The Newt in Somerset

Character and identity

At the heart of an 800-acre Somerset estate, The Newt wraps a Georgian house and converted Farmyard in 30 acres of formal gardens by Patrice Taravella, plus deer park, cider orchards, a Roman villa reimagining, and a bee-focused pavilion called the Beezantium. The 23 rooms (with further keys across outbuildings and the Farmyard) sit alongside a garden café, an oak-lined restaurant with glass-roofed extension, and a spa built into an old cowshed with inside-outside pool, hammam, and rasul. Interiors run "classical contemporary": Cape Dutch tiles, teal bars, tapestry trophies. Service is genuinely passionate, often from the makers themselves.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What sets this place apart is the estate itself: the gardens, cyder programme, bees, and Roman villa are properly substantive, and most of it is included for hotel guests, with a 12-month membership thrown in. Book a main-house room if you want understated Georgian elegance, or a Farmyard room with a personal steam pod for rustic character, and give yourself at least two nights to use the grounds properly.