The Good Guide to Somerset
Somerset is a hidden gem and the most idyllic of retreats.
Here are a few of our most-loved spots.
1. Osip Restaurant
Osip is a stunningly designed farm-to-table restaurant run by Michelin star Merlin Labron-Johnson. The restaurant collaborates with a small but perfectly formed group of local farmers, growers, hunters and gatherers to create lunch and dinner menus that showcase the best of Somerset. A largely vegetarian tasting menu is created each day to highlight the area's stunning local produce, based on what has been grown each week by local suppliers as well as seasonal availability.
The food is accompanied by a simple, but carefully curated list of wines from small-scale sustainable growers, with the option of a bespoke pairing.
Osip is a delightful reminder that fine dining is at its best when it simplified and unfussy.
2. East Lambrook Manor Gardens
Margery Fish designed this garden at East Lambrook Manor, which has become one of England's most well-known spaces. East Lambrook Manor's garden surrounds an enchanting modest Manor House. It's the quintessential English cottage garden and despite its small size (just under two acres), it gives the impression of covering more ground than it actually does.
New owners have restored the Grade 1 listed garden, which is filled with rare and unique plants. It has one of the best collections of geraniums in the country and is very big on the herbaceous. There is also a fantastic nursery nearby that sells many extraordinary plants at affordable prices.
3. The Roman Baths
The Roman Baths are some of the most sought after historic attractions in the UK. The exceptionally well-preserved baths here are captivating, providing a window to the Romans but also to the source of Bath's great fortune and reputation, thousands of years ago. It does get crowded, so making a reservation ahead of time is advised.
If you’re a beauty lover, you’ll love this attraction. The baths, which are still located on the original site of the underground springs, are an excellent place to simply relax in the manner of the Romans. Also noteworthy is the emphasis placed on the rejuvenating properties of the thermal springs. The sacred spring and the objects collected here that were used at the time are equally captivating.
4. Babington House
Babington, the original snazzy country house hotel, was one of the very first Soho House Group properties to open its doors two decades ago. The rustic-luxe 18th century manor house is part members' club, part hotel – and it's still operating at such high occupancy rates that finding a free room can be difficult.
All of the rooms here are generously sized and uniquely designed. The walls are hand painted in rich jewel tones – think deep greens, reds and pinks. Texture reigns supreme, with velvet rubbing shoulders with leather and cashmere snuggling up onto suede. Whether it's a Roberts Radio or a vintage lamp, British craftsmanship is celebrated in every nook and cranny.
5. Barrington Court
Barrington Court in Langport, Somerset, was built between 1514 and 1520 for Lord Daubeny, a military commander who had served Henry VIII during his French war and witnessed the famous Field of the Cloth of Gold pageant. The material is the local Ham Hill stone, which has a rich golden colour and produced a notable school of skilled masons.
Explore a house full of memories with your imagination and senses, where light fills the rooms and you feel as if you’re almost living its rich history.