What do you think of when someone mentions Somerset? Cider? Cheese? Glastonbury, perhaps? Somerset might just be that perfect destination companies are looking for when they consider how to reconnect teams after months of working from home. Somerset offers convenient access to beautiful countryside, historic towns, golden sandy beaches and amazing event venues. It really does have it all.
Of course, it is impossible to talk about Somerset without mentioning Bath, the only city in the UK to have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Famous for its Roman Baths and historic buildings, Bath is quite rightly a ‘must visit’ destination for tourists. However, there is so much more to Somerset that make it a great choice to hold an event.
From towns and countryside to the sea…
Somerset is peppered with quintessentially English towns and villages, many boasting rich pasts. From Weston-super-Mare, complete with beach huts, Victorian pier at Clevedon, to the market town of Taunton and beyond. There are some real hidden gems here.
The diverse landscape of the county provides for plenty of wide-open space too, perfect for team building events or simply the headspace to think, to strategise, to reimagine. It’s also home to 4 of the 34 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England; the Mendip Hills, Quantock Hills, Blackdown Hills and Cranborne Chase. Along with the wilds of Exmoor National Park and the wetlands of the Somerset Levels, adding an element of outdoor thinking to an event is a breeze.
As you’d imagine from a county that contains so much English heritage and countryside, Somerset is home to a wide variety of unique event venues too.
So, why choose Somerset for your next event?
Lisa Sweeting of Green Sense Events says “Somerset is hugely diverse and can suit any type of event. We have some beautiful venues, ranging from historical houses in beautiful grounds set up for a conference, a wedding or a team building event perhaps. And despite being rural, Somerset has good transport links with railway stations in Bath, Castle Cary, Yeovil, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare. There’s a good bus network throughout so if you are mindful of your carbon footprint there are options to utilise public transport to get around.
Why stop at one day, with a number of venues offering onsite accommodation there’s an opportunity to extend your event and enjoy the surrounding countryside. Or arrange to visit the beautiful Cathedral and watch the Swans in Wells, visit the Witch at Wookey Hole Caves, explore Cheddar Gorge and try some cider and cave aged cheddar cheese – after all you are in Somerset!”
And Emma Samways from inEvents agrees “As an event planner, I work with a number of corporate clients and so I’m always on the lookout for venues that really enhance an event, in the right location.
Choosing one of the many stately homes in the county that are available for exclusive use hire, like North Cadbury Court, associates a brand with the grandeur and opulence that the venue offers. Whilst the vast amount of indoor and outdoor space, provides the opportunity for a multi-faceted event that can be designed to fully match your brief.
Somerset is rich in history and heritage, boasts an enviable range of fantastic local produce and provides an accessible way to escape to the country for an event from cities like London and Bristol. All of which make it a great place for a meeting, corporate retreat or a client event.”
So, if all this has whetted your appetite and you’ve decided that Somerset sounds like the perfect location to host your next event and you’d like help to find the right venue, take advantage of Secret Spaces free venue finding services and we’ll be happy to help.
