Thursday 1st May

Thursday, 1 May 2025 at 06:00

By Steve Haigh

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape, previously known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Somerset is home to four national landscapes: the Blackdown Hills, the Mendip Hills, the Quantock Hills, and Exmoor National Park. Councillor Henry Hobhouse, who represents Castle Cary on Somerset Council, believes Somerset deserves a fifth national landscape, arguing it will protect the Levels' historic character.

An Ilminster mother says Somerset Council has left her teenage daughter " in limbo." Kelly’s daughter has special educational needs and undertakes supported employment at Silver Lining’s café in Ilminster. Silver Linings says because Somerset Council has delayed issuing the paperwork, Kelly’s daughter can no longer work at the cafe.

Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey. MD Jonathan Price says this is to protect the long-term viability of the business following a drop in sales.

A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus by running the London Marathon. Warren Morgan’s daughter attends Fairmead School in Yeovil, to whom the £2,000 will be donated.

A shop in Henstridge is helping parents who struggle to buy items for their children. The Honesty Jar lets people pick up items such as school uniforms in return for donating things that they want to get rid of.

A new café has opened at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard. ‘Perdida is a Latin American fusion café located in the redesigned conference room.

Somerset Day is Saturday, May 10th, and Sunday, May 11th. As part of celebrating all that’s best about Somerset through cider and cheese trails, children’s storytelling, and village fetes, the highlight of the two-day event will be a performance on Saturday by the Wurzels at Rich’s Cider Farm in Watchfield.

More from News

Thursday 12th November

Somerset’s gritters are on standby as temperatures fall below freezing in parts of the county. A major restoration project at Montacute House near Yeovil is nearing completion. Two pubs in our area have been named among the UK's top 100 in the latest Good Food Guide rankings... and more
Wednesday 11th November

Two-thirds of police officers at Avon and Somerset Police say they're often too fatigued to carry out their duties. A local councillor is calling for more female-only accommodation to be provided to help end rough sleeping. Somerset’s motorway service stations have been ranked among some of the worst in the country... and more
Tuesday 10th November

Somerset’s housing target could be cut by almost 15,000 homes. More than half a million pounds in Arts Council funding to Taunton’s Brewhouse Theatre has been handed back. People in Somerset with type 2 diabetes are being invited to join a new research study... and more
Monday 9th November

Facial recognition cameras are to be used by police in Somerset for the first time. Badger culling against bovine TB has officially ended in Somerset. The 5-star Summer Lodge Hotel in Evershot has a new owner...and more
Friday 6th November

Up to 70 jobs could go at the Leonardo helicopter factory in Yeovil. Police are investigating a fire at the former Pittard factory in Yeovil. Families on low incomes are being offered tickets at just £3 to this year’s Yeovil pantomime...and more
Thursday 5th November

South West Water says reservoir levels in Somerset are starting to recover after recent heavy rainfall. Castle Cary railway station is to get a new footbridge. A young dancer from Martock has been chosen to perform with the English Youth Ballet... and more
Wednesday 4th November

People in Somerset will go to the polls in May 2028 to elect a new mayor for the Wessex region. A Somerset farmer who failed a breath test after being caught asleep at the wheel of his tractor has narrowly avoided losing his driving licence. The new Ham Hill Visitor Centre has been named a regional winner in the Building Excellence Awards 2026... and more
tuesday 3rd November

Somerset Council says it doesn’t have the money to improve its planning enforcement team. Drivers are being advised that work to replace the central barrier on the M5 near Wellington starts this week. A health food shop in Chard has been crowned High Street Shop of the Year... and more