Jack Roberts

The Donyatt Show recorded more than 100 additional entries, welcomed five new exhibitors and raised over £400 in profit despite challenging growing conditions. Proceeds will go to The Friends of the Stop Line Path to enhance the cycle route through Donyatt. The event also featured donated raffle prizes, homemade food and refreshments, while several participants received awards across floral art, horticulture, cookery, photography and crafts.

Wessex Water has imposed a temporary hosepipe ban across Somerset, affecting households and businesses in its supply area. The restrictions prohibit hosepipe use for activities including garden watering, private vehicle and outdoor-surface cleaning, boat cleaning, pond maintenance and filling domestic pools or fountains. Some exemptions apply for medical or mobility needs and certain water-saving measures, while alternative water sources such as rainwater and grey water may be used. The ban remains in force until further notice, and breaches may result in fines of up to £1,000.

Ilminster Carnival's children's procession is scheduled to return on October 3, with participation open to children up to age 16. The event will feature seven classes, including singles, pairs and groups, as well as a category for shop-bought costumes. It will begin at 11:15 a.m. from the Isle Youth Club.

Sitar player Ricky Romain, who has performed Indian classical music for more than 50 years and trained under a direct disciple of Ravi Shankar, will perform at The Millhouse in Ilminster at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 21. The performance will feature free improvisation and complex rhythms, while drawing on Romain’s collaborations across jazz, rock, folk, world and Western classical music. Tickets are available in advance or at the door.

Chard is expected to experience a mostly sunny but changeable week, with cloud, light showers and sunny intervals from Wednesday through Friday before brighter conditions over the weekend. Highs are forecast to range from 20°C to 23°C, with overnight lows between 9°C and 13°C. Wind gusts could reach 28mph, while high UV levels are expected daily and moderate pollen levels are forecast for Saturday.

ChardRock 2026 raised £4,646.01 for the South West MS Therapy Centre, attracting more than 500 attendees on each day and featuring 17 bands, including tribute acts and a closing performance by Forever Queen. Organisers thanked attendees, volunteers, helpers, and Robin and Joan Arnold for supporting the event. The next festival is scheduled for August 14–15, 2027, with tickets already available.

South Somerset will host a range of events from August 19 to 25, 2026, including a Paganini-inspired classical concert in Crewkerne, two art exhibitions and a sitar performance in Ilminster, an acoustic night in South Petherton, and screenings in Yeovil. Highlights include Puccini’s Turandot on Sydney Harbour and Chris Packham’s National Emergency Briefing, a film addressing the climate and nature crisis and advocating a large-scale national response.

Lawrences Auctioneers will hold a valuation day at Ferne Animal Sanctuary in Chard on September 24, allowing visitors to have items appraised for a minimum donation of £1 per item. Proceeds will support the sanctuary, which recently suffered a break-in and theft of essential animal-feeding equipment. The event follows Lawrences’ £1,000 donation to Ferne’s Crisis Appeal and forms part of a longer-term corporate partnership.

A six-bedroom detached barn conversion in East Stoke, near Yeovil and Stoke-sub-Hamdon, is listed for £975,000 through Symonds & Sampson. The property sits on a 0.27-acre plot and includes multiple reception rooms, six bedrooms, a jacuzzi-equipped en-suite, a double garage, parking for up to eight cars, enclosed gardens and two summerhouses. It is near Ham Hill Country Park, local schools and amenities, has access to the A303, and is being sold with no onward chain.

Passion for Somerset CIC has partnered with Young Somerset to give young people a greater role in Somerset’s future. The collaboration will support the Unlocking Somerset Talent initiative by connecting education providers, employers, communities and voluntary organizations, with a focus on skills, confidence, employment, training, volunteering and leadership. Both organizations say the partnership will help remove barriers, strengthen the future workforce and ensure young people can reach their full potential.

Residents in South Somerset can comment on proposed traffic management orders, including parking restrictions, speed-limit changes, one-way systems, road closures and event restrictions, before they are implemented. Somerset Council and other highways authorities must publish these proposals for public consultation, and resident feedback can influence final decisions. Notices published in local newspapers are also available through the free Public Notice Portal, which supports postcode and map searches and email alerts.

A four-bedroom detached house in Dowlish Wake, near Ilminster, is listed for £850,000 by Greenslade Taylor Hunt. The extended 1970s property sits on about one-third of an acre in a conservation area and includes a cinema-equipped lounge, a fitted kitchen with Bosch appliances, a study, four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large south-facing garden with an Italian stone patio.

A renovated four-bedroom detached house on Combe Street Lane in Yeovil is being marketed for £550,000 by Greenslade Taylor Hunt. Improvements include a new kitchen, bathrooms, boiler, flooring, partial rewiring and redecoration. The property also offers a garage, substantial driveway, landscaped garden, countryside views and a World War II bunker.

A four-bedroom detached house on The Park in Yeovil is listed for £595,000. The property includes four double bedrooms, multiple reception and utility spaces, a conservatory, a detached double garage, off-road parking, and a south-facing rear garden with a patio and built-in barbecue area. It is located less than a mile from Yeovil District Hospital and the town centre, with transport links to Yeovil Pen Mill station and the A30.

South Petherton professional sailor Amy Smith completed the 40,000-nautical-mile Clipper 2025–26 Round the World Yacht Race as first mate aboard the Qingdao yacht. She and her crew won the final race from Oban to Portsmouth after almost a year at sea, facing ocean crossings, storms, extreme temperatures and demanding round-the-clock shifts. The race trains non-professional sailors, many of whom begin without sailing experience, and applications are open for the next event in summer 2027.

A five-bedroom detached house on Monmouth Close in Chard is being marketed by Greenslade Taylor Hunt for £595,000. The extended property includes multiple reception rooms, a kitchen with an island, five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a wraparound garden, parking for up to six cars and a double garage. It is located less than a mile from Chard town centre and near the reservoir nature reserve, and has an EPC rating of C.

A three-bedroom detached house in Ilminster, built in 1975 and extensively improved since 2022, has been listed for £835,000. Set on 0.44 acres within walking distance of the town centre, the property includes countryside views, a modern extension, triple garage, south-facing garden, sun terrace and potential for a fourth bedroom. Its interior features bespoke kitchen units, renovated bathrooms, multiple reception spaces and a master bedroom with en-suite facilities.

Horton Cross Nursing Home in Ilminster held a summer fete attended by residents, families and members of the wider community. Liberal Democrat MP Adam Dance opened the event alongside Ilminster mayor Michelle Gunn and councillor Val Keitch, with a surprise visit from Dance’s donkey, Rupert. Entertainment, games, stalls, refreshments and a raffle helped raise funds for residents’ activities, outings, hobbies and therapeutic experiences.

South Somerset has a range of events scheduled from July 29 to August 4, 2026, including a Chard talk on pioneering politician Margaret Bondfield led by biographer Nan Sloane, a relaxed piano concert in Crewkerne, a botanical illustration workshop in Ilminster, and a community coffee morning in South Petherton. Yeovil will host performances by the Spooky Men's Chorale and the musical Rock of Ages.

An investigation by The Big Issue and Pavement magazine found inconsistent heatwave support for rough sleepers across English councils, including an initial finding that Somerset had not activated its Severe Weather Emergency Protocol during the record-breaking May heatwave. Somerset Council later clarified that the information supplied for the Freedom of Information request was incorrect and said SWEP had been active, with outreach teams providing water, sun cream, hats, isotonic drinks and access to cool spaces. The investigation also found wide variation in emergency accommodation and outreach provision across London and other areas. The findings have prompted concern that increasingly severe heat is not receiving the same coordinated policy response as cold weather.

Unity Beach resort in Brean has opened an £11 million water attraction following investment by its new owners. The development includes a new outdoor lido with three flumes, two pools, more than 200 sun loungers and 15 cabanas, alongside upgrades to the indoor pool. Other additions include festival gardens, the Wonky Donkey pub and restaurant, a sports bar, a high-tech arcade and family activities such as wizard workshops, arts and crafts and evening shows.

A charity quiz organised by Amicus Law’s Ilminster team at The Shrubbery Hotel raised £1,041.25 for Children’s Hospice South West. The event, supported by 15 businesses and the wider community, will help fund care, respite and emotional support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. Amicus Law plans to hold further fundraising activities for the charity throughout the year.

Chard Community Hub is offering a broad programme of free activities for children and families during the summer holidays, including play, arts and crafts, reading, cinema-style sessions, health-visiting support and youth services. The hub is working with local organisations and also provides practical assistance such as a pay-as-you-can school uniform scheme, community food services, a baby bank and pet food support. Families can obtain further information through the hub’s email, telephone number or Facebook page.

Somerset’s NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is marking its 20th anniversary after detecting more than 800 cancers, removing 2,500 high-risk polyps and completing over 13,500 procedures. The programme uses home FIT kits sent every two years to eligible people aged 50 to 75, with abnormal results followed up through specialist investigations such as colonoscopies. The service has expanded its workforce, outreach and age range, and is preparing to lower the FIT threshold to identify more cancers and polyps earlier, while increasing capacity to meet expected demand.

Ditton Street and Listers Hill in Ilminster will close between 8am and 6pm from Wednesday, July 29, to Friday, July 31, while National Grid replaces poles. Somerset Council will enforce the 187-metre closure under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, with alternative routes available. Motorists seeking information can contact National Grid using reference number ttro415921S.

A four-bedroom detached, chain-free freehold house on Dening Close in Chard is listed by British Homesellers for offers over £540,000. The property includes an open-plan kitchen and dining area, utility room, conservatory, lounge, three bathrooms, four bedrooms, a rear garden, driveway and double garage. It has an EPC rating of C and is located near schools, supermarkets and parks.

A four-bedroom detached house in Stocklinch near Ilminster is listed for £595,000 through Greenslade Taylor Hunt. The property includes three reception rooms, a kitchen and utility room, four bedrooms, a double garage, a gated driveway and gardens on a quarter-acre plot, including a large lawn and summerhouse.

A £750 donation from Taylor Wimpey Exeter has advanced St Bartholomew’s Primary School’s campaign to refurbish its playground. The school seeks to replace ageing equipment with a safer, modern play area, and both the headteacher and the company’s sales and marketing director emphasised the importance of supporting children and the local community.

A roundup of music, theatre and cultural events scheduled across South Somerset between July 22 and 28, including concerts in Crewkerne and South Petherton, a play at the Swan Theatre, a heritage talk at Westlands Entertainment Venue and an Irish dance show in Yeovil, with details on times, ticket prices and booking information.

A detached four-bedroom home in Combe St Nicholas has been listed for £850,000, offering four acres of land and views across the Blackdown Hills. The property includes multiple living spaces, a double garage, extensive parking, and fields opposite the main garden area. The estate agent describes it as a spacious family home that would benefit from modernisation, situated in a village close to Chard and its amenities.