Somerset. What do you think of when you think of Somerset? Let's guess – tractors, cows, cheese, cider…. ooh-aaarrrr! Well, yes, things like that might spring to mind but it’s not all like that you know, we're not all carrot-crunching wurzels, we’re actually quite sophisticated round these parts these days! We’re biased of course, we live here, but the fact that Somerset is a popular holiday destination speaks for itself – it’s a beautiful county, a wonderful part of the West Country, and because it’s bisected by the M5, it’s easy to get to.

So come on down! Come on down to Zummerzet and see for yourself what it’s all about; bring your mates, your family, or dazzle your important clients with a spot of corporate hospitality, the more the merrier because we have some rather amazing luxury group accommodation in Somerset, sleeping up to 30 people. So bring them down, show them around.

When we say luxury, we don’t mean opulent embroidered bedspreads and swathes of silk at the windows, but in terms of large group holiday accommodation our properties are top notch. You see, we appreciate that if there’s a big group of you, keeping everyone happy and entertained is important, especially if you’re all ages, so you’ll find our self catering holiday homes have indoor swimming pools for use year round, hot tubs, saunas, games rooms, BBQ lodges, and secure gardens with play equipment for the young ‘uns. Added luxury; it makes all the difference.

If you live in a big town or city, coming down to Somerset is like a breath of fresh air, if you’ll excuse the pun. But that’s what you’ll get – healthy fresh air, gorgeous open countryside and views, views, views, because our large group holiday properties are out in the sticks, where there’s no noise and no light pollution, just peace and quiet so you can completely relax and enjoy your time together. Which is what holidays are all about, unwinding, recharging your batteries.

Have a look at our holiday accommodation in Somerset and you’ll see we’ve got quite a choice; big country cottages (of course!), lovely old farmhouses (what else!), fabulous barn conversions (yes, yes), timber-clad lodges, and impressive country houses. You’ll find welcoming country pubs nearby where you can go and try the local brew, quiet villages where you can stroll to the shop-cum-Post-Office for a newspaper and a pint of milk, and farm shops selling the best of local produce – meat, fruit & veg, cheese, bread, cakes, jams and pickles. Perfect.

What’s to see and do in Somerset? Loads. Miles and miles of beautiful scenery for starters, views that stretch on and on across the open fields and hills. Oh yes, we have hills; we have the Blackdowns, the Brendons and the Poldens, which a lot of people haven’t heard of, and we also have the Mendips, a striking hill range with the craggy, dramatic gorges of Cheddar and Ebbor, great walking territory. You can have an exciting family day out at Wookey Hole or Cheddar Caves, or go to Wells, the smallest city in England, and see the magnificent cathedral and Bishop’s Palace where the swans that live in the moat pull on a bell when they want to be fed.

We have the Quantock Hills too, where the Romantic poets Wordsworth and Coleridge spent days on end wandering and musing. You can see why they were so inspired as the landscape has a beauty of its own with steep wooded combes, wide open heaths topped with heather, windswept bays, and attractive villages of red sandstone cottages and cosy little inns.

And then there’s Exmoor. Rugged moors where wild ponies feed, towering clifftops, quaint little villages nestled away in the hills, lush river valleys, it’s gorgeous. Go and explore, go and see Dunster Castle, Porlock Weir, and the chocolate-box village of Selworthy; walk up through the woods to the tiny church at Culbone, stroll along the river at Watersmeet or Tarr Steps and then have a cream tea, take the kids to Tropiquaria to see the animals.

We have the Somerset Levels too, a flat watery landscape of field systems connected by manmade drainage channels called rhynes (pronounced REANS) where you’ll find tranquil nature reserves, and the colourful town of Glastonbury (the festival is held nearby) where you can visit the Abbey and climb to the top of the Tor for panoramic views of the country. If you go to Bridgwater in November you can watch the carnival which is something else! The procession of illuminated floats is the biggest in Europe, and it culminates with the exciting ‘squibbing’ where over 100 fireworks held aloft on poles are let off at the same time – what an atmosphere!

We know that a big part of a summer holiday is going to the seaside, and you can do that in Somerset too because the long coastline has beaches to suit everyone; the wide golden sands of Minehead, Weston-Super-Mare and Burnham-On-Sea for bucket-and-spade fun, long stretches for dog walks at Brean and Doniford, quiet harbours at Watchet and Porlock, and wild and windswept places like East Quantoxhead.

There are towns of course! In fact there are two cities – Bath and Bristol, both absolutely packed with things to see and do, and then you’ll find Taunton, the country town, where you can catch a cricket match or a day at the races, and there are several smaller market towns that make for a good morning or afternoon browsing around the independent shops.

But cider. If you want to try proper Somerset cider you really should go to a farm where it’s still made, and there are a few dotted around quite close to our holiday houses. Tie it in with an amble across the fields – but watch out for country pancakes!