Proud to Be Somerset: Why Rackstor UK Ltd Calls This Extraordinary County Home
From the honey-stoned crescents of Bath to the dramatic cliffs of Cheddar Gorge, Somerset is a county of astonishing variety. Here is our love letter to the place we are proud to call home.
Somerset, nestled in the south-west of England, is a county that has captivated visitors and residents alike for thousands of years. Spanning from the Bristol Channel coast in the north to the rolling Blackdown Hills in the south, and from the wild expanses of Exmoor in the west to the gentle plains of the Somerset Levels in the east, it is a land of extraordinary contrasts. At Rackstor UK Ltd, we are immensely proud to be based here, and we believe that understanding the character of this remarkable county helps explain who we are as a company: grounded, hardworking, and deeply connected to our community.
The City of Bath: A UNESCO World Heritage Treasure
No article about Somerset would be complete without beginning at Bath, one of only a handful of cities in the entire world to hold UNESCO World Heritage status in its entirety. Founded by the Romans around 60 AD as "Aquae Sulis", the city was built around natural hot springs that still flow today at a constant 46 degrees Celsius. The Roman Baths complex remains one of the finest examples of Roman engineering in northern Europe, drawing over 1.3 million visitors annually.
Beyond its Roman origins, Bath is celebrated for its Georgian architecture. The Royal Crescent, a sweeping arc of 30 terraced houses designed by John Wood the Younger and completed in 1774, is widely regarded as one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture in the United Kingdom. The Circus, Pulteney Bridge (one of only four bridges in the world lined with shops on both sides), and the Assembly Rooms all contribute to a cityscape that feels like stepping back into the 18th century.
Bath is also home to the Thermae Bath Spa, the only natural thermal spa in the UK where visitors can bathe in the same mineral-rich waters the Romans enjoyed two millennia ago. The rooftop pool, with panoramic views across the city's skyline, is an experience quite unlike anything else in England. The city's cultural calendar is equally impressive, with the Bath Festival, Bath Fringe, and the Jane Austen Festival (celebrating the author who lived here from 1801 to 1806) attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
The City of Wells: England's Smallest City
With a population of just over 12,000, Wells holds the distinction of being England's smallest city, a title it earned by virtue of its magnificent cathedral. Wells Cathedral, begun in 1175 and largely completed by 1306, is considered the first English cathedral to be built entirely in the Gothic style. Its west front, adorned with over 300 medieval carved figures, is one of the most remarkable displays of medieval sculpture anywhere in Europe.
Inside the cathedral, the famous scissor arches (added in 1338 to support the central tower) are an engineering marvel that continues to astonish visitors. The cathedral's astronomical clock, dating from around 1390, is the second-oldest clock mechanism in England and still marks the hours with a jousting display of mechanical knights.
The Bishop's Palace, surrounded by a medieval moat where swans have been trained to ring a bell for feeding since the 19th century, and Vicar's Close, the oldest purely residential street in Europe (dating from 1363), make Wells a destination of extraordinary historical depth. The city's twice-weekly market has operated continuously since 1201, granted by a charter from King John.
Cheddar Gorge and the Mendip Hills
Cheddar Gorge, Britain's largest gorge at nearly 140 metres deep and three miles long, is one of the most dramatic natural features in southern England. Carved by meltwater floods during successive ice ages, the gorge's towering limestone cliffs are home to rare Cheddar Pink wildflowers and peregrine falcons. The Cheddar Showcaves, including Gough's Cave and Cox's Cave, contain some of the finest stalactite and stalagmite formations in the country.
It was in Gough's Cave that "Cheddar Man" was discovered in 1903, a near-complete Mesolithic skeleton dating back approximately 9,000 years, making it one of the oldest near-complete human skeletons ever found in Britain. DNA analysis in 2018 revealed that Cheddar Man likely had dark skin and blue eyes, rewriting assumptions about the appearance of early Britons.
The Mendip Hills, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), stretch for approximately 25 miles from the coast near Weston-super-Mare to Frome. The landscape is characterised by dry stone walls, ancient woodland, and a honeycomb of underground cave systems that make it one of the most important caving regions in the UK. Wookey Hole Caves, another spectacular show cave, has been a visitor attraction since the 1920s and features the legendary Witch of Wookey Hole.
Glastonbury: Myths, Music and Mysticism
Glastonbury is perhaps one of the most spiritually significant places in England. Glastonbury Tor, the iconic conical hill topped by the roofless St Michael's Tower, dominates the Somerset Levels and has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. Legend connects it to the Isle of Avalon from Arthurian mythology, and some traditions claim that Joseph of Arimathea brought the Holy Grail here.
Glastonbury Abbey, once one of the richest and most powerful monasteries in England, was founded in the 7th century and grew to become the burial place of kings, including (according to medieval claims) King Arthur and Queen Guinevere themselves. Though reduced to romantic ruins after the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII in 1539, the abbey remains a site of profound historical importance.
Of course, Glastonbury is also world-famous for the Glastonbury Festival, held at Worthy Farm in nearby Pilton. Founded by Michael Eavis in 1970 with a ticket price of one pound (including free milk from the farm), it has grown into the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world, attracting over 200,000 people and broadcasting to millions globally. The festival has become synonymous with British culture itself.
The Somerset Levels: A Wetland of International Importance
The Somerset Levels and Moors form one of the most important lowland wetland areas in Europe. This vast, flat landscape, much of it at or below sea level, has been shaped by human management for thousands of years. The Sweet Track, a Neolithic timber walkway discovered in the peat, dates to 3807 BC and was once the oldest known engineered road in the world.
Today, the Levels are renowned for their extraordinary birdlife. The RSPB reserves at Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath host spectacular starling murmurations during winter months, when hundreds of thousands of starlings create breathtaking aerial displays at dusk. Bitterns, marsh harriers, great white egrets, and otters have all returned to these carefully managed wetlands, making the Levels a flagship example of successful conservation in the UK.
Exmoor National Park: Wild Beauty on Somerset's Western Edge
Exmoor National Park, which straddles the Somerset-Devon border, encompasses 267 square miles of moorland, ancient woodland, river valleys, and some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in England. The Exmoor coastline features the highest sea cliffs in mainland England, rising to over 300 metres at Countisbury. The park was designated as Europe's first International Dark Sky Reserve in 2011, offering some of the finest stargazing opportunities in the country.
Red deer, the largest native land mammal in the UK, roam freely across Exmoor, and the park is home to the iconic Exmoor ponies, a semi-feral breed that has lived on the moor for thousands of years and is now classified as endangered with fewer than 4,000 remaining worldwide. The villages of Dunster (with its stunning medieval castle and yarn market), Porlock, and Dulverton offer quintessential English countryside charm.
A County of Exceptional Food and Drink
Somerset's food and drink heritage is inseparable from its identity. Cheddar cheese, the most popular cheese in the world, originated in the caves of Cheddar Gorge where the constant temperature and humidity provided perfect maturing conditions. True Somerset Cheddar is still produced by a handful of artisan makers using traditional methods, and it holds Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status from the European Union (retained post-Brexit as a UK GI).
Somerset is equally famous for its cider. The county's orchards, concentrated in the Taunton Vale and along the Levels, produce traditional farmhouse cider that has been made here since at least the Roman period. Producers such as Thatchers, Sheppy's, and Burrow Hill (home of the Somerset Cider Brandy Company, which produces England's only cider brandy) maintain centuries-old traditions whilst innovating for modern palates.
Beyond cheese and cider, Somerset offers an outstanding food scene. The Yeo Valley organic dairy, based near Blagdon, has become a household name. Local farmers' markets in towns such as Frome, Taunton, and Shepton Mallet showcase the county's incredible produce, from rare-breed meats to artisan breads and locally foraged ingredients.
Historic Market Towns and Hidden Gems
Somerset's market towns are among the most characterful in England. Frome, once a centre of the wool trade, has reinvented itself as one of the most creative small towns in the UK, with its independent shops, the monthly Frome Independent market, and a thriving arts scene. Cheap Street, with its open leat (water channel) running down the centre, is one of the most photographed streets in the West Country.
Taunton, the county town, boasts the magnificent Church of St Mary Magdalene with its 163-foot Somerset tower, the Museum of Somerset housed in the medieval Taunton Castle, and excellent connections that make it the commercial heart of the county. Bridgwater, historically a major port and industrial town, is famous for its spectacular annual Guy Fawkes Carnival, the largest illuminated carnival in the world, with some floats measuring over 30 metres in length and carrying up to 30,000 light bulbs.
Shepton Mallet, one of the oldest inland towns in Somerset, is home to the Royal Bath and West Showground, which hosts the annual Royal Bath and West Show (established in 1852) and numerous other agricultural and cultural events. Bruton, a small town in the east of the county, has gained national recognition for its outstanding dining (including the acclaimed At The Chapel restaurant) and the Hauser and Wirth gallery, a world-class contemporary art space set in a beautifully restored farmstead.
Yeovil, the largest town in South Somerset, serves as a vital economic hub and is home to Leonardo Helicopters (formerly Westland Helicopters), which has manufactured helicopters in the town since 1915. The Fleet Air Arm Museum at nearby RNAS Yeovilton houses Europe's largest collection of naval aircraft and is one of the region's most popular family attractions.
Why Rackstor UK Ltd Is Proud to Call Somerset Home
At Rackstor UK Ltd, our roots in Somerset run deep. For over 24 years, we have operated from this extraordinary county, and it has shaped everything about who we are as a company. The same qualities that define Somerset, resilience, craftsmanship, community spirit, and a refusal to cut corners, are the values we bring to every warehouse racking installation, mobile shelving relocation, and storage solution we deliver.
Being based in Somerset gives us strategic advantages too. Our central south-west location means we can reach Bristol, Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon, and South Wales quickly, whilst our nationwide capabilities extend our services to every corner of the United Kingdom. From NHS hospitals and heritage archives to logistics warehouses and manufacturing facilities, we bring Somerset's tradition of quality workmanship to businesses across the country.
Somerset is not just where our business is located; it is part of who we are. We are proud to contribute to the county's economy, to employ local people, and to represent Somerset's values of hard work, quality, and integrity in everything we do. When you work with Rackstor UK Ltd, you work with a company that carries the spirit of Somerset in every project.
Somerset at a Glance
Cities
Bath (UNESCO World Heritage), Wells (smallest city in England)
National Parks
Exmoor (267 sq mi, Europe's first Dark Sky Reserve)
Natural Wonders
Cheddar Gorge, Wookey Hole, Mendip Hills AONB
Famous For
Cheddar cheese, Somerset cider, Glastonbury Festival
Historic Sites
Glastonbury Abbey, Wells Cathedral, Dunster Castle
Wildlife
Starling murmurations, red deer, Exmoor ponies, otters
Market Towns
Frome, Taunton, Bridgwater, Shepton Mallet, Bruton, Yeovil
County Town
Taunton (home to Somerset County Cricket Club)
Storage Solutions Somerset
Racking and shelving services across Taunton, Bridgwater, Yeovil and all Somerset
Pallet Racking Somerset
Expert pallet racking installation across the county
Rackstor UK Ltd
Based in Somerset for over two decades, Rackstor UK Ltd provides industrial storage solutions to businesses across the UK, combining deep local roots with nationwide capability.
Related Services
- Pallet Racking UK →
- Used Pallet Racking UK →
- Mobile Shelving UK →
- Roller Racking UK →
Need Storage Solutions in Somerset?
As a proud Somerset company with over 24 years' experience, we deliver expert racking and shelving solutions across the county and the entire UK.