Somerset Live Cam

Watchet was an Old Port now converted into a modern marina. Good range of shopping from clothing to fine antiques, centrally located for people who want to Explore Exmoor National Park, the Quantocks or a traditional beach holiday and Watchet has award winning pubs, restaurants and Cafés.

Somerset County provides a diverse range of services to the public of all ages and in all walks of life. The County Council has been in existence for over 100 years, and we look forward with enthusiasm to our future service to the people of Somerset. The Council comprises 57 councillors, elected for four years, each representing a single electoral division. In the rural parts of the county, the divisions cover several parishes.

Somerset County Council's responsibilities to the local community are managed through six major committees. The committees are advised by the County Council's senior officers and by a small number of appointed experts and representatives. The committees report to the County Council. This meets on a quarterly cycle, although some committees meet more frequently. Follow these links for details of committees and dates.

The County Council employs over 14,000 people in its various departments and establishments and is the county's largest employer. It has a total spending of £347 million. Most of the employees are engaged in front line services to the public. The County Council is committed to making its services, information and points of access ever more locally available to the people of Somerset.

Somerset, in England's West Country, is a beautiful holiday destination - known as the 'County of Contrast' - a delightful mixture of Coast, Culture and Countryside, This is an ancient land full of mystery and legend.

There is a wide variety of excellent accommodation in Somerset, from friendly Camping and Caravan parks to farmhouses and country hotels, full of history and charm. Somerset is easy to reach, being near two Airports (Bristol and Exeter), the south coast Ports and with excellent road and rail links.

You are always assured a warm welcome in Somerset - from small campsites to large country hotels. Somerset is easy to get to, with excellent road and rail links and with airports and sea-ports not far away; so what ever your accommodation needs, you can be sure to reach the county quickly and easily.

Somerset is well known for the quality and friendliness of its farmhouse accommodation - examples can be found near remote picturesque villages or close to busy and historic towns such as Taunton, Yeovil or Minehead. Camping in Somerset is a delight! almost all of the camping parks - large and small, are of a very high standard with good facilities for everyone. Some of the larger parks along the coast such as Brean Sands and Berrow (north coast) or Minehead (west coast) offer great family entertainment on site with fun parks for children and clubs for the parents.

But if you like something quieter, smaller coastal and inland sites offer a peaceful refuge and a place to relax, surrounded by nature. There is also a wide variety of Hotels, Guesthouses and Bed and Breakfast establishments (B & B's) in Somerset of excellent quality and value. The 'Where to Stay' publication contains nearly 200 establishments in the county which can be booked for you before you leave your home.

In the north of the county, the sandy beach stretching from popular Burnham-on-Sea to Brean Down headland makes this area ideal for the traditional seaside holiday. Minehead, the coastal gateway to Exmoor National Park in West Somerset is also a popular destination for families and fun lovers.

Butlins at Minehead, Brean Leisure Park and Pontins near Burnham-on-Sea are three coastal holiday centres offering fairground rides, aqua-slides and evening entertainment.

The dunes or Levels in the east and Exmoor in the west of the county provides a peaceful alternative to the lively coastal resorts - with coves full of history and wonder (ideal for the fossil hunter!) and many varieties of birds and other wildlife in tranquil surroundings. The coastline of Somerset is ideal for campers and caravanners - with well equipped sites, large and small for all the family or the intrepid hiker.

Come and explore a County rich in tradition and cultural heritage. Walk in the footsteps of many famous English writers and poets who have lived in and been inspired by Somerset's varied and beautiful landscape. Wild and rugged Exmoor (a National Park) was the setting for Blackmore's well known Victorian novel, 'Lorna Doone'. Wordsworth and Coleridge were also moved to write some of their finest works, enchanted by the Quantock Hills (now recognised as 'an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty').

If you like to explore country houses and gardens, Somerset has so much to offer, especially in villages such as Montacute and Barrington in south Somerset. Here, all the old houses both large and small are built in the local beautiful honey coloured stone - used for centuries for building homes in this area.

Many of Somerset's ancient traditions and customs can still be witnessed today such as the 'Wassailing' of apple orchards (to rid them of evil spirits and ensure a good crop!) or the Minehead 'Hobby Horse' - a strange procession through the streets of this lively seaside town.

The illuminated winter carnivals - Somerset's version of the Mardi Gras, still amaze thousands of people each year - huge illuminated floats pass through many Somerset towns (including Taunton, Bridgwater and Glastonbury) from late September to mid November.