Venues in Somerset; hire a String Quartet
Okehampton
This market town, known as 'the capital of the northern moor', has the remains of a fine castle (the keep is Norman, the other parts are I4th century) in a beautiful setting above the River Okement.
Some 4 miles to the east is the village of Sticklepath, notable for its interesting Museum of Rural Industry, which includes an early iron foundry. South-east of Okehampton is Okehampton Camp, the remains of a hill-fort on a steep ridge. The camp was probably a frontier post during the Iron Age. South of the town, within the artillery range and often inaccessible to the public, are the highest tors (peaks) of Dartmoor—High Willhays and Yes Tor. From Yes Tor there is a wonderful view south over Dartmoor, west to Bodmin Moor, and north over most of Devon.
String Quartets at Assembly Rooms, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Babington House, Babington near Frome, Somerset
String Quartets at Bailbrook Lodge, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Batch Country Hotel, nr Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset
String Quartets at Bath Racecourse, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Battleborough Grange Hotel, Brent Knoll, Somerset
String Quartets at Beachlands Hotel, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset
String Quartets at Best Western Webbington Hotel & Spa, Loxton, Somerset
String Quartets at Brympton d'Evercy, Yeovil, Somerset
String Quartets at Cadbury House, Bristol, Somerset
Postbridge
This hamlet, consisting of a few cottages and scattered farms, is famous for its stone clapper bridge, probably medieval, with three spans each of 15 ft. Broadun Ring, north-west of Postbridge, is a prehistoric walled pound, 4 ft high in places, which encloses a group of hut circles. It stands on a slope from which there is a splendid view of the East Dart Valley. Just to the south of Broadun Ring is Broadun Pound, the largest known prehistoric enclosure on Dartmoor: 12 acres, walled, containing hut circles 9-15 ft across. More than 150 of these pounds have been discovered on Dartmoor; they were probably enclosures used to pen sheep and cattle,
String Quartets at Centurion Hotel, Midsomer Norton, Somerset
String Quartets at Charlton House, Shepton Mallet, Somerset
String Quartets at Commodore Hotel, Kewstoke, Somerset
String Quartets at Coombe Lodge, Blagdon, Somerset
String Quartets at Crowcombe Court, Taunton, Somerset
String Quartets at Gants Mill, Bruton, Somerset
String Quartets at Gerbestone Manor, Wellington, Somerset
String Quartets at Glastonbury Town Hall, Glastonbury, Somerset
String Quartets at Guildhall, The, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Halswell House, Goathurst (nr Taunton & Bridgwater), Somerset
Princetown
The largest town on the moor, and the bleakest, standing some 1400 ft above sea level and having more than its share of fog, rain, wind and snow. It was named after the Prince of Wales (later George IV), who gave land from the estates of the Duchy of Cornwall when it was decided to build a prison here to house the captives of the Napoleonic Wars. The foundations of the famous Dartmoor Prison were laid in 1806. Its use as a prison for criminals dates from the mid-10th century. Princetown is a good centre for exploring prehistoric remains. Bronze Age burial cists (hol-lowed-out stone coffins) and a row of standing stones are beside the road north-east to Lakehead from Two Bridges (i^ miles north-east of Prince-town). At Merrivale, 2 miles north-west of Princetown, are hut circles and one of the finest cists on Dartmoor. At Great Mis Tor, i mile to the north-east of Merrivale, a group of Bronze Age hut circles overlooks the River Walkham.
String Quartets at Hestercombe Gardens, Cheddon Fitzpaine, Taunton, Somerset
String Quartets at Holbrook House, Wincanton, Somerset
String Quartets at Homewood Park, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Hornsbury Mill, Chard, Somerset
String Quartets at Leigh Court, Bristol, Somerset
String Quartets at Mendip Lodge Hotel, Frome, Somerset
String Quartets at Mill, The, nr Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Old Mill Hotel, The, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Orchardleigh House & Estate, Frome, Nr Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Pavilion, The, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Pump Room & Roman Baths, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Quantock View, Bridgwater, Somerset
Tavistock
An important market town, traditionally regarded as the western capital of the moor. Tavistock grew up around its great Benedictine abbey, founded in the toth century, traces of which survive near the parish church. From the i6th century the town belonged to the Dukes of Bedford. The town today has a largely Victorian character, reflecting the last great phase of its long-lived copper-mining ind ustry. East Bridge and Vigo Bridge both date from 1773, and are handsome structures. Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540-96) was born at Crowndale Farm, i mile south of Tavistock.
String Quartets at Rookery Manor Hotel, Edingworth, Nr Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
String Quartets at Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Royal Hotel, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset
String Quartets at St Audries Park, Taunton, Somerset
String Quartets at Ston Easton Park, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Taunton School, Taunton, Somerset
String Quartets at The Castle at Taunton, Taunton, Somerset
String Quartets at The George and Pilgrim, Glastonbury, Somerset
String Quartets at The Longhouse at Mill on the Brue, Bruton, Somerset
String Quartets at The Square & Compass Inn and Barn, Ashill, Ilminster, Somerset
String Quartets at The Winter Gardens, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
Widecombe in the Moor
A picturesque village in a high fold of Dartmoor, with a large 14th-century church with a granite tower, sometimes known as 'the cathedral of the moor'. Tourists flock here in summer. Widecombe Fair, made famous by the 'Uncle Tom Cobleigh' song, is held on the second Tuesday in September. To the north-west of the village is Hameldown Beacon (1697 ft). On the west side of Hamel Down is a well-preserved group of Bronze Age barrows.
String Quartets at Theatre Royal, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Tythe Barn at Priston Mill, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Walton Park Hotel, Clevedon, Somerset
String Quartets at Watermill at Priston Mill, Bath, Somerset
String Quartets at Webbington Hotel, nr Axbridge, Somerset
String Quartets at Wells Town Hall, Wells, Somerset
String Quartets at Wincanton Racecourse, Wincanton, Somerset