PRINCEHAY BARTON - Somerset

Lap up the luxury of being together when you spend holidays and short breaks at Princehay Barton in Somerset. With 6 ensuite bedrooms sleeping 12 and 3 extra guest beds available for children aged 14 years and under, this is a wonderful place to stay for large family groups or close friends. This gorgeously converted barn is perfect anytime of year because even if the weather isn’t great there’s still plenty to keep you smiling – a games room, a mini-cinema, and the most amazing spa hall with a swimming pool, hot tub and sauna. Come for low key celebrations with the people you love most in the world, or totally spoil yourselves with a private spa break.

Tucked away at the end of a no-through lane, there are large gardens and grounds to explore, backing onto peaceful Somerset countryside. Wake up to blackbirds singing from the treetops, go to sleep when the owls are hooting, in between make unforgettable memories at this exceptional large group holiday house. It’s an idyllic retreat, a world away from the push and shove of life; this is where time slows down, the hours to be enjoyed. Streams tinkle along through the gardens, there’s an orchard frothy with apple blossom in springtime, and little paths that wind their way round to the rustic BBQ bothy – great for dining all year round.

From the garden you can wander on footpaths through the fields; pop up the road to Cedric’s for local produce and cider, browse the supermarkets, independent shops and Antiques Bazaar in Crewkerne. Go over to Bridport on market day when the streets are lined with eclectic stalls, be a part of the buzz at the Vintage Quarter. Dorchester isn’t far, with its Roman Townhouse and museums – The Tutankhamun Exhibition and The Terracotta Warriors Museum are well worth a visit, and for younger folk, The Teddy Bear Museum. Visit Thomas Hardy’s House at Max Gate, or out on the Dorset heaths, the cottage where he was born.

The coast is only 30 minutes away; have lunch at Hive Beach Café at Burton Bradstock, amble around the harbour at West Bay and play on the sands. At Lyme Regis there’s plenty to do – a stroll along The Cobb to the Marine Aquarium, mackerel fishing trips or rib rides around the bay, a visit to Dinosaurland Fossil Museum, and then a guide led fossil hunt. Walk through the bluebell woods at Langdon Hill and out to Golden Cap, the highest point on the South Coast, or follow the South West Coast Path down to Seatown where you can tuck into homemade food at The Anchor Inn.

Inland you can while away the hours at Ham Hill Country Park where the views across the Somerset countryside are glorious. Have a good old-fashioned picnic – sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, chicken drumstick and lashings of fizzy pop! March the ramparts, have a chilled-out drink at The Prince of Wales Inn. Go and see the UK’s biggest collection of cars and motorbikes at Haynes Motor Museum, learn how cider is made at Burrow Hill Cider, try clay pigeon shooting at Coombe Farm Shooting.

Dine at one of the nearby country pubs; bag a table in the beer garden at Winyard’s Gap Inn, a far-reaching patchwork of fields spread out before you. The Lord Poulett Arms at Hinton St George is excellent, and The White Horse at Haselbury Plucknett. If you’re out for a cycle ride, call into The Feed Station at Merriott for refreshments.

Princehay Barton may be tucked away but it’s so convenient for travel, within easy reach of the A303 and A358, and just minutes from the train station at Crewkerne (London Waterloo line). If you want a luxury large group holiday house for all ages and all seasons, this is it. Book your stay today!

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