Fyne Court

Fyne Court is what remains of a Georgian estate in the Quantock Hills, home of the Crosse family until the mansion burnt down in 1894. Its most famous resident was Andrew Crosse, the amateur scientist whose electrical experiments earned him the local nickname of the Thunder and Lightning Man; an information room in the courtyard tells his story. The library and music hall survive, with a walled garden, follies, ponds and cascades in woodland that has grown wild over the old Arcadian landscape; some reviewers find it overgrown and underwhelming, others prize it as a peaceful walk full of birdsong. Three short waymarked trails start from the courtyard; children can build dens and hunt for bugs, dogs are welcome on leads, and there is a cafe and a second-hand bookshop. Tips from visitors: non-members pay for the car park, and the trails are short, so allow an hour or two rather than a whole day.