Lytes Cary, Somerton
The delightful manor house, dating back to the 1300s, was owned for generations by the Lyte family. The garden was cultivated by Elizabeth I’s botanist, Henry Lyte, but the house fell into disrepair and the garden was ploughed up. In 1909, after a century and a half of neglect, a new family took over. They restored the interior (removing a cider press and farming equipment dumped inside) and created the charming Arts & Crafts garden you can still enjoy today. Tranquil walks through the 350-acre grounds take you along the River Cary. You can stay on the estate in a part of the main manor house, or in a cosy cottage by the entrance gates.
Ham Hill Country Park
Heading west from Lytes Cary on the A303, you come to Ham Hill. Once an Iron Age hillfort, it’s now a wildlife haven with fantastic views and is much loved by walkers and joggers. Start at Stoke-sub-Hamdon and walk to the top for a drink or food at the popular Prince of Wales pub, then towards the sloping woodland that takes you down to the village of Montacute. While you’re there visit Montacute House, a masterpiece of Elizabethan architecture (pictured above) and design. Built like so much else nearby with golden hamstone quarried on the hill behind you, the house is owned by the National Trust. There are two lovely lodges to rent on the estate, one by the entrance gate and one in the parkland.
Hinton St George
It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful village than Hinton St George: golden hamstone, thatched cottages and flowers that spill from walls and leap from every crack in the pavement. At the centre of the village is the Lord Poulett Arms (pronounced “Paulett”). This gastropub dates back to 1680 and serves a mix of locally sourced ales and food. There are six bedrooms, four of them en suite. The Poulett family have an impressive chapel with numerous tombs in the church St George’s, which includes 13th-century carving by masons of Wells Cathedral, well worth a visit.
Barrington Court, Ilminster
North of Hinton St George is Barrington Court. Barrington was once the site of a Roman villa. The present buildings were bought and restored a century ago by the Lyles, heirs to…
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