Amy Jenkins, screenwriter – Arthurian legends and a hard boiled egg, Somerset
Sunrise over Cadbury Hill. Photograph: National
Geographic Image/Alamy
Ancient hill forts, secondhand bookshops, clotted cream teas. These are a few of my favourite things. So here's a dream day out set in the rolling hills of south Somerset. Ever since reading Hardy, I've been drawn to the sense of mystical past in the West Country: the barrows, the standing stones, the links to Arthurian legend give the place an aura both dark and exciting.
If you're coming from London, it all starts when you pass Stonehenge on the A303. Don't go in, though – the stones are almost best seen from the road. Drive on to the village of South Cadbury, just after the Wincanton turn-off, and park at the bottom of Cadbury Hill. The hill fort is thought to have been the site of Camelot and is one of the best walks I know. Climb the steep rutted lane and come out on top to breathtaking views. Make a circuit of the curving ramparts, covered now in an invitingly smooth carpet of closely cropped grass. Then walk up to the summit and the little stone monument that shows you which way to look for Glastonbury, Stourhead and Weymouth.
If it's sunny, you might want to have a picnic there (no dream day out is complete without a hard boiled egg) or, even better, buy a stunning homemade pork pie at the lovely Bramble and Sage "deli on the farm" (01963 220120, brambleandsage.co.uk) just below the hill in the village of Sutton Montis. If you want a slap-up meal, drive on to Corton Denham and have lunch at the Queen's Arms (01963 220317, thequeensarms.com). Here are flagstone floors, leather sofas and a roaring fire for inclement weather, but also a pretty garden if the sun shines.
Next stop is nearby Castle Cary, one of the prettiest hamstone towns in the area. Make sure you take in the charming Round House, built in 1779 to lock up local miscreants, and then head for Bailey Hill Bookshop (01963 350917, baileyhillbookshop.co.uk), which is the nicest I know. There's a lovely upstairs gallery where the secondhand books are kept and you are welcome to sit for hours and browse.
Now you've worked up an appetite again, head for Bruton, which is slightly dour but authentic Somerset for it. Here you can have a proper tea at the coolest restaurant in the West Country: At the Chapel (01749 814070, atthechapel.co.uk) has its own bakery, so the scones will be warm and toasty.
• Amy Jenkins wrote This Life
From article in Guardian, Saturday August 10, Travel Section
We are really greatful for her kind comments.
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