Deep in the rolling Somerset countryside, Ilminster, with its imposing church and the winding River Ile, is a vision of pastoral beauty. One of the town’s best-loved attractions is Barrington Court, a well-preserved manor house with stunning formal gardens, an arboretum and traditional kitchen gardens. Younger visitors to Ilminster will clamour for a trip to the famous wildlife park at Cricket St Thomas nearby, which has a dizzying variety of animals including leopards and cheetahs.