Things to do in Shepton Mallet

Chalice Well

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Windsor Castle

• Stroll through the family castle of the Windsor dynasty • View the exquisite treasures in the state suite • Enjoy the audio guide and savor the beauty of the castle Windsor Castle sits on a hill on the south bank of the Thames and is one of the official residences still in use by the British royal family today. The castle was first built by William I in the 11th century, and after subsequent expansions and renovations by many monarchs, it blends a variety of architectural styles, including a Norman fortress, a medieval palace, and Georgian state apartments, and is also one of the few medieval castles in Europe that are still inhabited today. The castle is divided into the upper, middle, and lower wards. The upper ward centers on the state rooms, which display famous paintings, armor, and fine furniture collected by monarchs over the centuries, including works by masters such as Holbein, Van Dyck, and Rubens; the Waterloo Chamber was built by George IV to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon, and its walls hang portraits of allied monarchs and commanders. The upper area also houses Queen Mary's Dolls' House, created by architect Edwin Lutyens in the 1920s, with exquisitely detailed interiors that even include electricity and running water. The central area is marked by a round tower, which was originally built of wood and later rebuilt in stone. Today, it houses royal documents and a photography collection, and the moat garden below the tower is planted with roses and other flowers. St. George's Chapel in the Lower Ward is a masterpiece of English Gothic architecture, founded in the 15th century and renowned for its magnificent stone fan vaulting and stained glass windows—looking up at the vaulting is an unmissable experience when visiting. The chapel is also the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter, has hosted numerous royal weddings, and is the burial place of several British monarchs.

Old Oaks Touring

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Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch and the venue for the royal family's state events and major ceremonies. The palace has nineteen state rooms used to receive visiting heads of state and hold official ceremonies, furnished with paintings by Van Dyck and Canaletto, sculptures by Canova, and exquisite Sèvres porcelain and English and French furniture. The tour route connects magnificent halls such as the White Drawing Room, the Music Room, the Blue Drawing Room, and the Green Drawing Room. The gallery linking these rooms is about 50 m long and hangs paintings by masters such as Rembrandt, Rubens, and Vermeer, making it the essence of the Royal Collection. The highlight of the entire tour is the Throne Room. The archway and canopy were designed by architect John Nash, inspired by his experience in theater set design, creating a highly dramatic visual effect. The pair of thrones in the hall were used in the coronations of Elizabeth II and Charles III respectively, and the official portraits specially created by painters of the King and Queen are also on permanent display here. The Throne Room once served as the backdrop for the wedding photographs of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and to this day remains the venue for court ceremonies such as investitures. The changing of the guard ceremony in the palace forecourt is equally captivating. During the ceremony, a detachment of guards marches from Wellington Barracks to the palace accompanied by music, relieving another detachment to become the King's Guard—a classic scene for experiencing British ceremonial tradition.

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Westminster Abbey

• Visit the site on the north bank of the Thames where kings were crowned and royal weddings took place • Stroll through the UK's royal burial sites and visit the resting places of royal family members and legendary figures like Newton and Darwin • Explore magnificent, solemn, and serene Gothic architectural masterpieces Westminster Abbey, located on the north bank of the Thames in London and adjacent to the Palace of Westminster, is a Gothic-style royal church in Britain. Magnificent and grand, it is a sacred site in the UK and holds a prominent status among the country's many churches. The Henry VII Chapel is located at the rear of the church, featuring ornate decorations and surrounded by numerous chapels. Above the west door stand ten statues of 20th-century Christian martyrs, installed in 1998, representing figures from around the world, including Martin Luther King Jr.

Hauser & Wirth Somerset

Hauser & Wirth Somerset is a beautiful gallery that features sculptures and is surrounded by gardens,making it a great place for a stroll after visiting the exhibition.

Glastonbury Tor

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Tower of London

The White Tower will present visitors with some of the Tower of London's most complex and challenging histories. Opening in 2027, this story-led interpretation - centres on the lives of Tower prisoners, Anne Boleyn, John Gerard, and Josef Jakobs and will be complemented by authentic artefacts associated with historic torture. The Tower of London stands majestically on the north bank of the Thames. It is a Norman fortress ordered by William the Conqueror in the 11th century and served as a royal palace, fortress, armory, mint, and prison for over 900 years. Queen Anne Boleyn was executed within its walls, and the future Elizabeth I was imprisoned here before her coronation. The unsolved mystery of the two young princes' disappearance in the "Bloody Tower" remains to this day. With its gripping royal history, it is an essential stop for understanding British history. · Savor the rich historical and cultural ambiance of the Tower of London, and listen to the legends and mysterious stories behind it. · Admire the exquisite royal jewelry, coronation crowns, and scepters in the Jewel House, and exploreWhite pagoda(the White Tower) houses world-renowned royal armory collections and treasures. · Don't miss the guided tour by the Yeoman Warders to learn about the tower's iconic thousand-year history. △The Tower of London is a castle that initially served as a royal palace, later taking on various roles such as a fortress, armory, execution ground, and prison. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. This site imprisoned high-profile prisoners like Elizabeth I and witnessed the execution of many nobles. △Tower of London'sThe treasure house displays the jewels, coronation crowns, scepters, swords and other treasures of the British royal family. Travelers slowly pass through on the automated walkway during the visit, while large screens above the glass display cases explain the history of these treasures and their role in coronation ceremonies. Pictured is the imperial crown containing 23,578 gemstones, which is exquisitely beautiful. △Get a close-up view of the exquisitely carved rare armor in the white pagoda and experience the time-honored royal culture. △In addition, you will see many ravens during your visit, some of which are kept by the government but have their wings clipped; it is said that as long as there are ravens in the Tower of London, England will not suffer invasion.

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St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral is one of London's iconic landmarks, designed and rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666, and completed in 1710. A church has stood on this site since 604 AD, and the current building is over 300 years old. It is a masterpiece of English Baroque architecture and a venue for major national ceremonies in the United Kingdom—from the state funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, and Winston Churchill, to the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and the thanksgiving service for Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee, all held here. The centerpiece of the cathedral is its three-layered dome: the inner dome rises 225 feet high and 102 feet in diameter, visible from the cathedral's interior; the middle layer is a brick cone supporting the lantern tower; the outer layer is a lead-covered timber dome, visible from the exterior. Atop the dome are a golden ball and cross, reaching a total height of 365 feet. For more than 250 years it dominated the London skyline, until buildings surpassed its height in the early 1960s. Inside the dome is the Whispering Gallery, renowned for its unique acoustics; continuing upward leads to the Stone Gallery and the Golden Gallery, which offer panoramic views of London. The cathedral features over six million pieces of glass mosaic decoration. The organ has more than seven thousand pipes, over a hundred stops, and five keyboards, and both Mendelssohn and Handel once played here. The cathedral's crypt is vast, spanning beneath the entire building, and is the burial place of British notables such as Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, the painter Turner, and Sir Fleming, and a memorial to Nightingale is also located here. The cathedral's architect, Sir Wren, is himself buried here as well, and the Latin inscription before his tomb means "If you seek his monument, look around you."

National Trust - Ebbor Gorge National Nature Reserve