WEST Somerset has launched it's way into the record books and has been crowned number one in the top ten for heritage according to latest figures from the RSA (Royal Society of Arts).

The RSA Index recently showed that West Somerset is in the top ten for heritage rankings in the South West beating places including East Dorset, North Somerset and Weymouth and Portland to claim the title.

The idyllic area is now home to around 35,000 people and is rubbing shoulders with heritage giants including Westminster and the City of London, which retains the UK top spot.

One of the most well known heritage sites in West Somerset is Culborne Church which is the smallest church in the UK and is grade 2 listed.

West Somerset has also clinched the number five spot for their heritage nationally and is recognised as a heritage hotspot in the UK.

It was beaten by the City of London, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.

This year, the Heritage Index is bigger than ever. The RSA has new data from the Woodland Trust on 140,000 ancient trees across the UK, 65,000 war memorials documented by the Imperial War Museum, 6,000 shipwrecks off the coast compiled by Historic England and data from the National Trust detailing 400 square miles of open access land.

The RSA also has an up to date picture on heritage activities at the local scale – from thousands of Heritage Open Days, through to clubs and groups for young people to enjoy wildlife and appreciate archaeology.

The index released this year is only the second year that the RSA has tried to determine how places can make the most out of their heritage by using a data- lead approach.