he main square, Market Place, with its market cross is today an attractive location for visitors. Market crosses have stood in the square since before 1390; the present Butter Cross, a roofed market cross, was rebuilt in 1673, and is Somerton's most noted feature.
The structure was the property of the Earls of Ilchester who sold it to the town in 1916. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Next to the Butter Cross stands the "Market Hall", previously known as the "Town Hall", although the building has never fulfilled either of these functions. Bordering the square are the church, and the Lady Smith Memorial Hall, also known as the "Parish Rooms", which was built in 1902, and the 17th century Market House, now a restaurant.
The Red Lion was opened by the Earl of Ilchester in 1768 as a model coaching inn. It closed in 1995; after a period of neglect it has been redeveloped as town houses. From the early 1980s onwards projects aiming to improve Somerton for film industry purposes have been undertaken. The market square was heavily revamped, creating a central parking area with easy access to the local amenities. The BBC drama The Monocled Mutineer was filmed in Somerton from 1985 to 1986.