ancient ruins
Roman Baths, Bath
Remarkably preserved Roman bathing complex fed by Britain's only natural hot springs, surrounded by elegant Georgian architecture.
13 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Paulton
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Paulton
Paulton works well as a base: 10 minutes from Clutton, 15km from Wookey Hole Caves.
Paulton is in England, United Kingdom, with about 4,900 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Clutton, about 4 km away.
Paulton (English: ) is a large village and civil parish, with a population of 5,302, located to the north of the Mendip Hills, very close to Norton Radstock in the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset (BANES), England.
Paulton is a former coal mining village and the terminus of the Somerset Coal Canal isRead more
at Paulton basin, just north of the village. Paulton was home to the now-closed Polestar Purnells printing factory and Ashman's boot factory, where 'Voidax' safety footwear was manufactured, and in particular Motorcycle speedway boots. The area has been designated as an 'area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance' under section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
Paulton has a small hospital, doctors surgery, dentist, chemist, nursing home, library, public swimming pool, newsagent, travel agent, two convenience stores, a filling station, three takeaways, fire station, two pre-schools (Noahs Ark Preschool and Acorn Preschool), an infant school, and a junior school. The village is also served by a nearby supermarket.
There are two pubs in the village: The Red Lion and The Lamb.
A licensed bar and restaurant: La Campagna was previously a public house known as The Winterfield Inn (which closed in 2015).
Until the mid-1980s, there was also The Queen Victoria, but this was demolished to make way for flats, and The Somerset Inn which closed in 2011, with the adjoining paddock the subject of an unsuccessful planning application since, which would have seen it turned into a 22 home housing estate. There are also two members' clubs in the village, Paulton Rovers F.C. and Greyfield's Sports and Social club.
The centre of the village is the location for the war memorial and a small library. There is another war memorial just outside the village, to the southwest, which commemorates the location where 23 men were killed on 17 September 1944 when the glider they were flying in crashed en route from R.A.F. Keevil to Arnhem, as part of Operation Market Garden.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Paulton?
Within an hour or so of Paulton: Roman Baths, Bath (13 km), Wells Cathedral (14 km), Wookey Hole Caves (15 km), Ebbor Gorge (15 km).
Are there any good drives near Paulton?
The nearest famous roads are Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135), A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth) and Porlock Hill.
Where is Paulton?
Paulton is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Clutton.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 4,873
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 51.3047, -2.5003
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Paulton
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cathedral
Wells Cathedral
Exquisite Early English Gothic cathedral with a magnificent sculpted west front displaying nearly 300 medieval figures.
14 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
Wookey Hole Caves
A series of chambers carved by the River Axe through the Mendips, occupied in the Iron Age and famous for the Witch of Wookey.
15 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
Ebbor Gorge
A quiet wooded limestone gorge and national nature reserve on the Mendip scarp above Wookey, with views across the Somerset Levels.
15 km · about 30 min drive
natural wonder
Cheddar Gorge
Britain's largest gorge with 450-foot limestone cliffs, ancient caves containing the oldest complete human skeleton found in Britain.
18 km · about 20 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Cheddar Gorge Viewpoint
England's largest gorge with 450-foot limestone cliffs, offering jaw-dropping views from several pull-off points along the winding road.
18 km · about 20 min drive
famous road
Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135)
The B3135 threads the floor of England's largest gorge beneath 137m limestone cliffs, tight and dramatic but often busy with visitors and goats.
18 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Cheddar Gorge and Gough's Cave
Britain's largest gorge, 137m deep, with show caves that yielded Cheddar Man, Britain's oldest complete skeleton.
18 km · about 20 min drive
Driving roads near Paulton
- 18 kmCheddar Gorge ViewpointEngland's largest gorge with 450-foot limestone cliffs, offering jaw-dropping views from several pull-off points along the winding road.
- 18 kmCheddar Gorge Road (B3135)The B3135 threads the floor of England's largest gorge beneath 137m limestone cliffs, tight and dramatic but often busy with visitors and goats.
- 19 kmClifton Suspension BridgeIsambard Kingdom Brunel's iconic 1864 suspension bridge soaring 75m above the Avon Gorge at Bristol, still carrying traffic and glowing with lights after dark.
- 45 kmDevil's PulpitA narrow limestone pinnacle perched above the Wye Valley near Tintern Abbey, offering a dizzying view down through the forest canopy.
- 45 kmA466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth)A wooded riverside road through a designated AONB past Tintern Abbey, gentle and beautiful rather than challenging.
- 61 kmSymonds Yat RockA famous viewpoint 504 feet above the River Wye, where peregrine falcons nest and the river performs a dramatic horseshoe bend.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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