BLUSHINGS BARN - Somerset

Rustic charm and modern luxury merge seamlessly at Blushings Barn and you've everything you need for a happy large group stay whether it's a family holiday or celebration, a hen weekend or corporate away days. This 17th-century stone and cob barn has seen an amazing transformation from its former days as a shippen on a working farm, and the result is luxurious and spacious group accommodation where 6 ensuite bedrooms sleep 12 people, and there's room for 1 more guest at a small extra charge. This property has a private indoor pool, a hot tub, games room, and a play area for the littluns.

Blushings Barn is easily reached from the M5 and is just off the A38, yet it's tucked away in a surprisingly private setting. Pop into Wellington for bits and pieces; bread from the bakers, meat from the butchers, and on market day, fill your baskets with all kinds of local delights. A few miles further is Taunton where there's a good mix of well known stores and independent shops. Have a look around the Museum of Somerset, go and play on the high ropes at Vivary Golf and Adventure Centre, or go tenpin bowling on the outskirts of town.

Not far away are the Blackdown Hills AONB to explore.; the views from Wellington Monument and Culm Beacon are incredible, but also good for a stroll are Otterhead Lakes and the paths and trails at Staple Hill. Tie in a walk with lunch at one of the country pubs - The Half Moon at Clayhidon, The Culm Valley Inn at Culmstock and the Holman Clavel at Culmhead are all good.

If a day out is on the agenda, head for the beach; the Jurassic Coast is about an hour away and is great for mackerel fishing trips, rockpooling and fossil hunting. Go to Lyme Regis where you can play crazy golf in the town gardens, learn about the sea creatures in the Marine Aquarium and see a huge lump of dinosaur poo at Dinosaurland Fossil Museum. At Beer there are the awe-inspiring Beer Quarry Caves to see, and a miniature train to ride at Pecorama, at Branscombe you can watch blacksmiths at work in the oldest working thatched forge in the country and tuck into crab sandwiches at The Sea Shanty Beach Café.

Catch a steam train with the West Somerset Railway and pootle through the countryside to the beaches of the Somerset Coast; alight at Minehead or Blue Anchor for a day on the sands, or stop at the quiet harbour town of Watchet for fish and chips on the quay. Spend a day in Exeter where you can visit the Gothic cathedral, discover the 14th century underground passages and take the kids to meet Gerald the Giraffe at the Museum. Venture out into the Quantock Hills for a lazy picnic at the top of Wills Neck or Cothelstone Hill; visit Coleridge Cottage, play Giant Jenga at Fyne Court, and what the kids will love best of all, go to Tropiquaria Wildlife Park.

Explore the heather clad moors of Exmoor National Park, look out for red deer and wild ponies feeding, climb the wooded hillsides and amble through deep river valleys; Watersmeet, Tarr Steps and Culbone Church are wonderful, as is the medieval village of Dunster where a castle (NT) stands on the hill. Take the family to Exmoor Zoo or Exmoor Owl & Hawk Centre; round it off with cream tea in a cosy tea room in Dulverton on the way home. Then there's a whole evening of luxury togetherness to look forward to at Blushings Barn; a barbecue, a splash in the pool, a soak in the hot tub beneath the stars…

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