Chard
This historic town has given birth to a number of notable pioneers: James Stringfellow, inventor of steam-powered aeroplanes, James Gillingham, creator of the worlds first artificial limbs and Margaret Bonfield, the first female British cabinet minister.
This ancient borough has a spacious high street flanked by two streams and a wide variety of shops.
It is the most southerly town in Somerset, only a mile from the Devon border, at the foot of the unspoilt Blackdown Hills.
The town itself has many interesting buildings; a fine parish church, prestigious museum and the recently refurbished Guildhall, which was the Corn Exchange. The Guildhall houses the excellent tourist information centre and hosts a programme of cultural activities. Nestling in attractive woodland to the north east is Chard Reservoir, a beautiful stretch of open water where over 150 species of bird have been recorded, including Osprey. There is also an easy to follow two mile trail around the eastern side of the reservoir.
Hornsbury Mill with its landscaped water garden and the Wildlife Park at Cricket St Thomas, where the popular TV series To the Manor Born was filmed, are only a few miles away.
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