A WEEKEND AWAY
A HIGH-STREET HAVEN IN ONE OF SOMERSET’S PRETTIEST TOWNS
Uncover the rural charm of Somerset’s new boutique hotel
With its gorgeous landscape, chocolate-box towns and outstanding local produce, the West Country is always a lovely choice for a country escape. The latest boutique bolthole to make its home there is Number
One Bruton, a small hotel and farm-to-table restaurant, providing rural charm with a superb pedigree in both its cooking and decor. DESIGN DREAM
Owners Claudia Waddams and
Aled Rees worked tirelessly to restore the original medieval house and its Georgian and Victorian additions. The result is a warren of connected forges, cottages and grander attachments, where every nook and cranny has been lovingly restored or its worn beauty saved and left to shine. Interiors are an assemblage of all the finest classics of English country house taste. Howard-style sofas in petrol blue wool sit atop faded antique Persian carpets. There are Suzani wall hangings and a colour scheme that ranges from pea green to palest ivory. Perhaps most remarkable of all is the small, enclosed courtyard garden and its arbour, a veritable work of art overseen by gardening royalty, Penelope Hobhouse.
FOOD FORWARD
Over in the hotel’s restaurant,
Osip, chef Merlin Labron-johnson, formerly of London’s Michelin starred Portland, is cooking up a storm with the county’s bounty of meat, fruit, and vegetables.
The team works with a group of Somerset farmers, growers, hunters and foragers to create menus that reflect principles of sustainability and seasonality. Expect to find smoked cheddar puffs, wild duck in honey and chestnut pumpkin soup. SMALL TOWN
If you can tear yourself away from the hotel’s gourmet gastronomy and comfortable surrounds, Bruton has a world of culture and recreation – from art galleries and boutiques to cider farms and hiking trails.
You might just find your relaxing weekend ends up action packed… Rooms start at £130 a night. Number One Bruton, 1 High St, Bruton BA10 0AB, numberonebruton.com