Best Somerset Cider Farms to Visit with Kids (2026)
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This guide covers the Somerset cider farms that work as a family day out – not just the ones that make good cider (these all do)
Somerset and cider go like Devon and clotted cream – it’s not a stereotype so much as a simple fact of the landscape. We’ve got more heritage orchards than any county in England, and come October the whole place smells faintly of fermenting apples, in the nicest possible way. It’s part of what makes this one of the best things to do in Somerset any time between late summer and Christmas.
The good news for parents: you don’t have to leave the kids at home for any of it. A handful of Somerset’s cider farms have thought about family visitors – playgrounds, farm animals you can feed, orchard trails for little legs.
As September rolls in, Somerset’s apple season is upon us, and with it comes a whole crop of family-friendly events celebrating our county’s juiciest treasures: cider and apple juice. From pizza picnics beneath apple-laden branches to orchard strolls under crimson-globed boughs, farm animals, classic cars, and even a woodland sprite sanctuary hidden beneath the trees. These gatherings offer more than just a taste of local cider-making heritage – they’re often a wholesome day out in Somerset’s most idyllic rural corners, a way of learning about the region’s cider-making heritage, and often located in idyllic rural surroundings.
So pack a blanket and head for the orchards! Here’s my pick of the best cider farms in Somerset.
Burrow Hill Cider Farm, Kingsbury Episcopi
As the apple trees hang heavy with fruit, Burrow Hill Cider Farm’s orchards come alive each Saturday from spring to September. The legendary turquoise Cider Bus serves a range of drinks crafted from fruit grown on the farm, to be quaffed alongside grub from some of Somerset’s tastiest street food vendors.
Climb the hill for mighty, uninterrupted, 360 degree views over the colour-changing Somerset landscape, then settle beneath the orchard trees, surrounded by pooches, picnicking families and free-range children.
Sheppy’s Cider Farm, Bradford-on-Tone
Wander through orchards flushed with bauble-like fruits at Sheppy’s cider farm. With 90 acres of orchards, there are some 19,000 trees at which to marvel.
Choose from three signposted trails, ranging from 20-60 minutes, winding through rows of trees bursting with fruit. Along the way, kids can spot farm animals, explore the play area, or linger by the duck pond.
After your walk, settle in at the award-winning café or farm shop for traditional, seasonally-pressed cider, deli treats and seasonal bites – a wholesome slice of early autumn in the Somerset countryside.
Opening times: Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 10am-4pm (café serves breakfast until 11am, lunch 12-3pm). Always worth checking sheppyscider.com before you go.
North Down Orchard
Set on a working cider farm near Haselbury Plucknett and oozing oodles of rustic Somerset charm, North Down Orchard hosts a family-friendly Vintage and Classic Car Meet on the first Sunday of the month from 2pm, plus kid-welcoming Friday and Saturday nights with live music and yummy street food. Check their socials for the latest up-to-date info.
Cider will be flowing in the barn – just a stone’s throw from where the apples are grown, pressed and transformed into North Down’s signature sip.
Torre Cider Farm, Watchet
Towering, intricate treehouses fit for fairy-sized folk, carved wooden doors hidden among the apple trees, stools shaped like hands and far-reaching countryside views – the Sprite Sanctuary at Torre Cider Farm near Watchet makes for an enchanting orchard stroll with youngsters.
Add in farm animals, a play area, hammocks for lounging, a farm shop filled with Scrumpy cider (picked, pressed and processed onsite) and a cafe serving up wood-fired pizza and you’ve got yourself a day steeped in Somerset whimsy and charm. There’s glamping too, if you fancy staying longer.
Open Saturdays, 10am-3pm.
Perry’s Cider Farm, Dowlish Wake
With its thatched roofs, vintage wagons, barrel planters and time-leaning stone walls, the family-run Perry’s Cider in Dowlish Wake oozes rustic character.
Its cider roots run deep – the business has been in the family since 1920 when it was founded by owner George’s grandfather’s uncle, William Churchill, (not that one, though a case was sent to his namesake during WWII).
A ford runs between the orchard and the farm shop – which my kids LOVE to paddle in, and the Cafe – Canteen at Perry’s – (sister to Olive Kitchen at Martock Workspace) is open Monday-Saturday 10am-3pm. Expect homemade brunch, lunch, cakes and barista coffee and a selection of drinks including cider.
Harry’s Cider, Long Sutton
Kick off an apple-packed Saturday with a laid-back, family-friendly afternoon at Harry’s Cider, Littlefield Farm, Long Sutton.
On select dates, visiting punters can shimmy along to live music and graze on tasty bites alongside top-notch cider and apple juice.
The new taproom and cider shop, sits just 50 metres from the orchard where the apples are picked, pressed, and fermented – so you can sip and share stories, while overlooking views of the trees that gave life to every pint.
Bring the kids and well-behaved dogs (on leads in outside areas) to enjoy the chilled-out Somerset vibes.
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