Once a bustling and well-to-do wool town, Bampton lies on the edge of the stunning Exmoor National Park. On the Somerset/Devon border, it is ideally situated for a getaway exploring the area.
The attractive town, set in a wooded valley, is steeped in history including a Norman motte and bailey castle dating back to 1067, an ancient, 750-year-old, charter fair and numerous Georgian homes.
Royal Charter
Bampton has a Royal Charter granted by Henry III. It also has 100 listed structures including two telephone boxes and St. Michael and All Angels Church, which is Grade I listed.
In the church, which is home also to Bampton Heritage & Visitor Centre, you can see lots of fascinating features including a unique rhyming epitaph telling the story of an unfortunate death by icicle!
Heritage & Visitor Centre
The Heritage & Visitor Centre includes a model of the town’s railway station and videos of the Bampton Railway from 1884 to 1963 and the Town Trail, as well as archive photographs.
The whole town centre, which is easy to walk around, is in a conservation area. Many of the Georgian houses are built from stone quarried nearby.
Traditional high street
Today it is still as busy as it was in Georgian times having retained its warm and friendly welcome and its traditional high street shops, such as an old-fashioned butcher and an acclaimed bakery.
Each summer the community pulls out all the stops and decorates the town with stunning floral displays and as a result it is a regular winner of Britain in Bloom.
Walking & cycling
If you’re a keen walker then you could come and do the Exe Valley Way walking route. Or, if you’re a cycler then we’re also on the West Country Way cycle route.
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