Nettlecombe, Somerset

Nettlecombe Court and park is an old estate on the northern fringes of the Brendon Hills, within the Exmoor National Park. They are within the civil parish of Nettlecombe, named after the house, and are approximately 3.6 miles (5.8 km) from the village of Williton, in the English county of Somerset. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. The 16th-century Elizabethan, Tudor and Medieval architecture with Georgian refinements includes a mansion, Medieval hall, church, monumental oak grove, and a farm. It is surrounded by 60 hectares (150 acres) of estate parkland situated within the Exmoor National Park, once a part of the estate. It lays sheltered at the northeast incline of the Brendon Hills. The park surrounding the house is Grade II listed on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Nettlecombe Park blends into woodlands, with the house serving as the Leonard Wills Field Centre for field scientists who wish to study the surrounding natural environment, which is the best example of this type of ecosystem remaining in England. Today, nearby hills and woodlands, including Exmoor National Park, have provided opportunities for general scientific introductory field courses on environmental themes and botany. Habitats include marine, freshwater and heather moorland and the surrounding settlements range from hamlets to villages to the country town of Taunton. An archaeological excavation on the edge of the property, near the sea coast, has revealed the remains of Danish Vikings who were defeated there circa 900.

Monksilver is a village 3 miles (5 km) west of the town of Williton in Somerset, England, on the eastern flank of the Brendon Hills and the border of the Exmoor National Park. The Coleridge Way footpath passes through the village.

Beggearn Huish is a small hamlet in the civil parish of Nettlecombe, in Somerset, England.

Torre was a recognised stopping place, not a formal station, on the West Somerset Mineral Railway (WSMR). The railway's prime purpose was to carry iron ore from mines to Watchet harbour in Somerset, England. It was "general practice to pick up or set down passengers .. at Torre." The line was unconnected to any other, though it passed under what is now the West Somerset Railway south of the village of Watchet. The stopping place was next to a level crossing.

Cleeve Abbey is a medieval monastery located near the Washford River and village of Washford, in the English county of Somerset. It is a Grade I listed building and has been scheduled as an ancient monument. The abbey was founded in the late twelfth century as a house for monks of the austere Cistercian order. Over its 350-year monastic history Cleeve was undistinguished amongst the abbeys of its order, frequently ill-governed and often financially troubled. The sole member of the community to achieve some degree of historical prominence was John Hooper, a man with an obscure personal history who became a Calvinist, was appointed Anglican Bishop of Gloucester but met his end executed for heresy under Queen Mary I. In 1536 Cleeve was closed by Henry VIII in the course of the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the abbey was converted into a country house. Subsequently, the status of the site declined and the abbey was used as farm buildings until the latter half of the nineteenth century when steps were taken to conserve the remains. In the twentieth century Cleeve was taken into state care; the abbey is now looked after by English Heritage and is open to the public. Today Cleeve Abbey is one of the best-preserved medieval Cistercian monastic sites in Britain. While the church is no longer standing, the conventual buildings are still roofed and habitable and contain many features of particular interest including the 'angel' roof in the refectory and the wall paintings in the painted chamber.

Orchard Wyndham is a historic manor near Williton in Somerset, centred on the synonymous grade I listed manor house of Orchard Wyndham that was situated historically in the parish of Watchet and about two miles south of the parish church of St Decuman's, Watchet. Parts of the manor house are medieval. It has been owned for more than 700 years by the prominent Wyndham family, who continue there as of 2015.

Washford transmitting station is a medium wave broadcasting station and low-power digital terrestrial television relay near Washford, Somerset. A smaller 45.7 metres (150 ft) mast is used to relay digital terrestrial television services from the Mendip transmitting station. This mast carries the three public service multiplexes at an E.R.P. of 12.4 W. The front portions of the old transmitter building are now part of the Tropiquaria wildlife park and house their tropical hall, aquarium, and nocturnal house. The majority of the old building became surplus to the BBC's requirements in 1981 when new, smaller equipment was installed in a separate building to the rear. Two schemes subsequently failed to materialise for the old building: one to transform it into a public swimming pool and another to replace it with a Little Chef restaurant. In 1987, a £100,000 scheme to transform the site into an aquarium and reptile house was proposed by the consortium Ark Enterprises Ltd, headed by Stephen Smith. Both a 21-year lease on the building and planning permission were acquired in 1987, and Tropiquaria opened in 1989. The transmitter building is a Grade II listed building.

Washford Radio Museum has been re-located to 'The Radio Museum' at the former Anchor Inn, 5, Anchor Street, Watchet, Somerset, TA23 0AZ.

Tropiquaria Zoo is a small tropical house and zoo in Somerset, England. It is located at Washford Cross, 16 miles (26 km) from Taunton and 9 miles (14 km) from Minehead. It is based in a 1930s art deco BBC radio transmitter hall of Washford transmitting station, which became a Grade II listed building in 1984. Tropiquaria opened on the site in 1989. The majority of the old transmitting station building became surplus to the BBC's requirements in 1981 when new, smaller equipment was installed in a separate building to the rear. In 1987, a £100,000 scheme to transform the unused part of the building into an aquarium and reptile house was proposed by the consortium Ark Enterprises Ltd, headed by Stephen Smith. Both a 21-year lease on the building and planning permission were acquired in 1987. There is a mainly African theme to the tropical hall and aquarium as well as the large number of outside enclosures. The zoo is a member of BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and has successfully bred a number of endangered species of mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish. Tropiquaria includes a Tropical Hall with a variety of snakes and lizards, and birds. The zoo also features an aquarium with several species of endangered, critically endangered and even extinct in the wild species of fish. Outside are macaws, helmeted curassow, cockatoos, parrots, agoutis, gibbons, serval, wildcats, wallabies, emus, rheas, tapir, cotton-top tamarins, red-handed tamarins, ring-tailed lemurs, ruffed lemurs, brown lemurs, coatis, yellow mongoose and meerkats amongst many others. There are also a number of outdoor play areas, an indoor play area and cafe.

Clitsome was a recognised stopping place, not a formal station, on the West Somerset Mineral Railway (WSMR). The railway's prime purpose was to carry iron ore from mines to Watchet harbour in Somerset, England. It was "general practice to pick up or set down passengers .. at Clitsome." The line was unconnected to any other, though it passed under what is now the West Somerset Railway south of the village of Watchet. The stopping place was next to a level crossing.

Roadwater is a village 3 miles (5 km) south-west of Williton, on the northern edge of the Exmoor National Park, in Somerset, England.

Washford was an intermediate station on the West Somerset Mineral Railway (WSMR), which was built primarily to carry iron ore from mines to Watchet harbour in Somerset, England. The line was unconnected to any other, though it passed under what is now the West Somerset Railway south of the village of Watchet. The line's seven stations were designed by Rice Hopkins. Washford was one of the five which showed a clear family resemblance. It offered the usual goods and passenger facilities.