Radstock between the Colliers Way and industrial heritage

Radstock combines impressive traces of its industrial history with routes through the Somerset countryside. The town is an interesting choice for travellers who want to combine exercise, nature and culture during their stay. Depending on your personal interests, you can get to know Radstock via the Colliers Way, Waterside Valley, historic buildings or the Radstock Museum.

Active on the Colliers Way

The Colliers Way is a cycling and walking route between Dundas Aqueduct, Radstock and Frome. It uses disused railway lines and also runs along quiet country roads through the picturesque Somerset countryside. 53 per cent of the route is traffic-free. Anyone looking for holiday accommodation in Radstock who enjoys travelling by bicycle or on foot can therefore consider the Colliers Way an important part of their day planning.

The route offers different options for planning your trip: you can include Radstock as one section of a longer route or consider the town as a starting point for your own activities.

Waterside Valley: paths, meadows and water

Waterside Valley is a 13-hectare area by the town centre of Radstock and Westfield, connected by footpaths to Haydon. The area includes grassland, hedgerows and Snails Brook, a tributary of the Wellow Brook. Formal public rights of way and other informal paths run through Waterside Valley.

This gives the area a different travel focus from the Colliers Way. While the latter centres on the combination of cycling, walking and former railway lines, Waterside Valley is characterised by open countryside, hedgerows and the waterway. There are also three Second World War bunkers on the boundary of Waterside Valley. Together with other bunkers in the surrounding area, they formed part of an inland defence system known as a Stop Line.

Discover Radstock: market, memorials and museum

One of the town's notable buildings is Radstock Market Hall, dating from 1897. The ten-bay hall has side aisles, a central four-way clock and an ornate bell tower. There are two plaques on the Radstock Heritage Trail: one in the Memorial Garden and one in the Flower Bed opposite the Community Hub of Radstock Town Council.

The Radstock Museum focuses on the region's everyday and working life. On display are reconstructions of a Victorian shop, a miner's house and a schoolroom. Visitors can also see a reconstructed coal mine illustrating the dangers of working in Somerset's narrow coal seams. A small permanent exhibition is dedicated to the connection with Nelson. Around 800 archive photographs from the period 1870 to 1939 can be viewed via a publicly accessible computer terminal.

The museum is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Visiting hours are listed as Tuesday to Saturday from February to November; the last admission is at 16:30. You can take this information into account when planning a museum day, while the Colliers Way and Waterside Valley offer different focuses for your trip.

Choosing Radstock as a suitable base

When looking for holiday accommodation, you can choose Radstock as a base for an active, nature-oriented or cultural and historical stay. The deciding factor is which travel focus should shape your days.

If you would like to consider further destinations for your trip in addition to Radstock, here is a concise selection: Farmborough, Wellow, Pensford, Keynsham, Bishop Sutton, Midsomer Norton, Ubley and Bathampton.

To the main travel overview: Bath And North East Somerset.