Somerset is rich in environmental assets from its coastline to the Levels, Exmoor to the Mendips. The landscape varies from windswept moorland to steep wooded valleys, expansive wetland and sheer coastal cliffs. This diversity in habitats leads to an abundance of flora and fauna.
Environmental attractions include the caves at Wookey Hole, the famous Cheddar Gorge, and the tallest tree in England, which is found near Dunster on Exmoor. The natural beauty of the Quantock Hills even inspired famous English poets Coleridge and Wordsworth, who walked the hills in the late 1700’s.
The South West Coast Path starts in Somerset and heads west along the coastline, providing views to the north out over the Bristol Channel, and Wales, and south over Exmoor.
Within Somerset's borders are:
However, this doesn’t paint the whole picture; there are some areas of the County experiencing very different circumstances. Many people living in towns have fewer opportunities to enjoy the rural landscape and may be experiencing poor conditions in their immediate environment.
Environmental Deprivation
The English Indices of Deprivation, published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), are the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas in England. The most recent were published in 2019. Based on 39 indicators, they are organised across seven domains of deprivation which are combined, using appropriate weights, to calculate the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), which is calculated for every Lower layer Super Output Area (LSOA), or neighbourhood, in England. Every such neighbourhood is ranked according to its level of deprivation relative to that of other areas.
One of the seven domains which comprise the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is that of the Living Environment. The indicators used to create the Living Environment index of deprivation are:-
Indoors
Outdoors
Some headlines:-
Source: GOV.UK
Rurality
For more information, see our Rurality page
86.3% of people living here are very or fairly satisfied with where they live, well above the national average of 78.6% (The Place Survey, 2008).