The best traffic-free bike rides around North Cheriton

If you think your homeowner’s association is strict, try the Almshouse of St. John the Baptist. Established in 1437, it was basically a 15th-century "assisted living" facility for the "brave and the broke." ​The rules? Absolutely medieval. You had to be "of good character," which in 1437 mostly meant "doesn’t throw mud at the Abbot." The jewel inside is the Sherborne Missal, a book so fancy it makes your iPad look like a rock. Today, it stands as a gorgeous Hamstone time capsule where history is thick, the chapel is tiny, and the vibes are strictly "pious chic."

Originally a Saxon cathedral, Sherborne Abbey is a golden-stoned masterpiece of Perpendicular Gothic architecture. Its claim to fame is the fan vaulting—arguably the earliest and most spectacular in England—which spreads across the ceiling like delicate stone lace. ​The Abbey has survived fires (started by a bickering abbot and townspeople in 1437), the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the test of time. Inside, you’ll find the tombs of West Saxon kings and the stunning Great West Window. It remains a living "lantern" of Dorset, glowing with honey-colored Hamstone and a quiet, ancient majesty that defines the town.

I always make time to pop in on my walks in this area as it is wonderfully calming and peaceful. I like to just sit and marvel at the talent of the architecture.

c12th. A Romano-British altar was discovered in the churchyard and is now inside the church The village lies on the Monarch's Way long-distance footpath that approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester.

One of the 'Camelot Churches' of South Somerset and has been a Grade II* listed building since 1961.  Largely dates from c13th and c15th. Much restored in the 1850s and 1870s. c18th poet and satirist Charles Churchill was at one time curate at South Cadbury

If you have time, try to walk around the Hill Fort! Cadbury Castle is a Bronze and Iron Age hillfort associated with King Arthur's legendary court at Camelot. The site was reused by the Roman forces and again from c. 470 until some time after 580. In the c11th century, it temporarily housed a Saxon mint. Evidence of various buildings at the site has been unearthed, including a "Great Hall", round and rectangular house foundations, metalworking, and a possible sequence of small rectangular temples or shrines

Built 1869–70 to replace an earlier c13th church. The cost of rebuilding the church amounted to approximately £3,000, with the entire cost being defrayed by Lord Portman, the lord of the manor and principal landowner in the parish The floor of the chancel is laid with Minton's encaustic tiles and the aisles laid with Keinton stone

Blackford is designated as a Conservation Area. The telephone box is the iconic K6 Telephone Kiosk and was listed Grade II by English Heritage in July 2008 following a local campaign. The Church of St Michael has 11th- or 12th-century origins. The tower was added in the 14th century and there were other changes around that time including the addition of south porch. More recent changes include the 17th century pulpit. There is a screen designed by Frederick Bligh Bond that was added in 1916.