Things to do

If you are looking for tourist attractions in Bath and the local area please see here for the full list:

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Whether staying in Box or Downside, there is plenty to offer for all age ranges and group sizes.

Please see more information on what to do in Wiltshire and Somerset here: Your local guide

Eating out in Box:

For cuisine, there are three pubs within walking distance offering good pub grub to high quality fillet steaks. Enjoy the fabulous view over Box valley, the live music or the wide array of games while eating, or just drinking at these local haunts. There are regular village festivals offering live music with a mini festival feel, check out Box Rocks and Pig and a Jig. There is also is an award winning Indian restaurant just 50m away. Not feeling like eating out? Try The Bengal Bear, Hong Kong House, JustEats, Uber Eats or Dominos for delivery.

The Queens Head Box	The Northey Arms	The Quarrymans Arms

Eating out in Downside:

For cuisine, there are three pubs locally offering good pub grub to high quality fillet steaks. Enjoy the snug and cozy Oak Hill, the good food in the Mendip Inn or the food and spa at Charlton House. Or perhaps just a drink at these local haunts. There are other local restaurants featuring Indian and Italian cuisine, or you can order takeout delivery from JustEat or Dominos.

The Oak Hill Inn, Oakhill

The Mendip Inn, Radstock

Charlton House, Shepton Mallet

Local amenities to Box

Box has a selection of small shops, two convenience stores, a post office, a butchers and a petrol station.

While in the village you should check out Box Tunnel which was the longest tunnel in the world when it was built by Brunel, and hid the crown jewels during WW2. St Thomas a Becket church is right in the middle of the village and dates back to the year 1200. You can also walk past Peter Gabriels Real World music studios at the mill.

Local amenities to Downside

Downside is a short walk from the town of Shepton Mallet, offering large stores and smaller boutique retailers. It has a large Tesco for a big shop, or two bakers and smaller artisan food shops. There are a few cafes in the town in addition to antique shops and the Mulberry factory outlet shop. This up and coming town has enough for a short stay, while the town of Frome (just over 15 mins) or city of Wells (10 mins) have everything you could need.

Walking around Box:

This is a great location for exploring the surrounding Cotswolds countryside. There are walks and cycle routes around the Box valley catering to all abilities and often with a pub on route. For the more determined you can walk to Bath in 1hr45, taking in Box tunnel, the Kennet and Avon Canal, the River Avon and Sydney gardens. There are also walks around the Bath ridgeway, which offer fantastic views of the city from all different perspectives. Check out:

A hilly walk around Box Hill, famous for its stone and Brunel’s greatest engineering achievement.

Easy 4km canal walk on hard surface for most wheels. Alternative grassy path for wheelchairs.

Bradford-on-Avon to Bath

Walks around Lacock, Chippenham, Castle Combe and Corsham

Walking around Downside:

There are a tremendous amount of walks around the Mendip hills where Downside is based, most require a short car journey to get to the start. There are also walks straight from the properties in Downside, boasting great views from the top of the hill while also taking in the Charlton Viaduct and even a tea room/cafe if you wish:

Towns and villages near Box worth a look

We are close to the quaint villages of Lacock, Castle Combe, Badminton, Bradford on Avon, Marshfield and Corsham. The Badminton horse trials are on every May and provide some astounding horse action. Lacock Abbey was the film set for Downton Abbey and the village is a major tourist attraction all year round.

Lacock	Castle Combe	Bradford on Avon

We are also close to the Box Steam brewery and the Wiltshire Music Centre if you are still looking for things to do.

Bath is just down the road and offers the thermal spa, with a roof top pool providing a stunning view over the city and hills. It also has a large selection of shops, eateries, pubs and clubs. There is plenty to do, the Royal Crescent and Victoria Park are magnificent, in particular in the summer. There are plenty of museums, exploring from art and fashion, to architecture, astronomy and Jane Austen. The Roman Baths and Bath Abbey (free) are well worth a visit.

Also not far away is Bristol which has a zoo, the SS Great Britain war ship, the harbour and a wide selection of other attractions. It also offers splendid shopping and excellent eateries.

Towns and villages near Downside worth a look

We are close to the quaint villages of Bruton (As featured in Country Life) and Nunney Catch, along side the large town of Frome and the UKs smallest City of Wells. Glastonbury is very close and the city of Bath offers everything else you might need.

Bruton

Frome

The City of Wells