Somerset Manor

Somerset Manor, in mid Somerset, is light-filled and elegant, perfectly set up for big family holidays or special celebrations.

The main house has eight bedrooms, sleeping up to sixteen guests. Seven of the beds are kingsize (five of those can be converted to a twin). Four of the bedrooms on the first floor are en-suite or have a designated bathroom. The master bedroom has its own bathroom, with a slipper bath and a very well-placed little table, on which to set your glass of Champagne.

The four bedrooms on the second floor share two family bathrooms and a small sitting room. Two further bedrooms are in the Dovecote (adjacent to the main house). There’s a double and a twin, sharing a family bathroom. There’s also a small galley kitchen and a living room in the Dovecote, which makes it an excellent escape for guests who might prefer a little independence from the main party.

The house has a large farmhouse kitchen, with both an Aga and an electric hob and oven.  There’s a breakfast room off the kitchen. The dining room has a long, polished table that seats 20, and long shelves of books, should conversation turn to something dull. Beside the dining room is the snooker room, with more books and an upright piano.

Towards the front of the house is the drawing room and a smaller sitting room, then a fabulous orangery, in which to indulge Moroccan fantasies of mezze and lounging around in silk pyjamas. Alternatively, a handy place to feed children, if you have rather a horde.

The cellars have been converted into a cinema room and dance room – ideal for making as much noise as you might care to make.

There are fourteen acres of gardens and woodlands around the house, with lawns, and meadows filled with horses. An oval pool is tucked behind the house, along with a hot tub and sauna. The tennis court is behind a beech hedge, beside the long driveway.

Edmund’s Choice of Extraordinary Feature

“I do rather like an organgery, or conservatory, and this is a rather lovely one – can imagine long afternoons whiled away in the warmth, gazing out over the garden.”

About the Location

Somerset Manor is just off Duck Lane in the village of Horsington. It’s a few miles from the A303, about ten minutes’ drive from the town of Wincanton. The nearest main-line train station is Templecombe, serving the race-goers in their best hats.

Things to Do

Somerset is a great county for holiday-type activities, especially if you have a mix of ages. There’s Longleat Safari Park, Haynes Motor Museum or the steam railway. Wincanton racecourse has a year-round program of races and events, and a little further afield is Cranbourne Chase, an Area of Outstanding Beauty perfect for picnics and night-times of star-gazing.

Failing all that, there’s a good pub in the village, the Half Moon Inn. It has a skittle alley.