What's on: Shepton Mallet’s summer calendar heats up

What's On in Shepton Mallet is brought to you by the Bath & West Showground — home to the biggest events in Somerset

Families around Shepton Mallet still have woodland holiday clubs, community activities and days out to consider. There is enough on the calendar to challenge any confident announcement that there is "absolutely nothing to do".

First up, Mythical Creatures continues at Wells Cathedral until Tuesday, 1 September. Children can search the cathedral for dragons, griffins, unicorns and other mysterious creatures said to have escaped from books in its medieval library. Frankly, if something is going to escape from a library, a dragon has considerably more flair than an overdue gardening manual. The trail is available between 9am and 4.30pm and is included with standard cathedral admission or a valid admission pass.

Dragon puppet-making and Singing Serpents workshops are also taking place on selected dates. Families should check the cathedral's programme for the remaining sessions and prepare for the possibility of taking home a new cardboard-based family member.

School Summer Holidays at The Bishop's Palace continues in Wells until Wednesday, 2 September. Families can explore the Palace and its 14 acres of gardens, follow a Pollinators Trail and visit the Splash Play Zone and Dragon's Lair play area. Nature Ninjas, Art Adventurers, crafts and other hands-on activities are taking place on selected dates. Holiday activities are included with standard admission, although separately advertised performances may require another ticket.

At Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Museum, Old MacDonald's Farm Trail continues until Tuesday, 1 September. Children can search the museum for farm animals, discover where they live and receive a small free prize after completing the trail.

The activity is included with admission, and the ticket also acts as an annual pass. Visitors can return to try other activities, including the Amy Ammonite Trail and Bob the Miner Trail. One ticket, several adventures and a prize at the end is a strong showing from Old MacDonald.

At Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury, Summer Fun on the Farm offers gallery activities, visiting animals and creative sessions during the summer. Craft activities are inspired by the museum's Harry Brockway exhibition, while the Grain Store Café is open for light refreshments — an important detail for anybody whose cultural appreciation improves considerably after cake.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, between 10am and 5pm. Drop-in activities are free with a Museum Unlimited Annual Pass. Other visitors should check current admission prices directly with the museum.

Also at Somerset Rural Life Museum, Harry Brockway: Ways with Wood celebrates the work of the Glastonbury-based artist Harry Brockway, who lived from 1958 to 2024. The exhibition includes wood engravings, woodcuts and wooden sculptures. Brockway worked as a printmaker, sculptor, illustrator and stone carver, and illustrated editions of books including Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and works by Philip Pullman.

Admission is listed as £11 for adults, £9 for concessions and £5.25 for children aged five to 17. Children aged under five can enter free, while admission is also free with a Museum Unlimited pass. It is a chance to introduce children to fine craftsmanship before they return home and glue three cereal boxes together.

Wells Cathedral School is opening its five-lane swimming pool for public and family sessions during the holidays. The pool has a retractable roof, allowing swimmers to enjoy the summer sunshine when it appears and close ranks when the clouds inevitably begin plotting.

Sessions can be booked online. Families should check availability before travelling because opening times vary during the holidays.

Wells Film Centre offers a rainy-day option, with family films being screened throughout the summer. Dates and times change as new releases are added, so families should check the current programme and consider booking ahead for popular screenings. Popcorn remains optional in theory, although children may take a different legal view.

The Square soft-play centre on Priory Road in Wells provides another indoor option for younger children. When the rain has cancelled the park, the garden is beginning to resemble a pond and everyone has been indoors since 7am, soft play can look less like an option and more like a strategic masterstroke.

A short journey outside Wells, Wookey Hole offers its caves alongside Dinosaur Valley, adventure golf and indoor and outdoor play areas. Most activities are included with admission, although families should check restrictions, seasonal offers and booking requirements before setting out. Caves, dinosaurs and adventure golf in one trip is an admirably committed approach to keeping everybody occupied.

Ebbor Gorge National Nature Reserve offers a free outdoor option, with woodland paths, streams and walking trails. Much of the terrain is unsuitable for buggies, and younger children may need to be carried on steeper sections. Visitors should wear suitable footwear and take care following wet or dry weather.

The clean white trainers may be best left at home unless somebody is keen to conduct an ambitious before-and-after experiment.

The remaining Wild Wednesdays sessions will take place at the Somerset Earth Science Centre in Stoke St Michael on Wednesday, 5 August, Wednesday, 12 August, Wednesday, 19 August and Wednesday, 26 August. The summer holiday club is for children aged five to ten and follows a forest-school approach.

Activities include den building, natural arts and crafts and campfire cooking, giving children the chance to return home with practical skills, rosy cheeks and at least one stick they consider essential. A five-hour session runs from 10am to 3pm and costs £25. A shorter session runs from 10am to 12.30pm and costs £16. Concessions are available on a sliding scale.

On Friday, 31 July, Summer Late Openings at The Bishop's Palace will give visitors a chance to explore the Palace grounds between 6pm and 8pm, with last entry at 7.30pm. Visitors can bring a picnic, relax on the lawns and see the grounds during the evening. It is all the pleasure of an outdoor meal, with considerably finer surroundings than the usual patch of grass beside the car park. Further public openings are scheduled for Friday, 7 August, Friday, 14 August, Friday, 21 August and Friday, 28 August.

On Saturday, 1 August, and Sunday, 2 August, the Children's World Family Festival will take place at Paddington Farm in Glastonbury. The festival runs from 11am to 5pm on both days and is being presented by Children's World Charity and Devito's Circus.

The programme includes circus performances, arts and crafts, music with Big Fam Disco, drumming, a children's talent show, face painting, walkabout entertainers and bubbles with Rainbow Ghecko. It is a generous line-up, presumably designed to prevent anybody having enough spare time to announce they are bored. Advance tickets cost £8.50 per person for each day, with £2 for parking. Children aged under five can attend free but still require a ticket.

On Sunday, 2 August, the Royal Air Forces Association Mid-Somerset Branch Summer Barbecue will take place at the Cider Barn at Ad Astra Cider Farm in Stone Allerton, BS26 2NG. Guests are welcome from noon, with the barbecue beginning at 1pm and the event finishing at 4pm.

Local events can be added free through Wells Nub News, Shepton Mallet Nub News or Glastonbury and Street Nub News. There is no charge, so local organisers can save the budget for the important things — bunting, biscuits or emergency extension leads.