Kingsbury Episcopi: Trails, Monuments and Cider

Kingsbury Episcopi offers several different reasons to visit: nature trails with varying surfaces, historic church and funerary monuments, a lively spring festival and a guided cider tour. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday cottage can therefore choose their accommodation based on the planned combination of activity, local history, tradition and enjoyment.

Nature trails with different formats

The Town Tree Nature Garden forms part of the Town Tree 10k route in Kingsbury Episcopi. The Town Tree 10k Trail Race is flat, mostly away from paved paths and runs over various surfaces. The route passes along paths, fields and orchards; the terrain described includes uneven ground, tree roots, tree stumps and low-hanging branches. These details are relevant to personal day planning, particularly if you want to accommodate different activity levels when travelling with children.

For a longer walk, the River Parrett Trail is available. It is 50 miles long and can be walked in three to four days or along shorter sections. The WW1 Heritage Trail 1 offers a much more compact option: it connects Kingsbury Episcopi and Stembridge over a distance of 3.2 km. The walk takes approximately 1½ hours and passes through seven livestock gates.

Church and Group of Ten Monuments

The Church of St Martin contains parts dating from the 14th and 15th centuries and is predominantly designed in the Perpendicular style. In the churchyard beside the south aisle of the Church of St Martin in Kingsbury Episcopi is a group of ten monuments. The Group of Ten Monuments comprises five chest tombs, four headstones and one pedestal tomb.

The Group of Ten Monuments is regarded as an unusually densely grouped collection of high-quality monuments spanning three centuries. This creates a distinct cultural focus for visitors interested in church architecture, funerary art and historical details. The different forms of the monuments also make the site interesting for families who want to discover history not only through dates, but through tangible architectural features.

Spring festival and cider experience

The Kingsbury May Festival is a free annual event in Kingsbury Episcopi celebrating the beginning of spring. The festival includes a floral procession led by the famous Green Man and a maypole dance performed by local schoolchildren. These elements give the festival a clear connection to local tradition and community experience.

At Burrow Hill, a guided tour with tasting lasts about one hour. It takes visitors through the cider-making process, the distillery and the bonded warehouse. Cider, liqueurs and Somerset Cider Brandy are offered for tasting. This is a stand-alone activity for travellers who, alongside walks and culture, would also like to gain an insight into the production of regionally distinctive drinks.

Choose accommodation according to your travel plans

When searching for holiday accommodation in Kingsbury Episcopi, the desired mix of activity, local history, tradition and enjoyment can influence the choice of where to stay. Before booking, therefore, decide whether you would like to focus on walking, culture or a seasonal or food-and-drink-related experience.

More destinations for your planning

For further research, you can also visit Lyng, Chilcompton, Martock, Glastonbury, West Chinnock, Stawley, Washford and West Quantoxhead.

For the higher-level travel overview: Somerset.