, Walfords Gibbet, Wills Neck and suchlike!
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