OVERBROOKS - Somerset

It’s hard to imagine that Overbrooks used to be a busy farmhouse; after a very carefully considered renovation it’s now the loveliest large group holiday house, with snooze space for 14, a games area and a hot tub. The setting is idyllic, in over 5 acre grounds with babbling brooks, formal landscaped gardens and a paddock, and all around, just beautiful Somerset countryside. It really is marvellous here, the perfect country retreat for family holidays, peaceful celebrations with the people who mean the most to you, and refined hen weekends.

Overbrooks is set on the edge of the sleepy village of Charlton Musgrove; just a few miles away is Bruton, voted in recent years as one of the best places to live in Somerset. For a small town it’s got a lot of cool, with quirky independent shops and fantastic places to eat – go to Matt’s Kitchen or The Old Pharmacy for a very unique dining experience. On the outskirts of town is Hauser & Wirth, a world-famous modern art gallery with landscaped grounds, and housed in an old cow shed, Roth Bar & Grill.

The NT Stourhead estate is very close by; go and take a tour of the Palladian style mansion house, then amble around the lakes and stop to see the Gothic Cottage, the Temple of Flora and The Pantheon; climb up through the grotto to the Temple of Apollo on the hill, stroll out to King Alfred’s Tower and round off your visit with tea and cake in the tea room or lunch at The Spread Eagle Inn.

If you’re staying at Overbrooks for a family holiday, there are some good days out to be had in this area; head over to Longleat for a drive through safari experience, attractions and to see the grand Elizabethan house. Discover the underground caverns at Wookey Hole, see one of the ancient wonders of the world at Stonehenge. If you like cars go to Haynes Motor Museum, for planes, it’s Fleet Air Arm Museum. Have a day in Bath seeing the sights – the Roman Baths, The beautiful Abbey, the Royal Crescent and Pulteney Bridge. Explore Salisbury with its glorious cathedral and tranquil water meadows. In between there are peaceful market towns to browse, like Shaftesbury, Castle Cary and Frome – if you love all things vintage and retro, you really must go to Frome when the Frome Independent is on!

If you’re looking for activities you can all enjoy, check out the fixtures at Wincanton Racecourse and if it’s a race day, get dressed up to the nines and go and have a flutter. Put your driving skills to the test at Xtreme Offroad, book with Wild Bath for paddleboarding on the River Avon in the city centre, have a bird of prey experience with Pitcombe Rock Falconry or go clay pigeon shooting at Farleigh Hungerford.

You could even get up early for a day at the coast; see the natural wonders of Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, or head down into Dorset for a day on the beach at Burton Bradstock where you can have lunch shoreside at The Hive Beach Café. Inland, take a pootle in the Chalke Valley, discovering picturesque villages and breathtaking countryside – there is so much to see and do in this part of England, go and explore, make memories.

But of course, you might not feel like going anywhere, and that’s entirely your shout because Overbrooks is such a wonderful place to stay, and it feels like a world of your own. You might just want to stay put, wandering the grounds, soaking in the hot tub, playing rounders in the paddock, maybe a slap up dinner to celebrate a special birthday or anniversary – or just being together. Life is to be enjoyed, Overbrooks makes it easy; come and soak up the charm, book today!

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