Driving away from The Newt feels like you’ve just been let in on a very special secret. No matter how many pictures you swoon over or reviews you read beforehand, nothing can prepare you for the experience that awaits – from the next-level service to the hotel’s sheer scale. Even to call it a hotel is misleading – the sprawling estate, minutes from Bruton, is made up of acres of gardens, woodland, farmland and cyder orchards with an impressive Georgian manor at its core. In 2021, The Newt added Farmyard, where 17 more bedrooms plus a restaurant, bar and second pool are just a buggy ride away.
One of the (many) joys here is that you are surprised every turn. As we make our way along the stone path we get our first glimpse of Hadspen House ahead, its burnt honeyed stone glinting in the sunshine. On the right is the spa, where faint wafts of lavender from the herbal mediaeval garden fill the air, and to the left, the Stable Yard, where our room (one of 23 in this part of the estate) awaits. Like everything else here, the room is ginormous and spoiling – all white linens and fur throws, with vaulted, beamed ceilings and a deep bathtub at the bottom of a towering four-poster bed. Back in the main house, there are several spaces to lounge in – the library, with its green panelled walls, oil paintings and squashy jewel-toned chairs, is the perfect place to tuck into the complimentary tea and homemade scones.
Food here is – unsurprisingly – seasonal and local, including produce from The Newt’s own kitchen gardens and greenhouses. There are three restaurants: the glass-fronted Garden Cafe, which overlooks the gardens below, Farmyard Kitchen, serving up a laidback menu including flatbreads laden with seasonal veg and locally-made cheeses, and the Botanical Rooms in the main house, where guests can graze on a continental breakfast spread of fresh croissants, seasonal fruit and juices before a three-course menu at lunch and supper, full of seasonal ingredients and prettily presented dishes.
There is so much to see and do, even exploring The Newt’s gardens could take a whole day (don’t miss a Garden Tour – free for hotel guests). There’s the Cyder Press, the Beezantium – where you learn about bees, of course – and the Story of Gardening exhibition. Perhaps most impressive of them all is the Roman Villa Experience – a complete reconstruction of a Romano-British villa inspired by one found on the estate dating back to 351AD, alongside an interactive visitor centre. The Newt is the ultimate countryside escape, and I can absolutely guarantee you’ll leave wondering how soon you can return. Sarah Allard