Midsomer Norton offers several different themes for a stay: listed buildings, a town park with a riverside path, an audiowalk and independent leisure activities. It’s an interesting choice if you’d like to explore more than one type of attraction on a short break. Architecture and local history sit alongside a themed golf course, a historic railway and a large skatepark. You can choose what to focus on according to your interests.
Churches, the Town Hall and local history
The Parish Church of St John the Baptist is Grade II* listed, and Midsomer Norton Town Hall is Grade II listed. The Town Hall was built in 1860 in the Italianate style. Alongside its listed status, it therefore offers a specific historical and architectural reference point. If you’re interested in the town’s historic character, you can connect these details with other religious and architectural traces of the town.
The Church of the Holy Ghost is a Roman Catholic parish church in a converted tithe barn. The Garden of Friendship is next to the old Tithe Barn and was opened to the public as part of a public realm improvement project. Another local historical feature is the Midsomer Norton Knight: this rare tomb effigy was apparently made in Bristol in the 14th century. These three examples offer different ways to explore the town’s history: through a church building, a historic garden beside a tithe barn and a tomb effigy.
Town Park: Riverside Path and Amphitheatre
Midsomer Norton Town Park brings together several clearly defined features. A riverside path runs along the river, and there is also an amphitheatre made of Purbeck stone. The area around the stage has seating for 300 people. The path and amphitheatre represent different aspects of the park: one offers a walk by the water, while the other is a purpose-designed performance space with a specified seating capacity. The park is also connected to the Five Arches Greenway.
The audiowalk route is also useful for navigating between cultural and green spaces: it ends at the Town Park. This makes the park the endpoint of a specific tour, without assuming a particular walking time or length of stay.
Audiowalk and Historic Railway
“The Myths and Memories of Midsomer Norton High Street” is an entertaining self-guided audiowalk visiting twelve notable places on the High Street. The route runs from St John’s Church in the southwest to the Town Park in the northeast. Its two endpoints and twelve stops give the tour a clearly defined scope. If you’d rather follow a story through individual places than simply visit individual attractions, the audiowalk offers a format of its own.
The Somerset & Dorset Railway runs from Midsomer Norton South station along more than a mile of the former Somerset & Dorset main line. The site also has an Anderson shelter from the Second World War. The railway therefore brings together a ride along part of the historic main line and a historic exhibit on the same site. Operating days may change, so check the timetable before your visit.
Leisure Activities with Different Highlights
Dynamite Adventure Golf offers a themed 18-hole adventure golf experience based on coal mining. Midsomer Norton Skatepark is large, made of concrete, and includes a bowl and a plaza area. These two activities offer distinctly different ways to spend your leisure time: a clearly defined themed round of golf or a skatepark with two named areas. These differences can help you plan your stay around the activities you want to do.
Discover more destinations: Bathampton, Pensford, Chew Magna, Farmborough, Temple Cloud, Ubley, Keynsham, Batheaston.
For the wider travel overview: Bath And North East Somerset.
