Shepton Mallet

High Street shops, Shepton Mallet

Shepton Mallet is a historic market town (population 11,000 8n 2011) in the English West Country county of Somerset.

Understand

Rurally situated south of the Mendip Hills, the roots of this town lie along the ancient Fosse Way, the Roman road that connected Exeter to Lincoln in an almost perfectly straight line. In the Middle Ages Shepton Mallet developed a flourishing wool trade. During the 18th century the wool industry mostly disappeared and made way for other economic activities, in particular brewing. Today the town is an important producer of cider.

The river Sheppey runs right through Shepton Mallet.

See

Historic buildings. Over 200 buildings are listed, and walking around town will give you a good glimpses.

• 1 Church of St Peter and St Paul. A 12th-century parish church.  
• 2 HM Prison Shepton Mallet, Frithfield Lane, BA4 5FQ, ☏ +44 1749 681862. 10am-5pm. England's oldest prison still in use, although scheduled to close.  

Do

• 1 East Somerset Railway. Mar - Oct + Dec Xmas specials - weekends + some weekdays 4+ trains per day. Heritage steam railway from Cranmore, near Shepton Mallet to Mendip Vale Station. Day rover £9.  
• 2 Glastonbury Festival. 5 days in late June. Shepton Mallet is the closest town to the famous festival grounds. £210, book previous October.  
• 3 Royal Bath and West. 4 days in late May. Annual agricultural show. The showground is also used for other shows and events. £19.  
• Truckfest South West celebrates heavy haulage and monster trucks, at Royal Bath and West Showground in September - the next is 2-3 Sept 2023. Similar events are held at seven other locations across Britain.

Sleep

• 1 The Kings Arms (aka The Dusthole), Leg Square, Garston St, BA4 5LN, ☏ +44 1749 343781. This inn is a few miles outside Glastonbury and great if you have a car. Day trips to Bristol, Bath, and Stonehenge are all easy from this location, and the facilities are casual and comfortable. The owner offers a cooked breakfast in the morning and leaves out cereal, milk, tea/coffee, and juice. The food is quite good in the western-themed bar & restaurant. £65. 
• 2 The Thatched Cottage Inn, 63-67 Charlton Rd, BA4 5QF, ☏ +44 1749 342058. 
• 3 Charlton House Spa Hotel (Bannatyne), Charlton Rd, BA4 4PR, ☏ +44 344 248 3830. 
• 4 Talbot Inn, Selwood St, Mells BA11 3PN, ☏ +44 1373 812254. Country restaurant with rooms, gets great reviews for comfort and cuisine. B&B double £100. (updated Jun 2020)

Go next

• North to Bath and Bristol
• West to Wells and Glastonbury
• East to Warminster
• South to Wincanton, Sherborne and Yeovil

Routes through Shepton Mallet

Bristol ←

N  S

→ Yeovil