SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND: SOMERSET
WE EXPLORE THE MOST FASHIONABLE CORNERS OF BRITAIN… AND WHERE TO STAY WHEN YOU GET THERE
Everything you need to plan the ultimate stylish staycation
WHAT TO KNOW
The low-key fashion pack has set up camp in this bucolic corner of the UK. Phoebe Philo, Stella McCartney and
Sam Taylor-Johnson call the area home, and with good reason. Frome and
Bruton are filled with independent clothes and interiors shops, while some of the country’s best gastro pubs are all within a short drive of each other.
WHERE TO STAY
The Newt in Somerset, Castle Cary
This golden-hued manor house, with just 23 rooms, is a perfect base from which to explore the area. Interiors have been conceived by owner and former ELLE Decoration editor Karen Roos, and everything from the German wooden planters to the deep-soak steel bathtubs will make you reconsider your entire home décor. No room is alike, though all are filled with thoughtful touches: classic books to read, locally made soap, a cheeseboard and homemade biscuits on arrival… you get the idea. For a quirky option, rooms in the Stable Yard have wood-burning fires to keep you company at the end of your plunge-style bath, and a hay manger hanging above your head at night. The beauty of this hotel is that it is as casual as it is smart – some guests take afternoon tea in wellies, others saunter to the bar in Manolos. And that’s the point. Relaxed diners will love The Garden Café, with a view of the bountiful kitchen garden, while those who want to fulfil their Mad
Men fantasies can head to the Botanical Rooms restaurant. But perhaps the biggest draw is the spa, with an endless list of therapies, as well as a rasul mud chamber, hammam, giant sauna overlooking dense woodland and an indoor-outdoor pool, which is as warm as a freshly poured bath, and twice as relaxing. But the best bit about The Newt? With only a few rooms and such extensive facilities
(we don’t have space to eulogise about the jaw-dropping gardens), you have that rarest of luxuries: the feeling of having the entire place to yourself. thenewtinsomerset.com Rooms from £225