Nether Stowey, Somerset
Quite a big and thriving village just off the A39 at the foot of the Quantock Hills, famous for its associations with the romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, whose cottage is now owned by the National Trust and is open to the public. There’s a few shops, a library, a tea shop, three pubs including the Ancient Mariner, and the remains of a Norman castle where allegedly, bear baiting, cock fighting and boxing bouts took place in the 18th and 19th centuries. The clock tower is quite fascinating, and there's a second-hand bookshop in a rambling 16th century building, chock to the rafters and great for a browse.
All information correct at the time of writing