Holford, a village 6 m.  E. from Williton, at the foot of the Quantocks.  Its church is picturesquely situated; in the graveyard is an old cross with a mutilated figure on the shaft.  Past the church, two pleasant combes may be reached, Tannery Combe and Hodder’s Combe (the latter is perhaps a corruption of the name of Odda, the Earl of Devon who aided Alfred, see p. 201).  The hill between them bears the name of Hare Kanp, possibly preserving the memory of the Saxon armies that once marched along the trackway that crosses it (M.E. and A.S. here, an army).  Near Holford is Alfoxden, the residence of Wordsworth in 1797, when Coleridge was at Nether Stowey.

[Illustration:  ALFOXDEN HOUSE, NEAR HOLFORD]

Holton, a village 2-1/2 m.  S.W. of Wincanton.  Its church is small and contains a stone 15th-cent. pulpit and a Norm. font.  On the S. porch is an old sundial, and in the churchyard the base of a cross.

Holms, The Flat and Steep, two islands in the Bristol Channel, forming familiar objects to all visitors to the Somerset sea-board.  Geologically they belong to the county, for they are the last expiring protest of the Mendip chain against its final submergence in the sea.  The Steep Holm, the nearer and more conspicuous of the two islets, 5 m. from the coast, is little better than a barren rock rearing its huge bulk precipitously, nearly 300 ft. above the waves.  It is almost inaccessible, but has perhaps for this reason occasionally afforded an asylum to refugees from the mainland, although the statement that Gildas found security in this retreat appears to be an error.  There still remain some fragments of a priory.  The Flat Holm, 2 m. farther off, though of about the same circumference (1-1/2 m.), is a far less imposing object in the sea-scape, but is more amenable to the influences of civilisation.  It is occupied by a lighthouse and a farm, and is sometimes made the excuse for a channel trip by visitors from the neighbouring watering-places, as it affords amongst other attractions some facilities for bathing.

Hornblotton, a parish 3 m.  N.W. of Castle Cary Station.  The church, which stands about a mile from the Fosse Way to Ilchester, is modern, but the tower of the old church is left standing, and a piscina has been removed from it to the new building.

[Illustration:  HORNER WOODS AND PORLOCK VALE]

Horner Valley, one of the many charming walks which abound in the neighbourhood of Porlock.  Follow the Minehead road for about a mile and then strike up the banks of the Horner Water by a lane on the R. On the way will be noticed spanning the stream a quaint pack-horse bridge beloved of photographers (cp.  Allerford).  At Horner village the road winds round to Luccombe, but a broad path follows the course of the Horner and leads up through the woods.  The scenery is comparable with that of the E. Lynn.  It is a delightful combination of wood, mountain, and rill, and is everywhere full of charm.  The Horner Water descends from the moors and babbles its way through the valley to the sea.  It receives on the right a contributary rill which flows through a combe that rivals the main valley in romantic beauty.  The second plank-bridge across the water will lead up a very steep footpath to Cloutsham.