The best MTB trails around Yarlington

The Spread Eagle Café & Courtyard is located in the village of Stourton, near the famous Stourhead country house. It is a popular destination for visitors to the gardens, as well as for hikers and cyclists. The café offers: * Coffee, tea, and homemade cakes * Light lunch options such as soups, sandwiches, and seasonal dishes * A cozy courtyard with outdoor seating * A tranquil atmosphere for relaxation

The stone arch near Stourton is a decorative rock arch on the grounds of Stourhead. It was created in the 18th century as a picturesque feature of the landscape garden.

The gardens of Stourhead are among the most famous 18th-century English landscape gardens and, for me, one of the most beautiful I have seen so far. The centerpiece is a large, artificially created lake, around which winding paths, temples, bridges, grottoes, and rare trees extend. The layout was designed so that new picturesque views open up at every turn of the path.

The gardens of Stourhead are one of the most famous English landscape gardens of the 18th century. The centerpiece is a large artificial lake, around which winding paths, temples, bridges, grottoes, and rare trees extend. The layout was designed so that new picturesque views open up at every turn of the path.

The Bristol High Cross is a medieval market cross from Bristol. It was removed from the city in 1765 and rebuilt by Henry Hoare II in the gardens of Stourhead, where it still stands today.

Paddock Garden is Sherborne’s way of saying, "We’re modern now, but with layers of drama." Opened in 2005 by Alan Titchmarsh (the patron saint of sensible trousers), it’s built on the ruins of 18th-century cottages that were demolished just so the neighbors could have a better view. Rude. ​During WWII, German bombers mistook the girls' school tennis courts for something more threatening, leaving the garden with some unintentional "landscaping." Today, it’s a sustainable flex: the paths are made from half a million recycled plastic straws, proving that Sherborne is both posh and eco-conscious.

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."

Founded in 1550 by King Edward VI, Sherborne School is an elite boys' independent school that practically owns the town’s aesthetic. Built atop the site of a former Benedictine priory, its honey-colored Hamstone buildings blend seamlessly with the adjacent Abbey. ​It is a "Harry Potter" fever dream of cloisters and tradition, but its real prestige lies in its alumni. This is where Alan Turing solved puzzles before Enigma and where actors like Jeremy Irons and Hugh Bonneville learned their craft. It remains one of the UK’s architectural and academic heavyweights, turning out "Old Shirburnians" for nearly five centuries.