Moore’s Paws

A life-size bronze cat sculpture stands in Taunton's town centre, watching over the high street with an inscrutable expression. Moore's Paws is exactly what it sounds like - a chunky, rather brilliant public art piece that's become a minor local icon, the sort of thing you'd walk past a dozen times before actually stopping to look at properly.

It's not going to take you long. Ten minutes, maybe fifteen if you're the type to circle it, photograph it from different angles, and read the plaque. The sculpture itself is straightforward but effective - a seated cat rendered in bronze, weathered and tactile, positioned right where shoppers cut through. Locals have clearly had years to warm to it; the paws are polished smooth from hands.

This works best as a quick stop if you're already in Taunton town centre doing the rounds - it's free, it's quirky, and it breaks up a shopping trip nicely. Kids will enjoy it more than adults, if only because they'll find the whole thing amusingly odd. History buffs won't get much from it; walkers should head to the Quantocks instead.

If you're staying at Cornish Farm Touring Park just four miles out, you're close enough to pop in during an afternoon in Taunton. Pair it with the castle, the shops, a decent lunch - don't make the trip from the coast specifically for this. It's charming and all, but Somerset's got better sculpture and walking to offer.