THE House of Somerset plans for a sort of ‘Gateway to Somerset’ in Foxmoor Business Park, aiming to encourage visitors to stop in Wellington and Somerset, rather than continuing on to Devon and Cornwall, might look promising, but will it ever actually happen?

The idea of a tourist hub, in the style of Gloucester Services, has been rumbling on for roughly a year but to me the main problem with it is that it seems to be in the wrong place. 

Don’t get me wrong, I am very attached to Welly, and the sign of a fairly significant project being set up so close to us is a nice thought, but surely a ‘Gateway to Somerset’ shouldn’t be just as you’re leaving Somerset?

Which is what most visitors to the region would be doing, coming from the rest of the country down to the South-West. 

The obvious place for a gateway would be further up the M5, towards Bridgwater and beyond, but as I think about it, that would be a bit wasted. Up there, they already have big brown signs for Cheddar Gorge and Glastonbury Tor and whatever else is going on, but down here there isn’t a lot to pull people off the motorway.

Down here, where the scenery is much better than the Levels, and where we have more big obelisks than you can shake a stick at, we don’t get much attention.

So maybe it is time for that to change. If only we can find some money somewhere to build it. I’ll have a look down the back of the sofa.

John Gilding