21 SECRETS OF SOMERSET
Somerset Life|July 2020
Author MIKE DEAN reveals some of the lesser-known Somerset secrets that appear in his latest book - did you know them?
MIKE DEAN
21 SECRETS OF SOMERSET
1 There are people living in the Cheddar area today whose DNA matches that of Cheddar Man, who lived in the region 10,000 years ago.

2 The Somerset Levels is home to what is believed to be the oldest trackway (ancient roadway) in Europe, dating from around 4,000 BC.

3 The county has one of the largest Iron Age hillforts in Britain at Ham Hill, covering an area of about 210 acres.

4 In 2009, during excavations for a ‘Park and Ride’ site at Taunton, the remains of one of Britain’s largest known Iron Age roundhouses were discovered.

5 A Roman amulet found in 1990 near Shepton Mallet, and thought to be one of the earliest examples of Christian art in Britain, subsequently proved to be a fake.

6 In the 17th century. Somerset had its own ‘Witchfinder General’.

This story is from the July 2020 edition of Somerset Life.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the July 2020 edition of Somerset Life.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM SOMERSET LIFEView All
Up on the Down
Somerset Life

Up on the Down

Try this easy-to-follow Exmoor walk with SIMONE STANBROOK-BYRNE

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2020
Shop until you drop
Somerset Life

Shop until you drop

It’s Somerset’s county town, it’s the place to go for the big shops, but Taunton is also home to a thriving independent scene, discovers CATHERINE COURTENAY

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2020
Creatures of the night
Somerset Life

Creatures of the night

Have you ever had something swoop past your ear, almost unseen? You may have had a brief encounter with a bat, says BERNARD BALE

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2020
Bowled over
Somerset Life

Bowled over

Now that we can return to skittle and bowling alleys - albeit with new rules BERNARD BALE reveals that the sport of bowling has many Somerset links

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2020
Trackway through time
Somerset Life

Trackway through time

In the Somerset Levels SIMONE STANBROOK-BYRNE discovers a place where our Neolithic heritage rubs shoulders with the present day

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2020
SAVING THE SPLENDOUR OF EXMOOR
Somerset Life

SAVING THE SPLENDOUR OF EXMOOR

The splendour of Exmoor National Park may appear timeless and untroubled, but a new book reveals the long and often bitter struggle conservationists faced to save the landscape from the twin threats of afforestation and the plough

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2020
Decorative art
Somerset Life

Decorative art

Not simply functional, treat your walls like an extension of your personality

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020
Charity starts at home
Somerset Life

Charity starts at home

How do we teach our children the importance of giving back?

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2020
Somerset Life

Blooming brilliant

Will and Lauren Holley purchased a four-acre field in Somerset, converted it into a nursery, opened during lockdown and now their perennial plants are flying off the shelves. JULIE HARDING meets the go-getting couple

time-read
10 mins  |
November 2020
Age-old advice
Somerset Life

Age-old advice

Just become a grandparent for the first time? Perhaps you need a little guidance, so here are some top tips about how to embrace your new family role

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020