Castle Combe is a village steeped in history and reputedly ‘The Prettiest Village in England’. There are numerous things to see in the village of Castle Combe such as the Museum, The Dower House, the Market Cross which is a historic centre piece of the village, the War Memorial and the Organic Farm Trail. The original site of the Castle is half a mile north west of the Manor House overlooking Bybrook Valley. Although the Castle no longer remains, the earthworks are still visible.

Outside the village there is a vast array of further local attractions, all within easy reach of Mead Cottage.

The World Heritage City of Bath is only 12 miles away, with a feast of attractions for visitors, especially those seeking cultural entertainment whilst away from home. Quite apart from the Georgian beauty of this lovely city, its spa and baths, racecourse and excellent shops and galleries, Bath is home to an array of festivals over the year: Literature (Feb/March), Fringe (May/June), International Music (May/June), International Guitar (Aug), Jane Austen (Sept), Film (Oct) and Mozart (Nov) are all featured in their own major festivals. Dates for all these festivals, as they become available, can be found on the City’s main website: http://www.cityofbath.co.uk

Museums include The Fox Talbot Museum of Photography in Lacock which commemorates the work of William Henry Fox Talbot of Lacock Abbey. The museum houses an audio-visual presentation and changing exhibitions. Blaise Castle House Museum in Henbury shows country rural and urban life, together with a thatched dairy and water mill. Other museums include Claverton and Sally Lunn’s House and Museum.

Gardens of interest include Westonbirt Arboretum with over 15,000 specimens set in 600 acres of semi-natural and landscaped woodland, Bowood with a huge adventure playground, licensed restaurant, tea room and garden centre and gift shop and Pound Hill Garden in Chippenham which is a romantic 2 acre garden with an old fashioned rose garden and woodland water garden. Abbey House Gardens in Malmesbury is a 5 acre garden with the UK’s largest private collection of roses, river walks and monastic fish ponds and fountains.

Lackham Country Park just south of Chippenham includes a historic thatched barn and granaries house, an attractive walled garden, a sensory garden, a children’s maze, an animal park and Lackham’s famous citrons (giant lemons)!

Lacock Abbey (a National Trust property) was founded in 1232 and was the home of the Talbot family since the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. Another National Trust property is Dyrham which is a mansion that was built for William Blathwayt. Sheldon Manor is Wiltshire’s oldest Manor House. It has a 13th Century porch and 15th Century chapel.

Chippenham is a nearby market town with a population of over 40,000. It lies between Bath and Swindon and is ideal for local shopping. Chippenham’s colourful street markets are held on Fridays and Saturdays. It offers a wealth of traditional and modern stalls including locally grown produce, stone ornaments, jewellery, flowers and much more. Chippenham is also home to Monkton Park Par Three Golf Course which caters for the good and the bad along with an 18 hole crazy golf course. Surrounding the town, other than Castle Combe, are the stone built villages of Lacock (National Trust) and Biddestone.

Badminton House, scene of the Three Day Horse Trials in May each year, is only five miles from Mead Cottage and Castle Combe Circuit (well out of sound range out of the village!) mounts Club Car and occasional motor bike racing throughout the year.