Otterhead Lakes, Churchstanton, Taunton, Somerset
Anyone who appreciates peace, tranquility and beauty will like Otterhead Lakes. This local nature reserve on the Blackdown Hills in Somerset is where the River Otter rises and used to form part of a Victorian estate, at its heart, a rather grand house with terraced gardens and a series of cascading lakes, of which two remain, forming the main part of the reserve.
The house was demolished in 1952 and the gardens soon reclaimed by Mother Nature but these days it’s very well managed and is a haven for wildlife with a mix of semi-natural habitats. Hang around long enough and you’ll spot swans, ducks, moorhen, dipper, wagtail, and if you’re very lucky you might even see a kingfisher dart across the water. Knowing the history helps, but all the same, there’s an undeniable haunting air at Otterhead Lakes, an air of faded grandeur, of what once was.
There’s a circular walk you can do from the car park around the lakes and woodlands, or a longer one through fields, around lanes and across a turbary.
All information correct at the time of writing