ancient ruins
Roman Baths, Bath
Remarkably preserved Roman bathing complex fed by Britain's only natural hot springs, surrounded by elegant Georgian architecture.
12 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Radstock
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Radstock
Radstock works well as a base: 10 minutes from Paulton, 17km from Wookey Hole Caves.
Radstock is in England, United Kingdom, with about 5,300 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Paulton, about 4 km away.
Radstock is a town and civil parish on the northern slope of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, about 9 miles (14 km) south-west of Bath and 8 miles (13 km) north-west of Frome. It is within the area of the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 6,149,Read more
and the built-up area as defined by the Office for National Statistics, which extends into the neighbouring parish of Westfield, had a population of 9,980.
Radstock has been settled since the Iron Age, and its importance grew after the construction of the Fosse Way, a Roman road. The town grew after 1763, when coal was discovered in the area. Large numbers of mines opened during the 19th century, including several owned by the Waldegrave family, who had been Lords of the Manor since the Civil War. Admiral Lord Radstock, brother of George, fourth Earl Waldegrave, took the town's name as his title when created a Baron.
The spoil heap of Writhlington colliery is now the Writhlington Site of Special Scientific Interest, which includes 3,000 tons of Upper Carboniferous spoil from which more than 1,400 insect fossil specimens have been recovered. The complex geology and narrow seams made coal extraction difficult. Tonnage increased throughout the 19th century, reaching a peak around 1901, when there were 79 separate collieries and annual production was 1,250,000 tons per annum. However, due to local geological difficulties and manpower shortages, output declined and the number of pits reduced from 30 at the beginning of the 20th century to 14 by the mid-thirties; the last two pits, Kilmersdon and Writhlington, closed in September 1973. Manufacturing industries such as printing, binding and packaging provide some local employment. In recent years, Radstock has increasingly become a commuter town for the cities of Bath and Bristol.
Radstock is home to the Radstock Museum which is housed in a former market hall, and has a range of exhibits which offer an insight into north-east Somerset life since the 19th century. Many of the exhibits relate to local geology and the now disused Somerset coalfield. The town is also home to Writhlington School, famous for its Orchid collection, and a range of educational, religious and cultural buildings and sporting clubs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Radstock?
Within an hour or so of Radstock: Roman Baths, Bath (12 km), Wells Cathedral (17 km), Wookey Hole Caves (17 km), Ebbor Gorge (18 km).
Are there any good drives near Radstock?
The nearest famous roads are Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135), A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth) and Rhinefield Ornamental Drive.
Where is Radstock?
Radstock is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Paulton.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 5,275
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 51.2920, -2.4450
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 Radstock
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.
17 km · about 20 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.
17 km · about 20 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.
18 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Westbury White Horse
The oldest of Wiltshire's chalk horses, cut into the escarpment below the Iron Age hillfort of Bratton Camp.
21 km · about 25 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.
22 km · about 25 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.
22 km · about 25 min drive
bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's iconic 1864 suspension bridge soaring 75m above the Avon Gorge at Bristol, still carrying traffic and glowing with lights after dark.
22 km · about 25 min drive
Driving roads near Radstock
- 22 kmCheddar Gorge ViewpointEngland's largest gorge with 450-foot limestone cliffs, offering jaw-dropping views from several pull-off points along the winding road.
- 22 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.
- 22 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.
- 47 kmDevil's PulpitA narrow limestone pinnacle perched above the Wye Valley near Tintern Abbey, offering a dizzying view down through the forest canopy.
- 48 kmA466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth)A wooded riverside road through a designated AONB past Tintern Abbey, gentle and beautiful rather than challenging.
- 63 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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