Yeovil's Top Ten Summer Gems

So what are the top ten things to do in

Yeovil in the Summer? Well, there's quite a few if you look hard

enough...

Here's my list - add your own if you think I've missed

any.

1) Ham Hill Country Park - the perfect

place to get out in the fresh air this summer, on a clear day Ham Hill offers up sumptuous vistas of the Somerset Moors, the Mendips and Exmoor. But it's what to do that interests me - I recommend you

get all Ray Mears and sign up for one of the bushcraft courses. The

hill itself is steeped in history; from the hunter-gatherer to the

iron age tribe - so what better way to get close to that heritage

than by failing to start a fire and being sick off a berry?

The

next course is on August 21st - see this website for details.

2)

Chard Reservoir - Situated about a mile from Chard town centre,

Chard reservoir is the idyllic setting for twitcher and fisherman. The hide looks out over a huge stretch of open water

frequented by a huge variety of birds. Equally abundant are the fish,

with species including Tench, Bream, Eel and Carp - all sport for the

wily angler.

3) Walking - There are

many trails in the hills and vales that surround Yeovil

which take in woodland, marsh, meadow, copse (and Inn). One of my

favourites negotiates West, East and North Coker and offers fantastic

views over Hardington Nature reserve. Find out more here.

4)

Yeovil Golfing - Where better to have a thrash than the rolling countryside of Somerset? There's plenty of courses around Yeovil, not to

mention our own Yeovil Golf Club which boasts two courses. Wheathill is a long and challenging course, making

for a great day out. Halstock is a nice local course, the fairways are a little congested but it's as challenging and well

kept as any.

5) FarmFest - tucked away just outside Bruton, FarmFest is a small festival that comes as a welcome relief from the overloaded corporate festival calendar. At £35 a ticket you can't really go wrong - you get a weekend's camping, decent, eclectic music from local bands and DJ's that play into the wee small hours, strong local cider and a hog roast. Sadly, you'll have to wait until next year for the pleasure.

6) Discworld Emporium - Alright, so it's not exactly in Yeovil, but it's still in Somerset and well worth a visit. The Discworld Emporium in Wincanton (twinned with Ankh-Morpork) is full of books, games, jewelry, collectables - all sorts from the fantasy-tastic mind of Terry Pratchett. Get involved.

7) Helyar Arms Inn - This wouldn't be much of a list if it didn't include at least one pub - and this little gem is one of Somerset's best kept secrets. The Helyar Arms in East Coker is a 15th century coaching inn that retains a lot of it's rustic charm today. There's no better place for Al-fresco summer dining than in the gardens of the Helyar, and if it gets a bit nippy then warm your cockles by the open log fire inside. If your planning a bike ride, make this your destination.

8) Yeovil Rec - Not far from the centre of town is the large field at Mudford rec. Crazy golf, pitch & putt, athletics, tennis and a play park are all housed in the grounds, but there's plenty of free fun to be had if turn up with a footy - jumpers for goalposts and all that.

9) Fleet Air Arm Museum - Chock-a-block with examples of Royal Navy air power past and present, there's just so much to see. If the museum isn't your thing, then the Yeovilton Air Day is a great way to wile away a long summer's day - watching nutters perform amazing aerial displays. If you haven't been before, it comes highly recommended.

10) Huish Park - get away from the glitz and glam of Premiership football and back to basics. Watching Yeovil Town FC play may not seem like an idyllic summer afternoon, so make a day of it by ducking into the Arrow for a post match beer garden pint. Sounds ideal to me...

Want to add to the list? Please feel free!