Chard

Chard is the southernmost and one of the highest towns in Somerset. It lies on the A30 near the Devon and Dorset borders, about 15 miles south-west of Yeovil, and had a population of 14,287 at the 2021 census. Local folklore says a stream runs along each side of Fore Street, one flowing to the Bristol Channel and the other to the English Channel.

For a walk, Chard Reservoir is about a mile north-east of the town. It was built in 1842 on the River Isle to supply the Chard Canal, which was itself built between 1835 and 1842. Today it is a Local Nature Reserve owned and managed by Somerset Council, with a Green Flag Award, and people use it for dog walking, fishing and birdwatching. There is a bird hide, and kingfishers and great crested grebes are among the birds to look for.

The town’s history is well documented. Most of it burned down in 1577, and in 1685 the Duke of Monmouth was proclaimed King here before his defeat at Sedgemoor. Chard Museum has a display on James Gillingham’s pioneering artificial limbs, and the museum also covers John Stringfellow, whose steam-driven flying machine of 1848 is credited with early powered flight.

Two more stops are worth knowing about. Snowdon Hill Quarry is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Church of St Mary the Virgin dates from the late 11th century and is Grade I listed.