Mere

About

Mere is a small town with a big heart and superb location.

This pretty Wiltshire town is just a stone’s throw away from the borders with Somerset and Dorset where the Blackmore Vale meets the chalk downs that extend westward from Salisbury Plain.  Large parts of the surroundings are designated as ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty’.

Mere was put on the map by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, a son of King John, when he built a castle in the 1250’s on what is now Castle Hill. After abandonment in 1398, the castle gradually disappeared as its stone was salvaged for building in the town.  But the medieval street pattern that Earl Richard probably established still survives, with a central market place called The Square.  The Clock Tower of 1868 is the main focus of The Square.  It was paid for by the Prince of Wales, whose emblem appears on the front of the building.  The Duchy of Cornwall remains a major landowner in and around Mere.  Today’s Mere has a good community spirit and range of facilities serving the town and surrounding villages:  library, first rate Museum with an Information Point, post office, pharmacy, greengrocer, supermarket, cafes and three pubs.  St Michael’s Church is considered to be one of the most interesting in Wiltshire and is well worth a visit with its 15th Century carved Jacobean pews and Parclose Screen. Local businesses, worthy of visits, include Yapp Brothers wine merchants, Mere Trout fish farming, Charles Farris candle making and Hillbrush brush manufacturing.

The Town Council maintains two free car parks and public toilets and the town also offers excellent sporting facilities including football, cricket, tennis, bowls, a golf driving range, fishing lakes and archery. There are three equipped play areas in town and a skate park to entertain children and teenagers.  Mere has a vast footpath network offering excellent walking opportunities that cater for those who want a leisurely walk and also those that want more challenging routes – the Monarch’s Way passes through the town, as does the Wiltshire Cycleway.

Mere Down Falconry offers experience days, courses and flying displays and nearby attractions include, of course the beautiful National Trust Gardens at Stourhead, Longleat and Wincanton Racecourse.  Larger cities like Bath, Salisbury and Wells are approx. 25 miles away.  Plenty of accommodation is available in and around Mere including caravan camping sites, Bed & Breakfast, hotels and self-catering holiday home and apartment rentals.