An inn that promises abbey days
GREAT BRITISH BOLT HOLES
THE sweeping views that stretch across acres of fields from The Holcombe to the stunning neo-Gothic Downside Abbey church are breathtaking when we visit this country inn on a beautiful summer evening.
Owners Caroline Gardiner and Alan Lucas have upgraded the 17th Century inn from a pub to a restaurant with rooms, with a muted cosy vibe. If your idea of heaven is stomping around the Mendip Hills with your dog, then this is an ideal place to lay both your heads.
As well as lovely walks around the village and surrounding countryside, the inn has two dogfriendly lodges. Here it’s all about the detail. Barlake, where I settle down with my spaniel Bumble, has a water bowl, a soft dog bed and a blanket. Just outside the door is a large field in which hounds can have an evening sniff and potter.
For humans, the lodge is a luxuri ous little haven, with freshly made cookies and a wood-burning stove in the bedroom, and a freestanding bath and Noble Isle toiletries in the bathroom. The only sound from outside is the cooing of wood pigeons.
The eight main house rooms are suitably rustic, with clever contemporary twists; there are handprinted fabrics and soft goose-down duvets and pillows.
The inn sits on the edge of Holcombe, which is surrounded by villages such as Kilmersdon, famous for its very steep Jack and Jill Hill, and Mells, which offers pretty walks and an excellent village shop and cafe. The magnificent Downside Abbey church, built in 1878, is a five-minute drive away. It is considered one of England’s great neo-Gothic churches and is riddled with extraordinary historical details, such as the console of its organ – made from timber from HMS Bellerophon, the ship Napoleon surrendered to soon after Waterloo in 1815.
Sustainable food is a huge focus at The Holcombe, with as much as possible sourced locally and seasonal produce grown in the impressive raised beds and polytunnels of the kitchen garden. A Somerset sirloin steak is served with mizuna and herb pesto and pan-fried loin of lamb with aubergine salsa, sour cream and pomegranate. It’s hardly standard pub fare, and the presentation is exquisite – dishes are scattered with the garden’s edible flowers, a signature of the chef.
We eat supper at a long table on the terrace, watching the sun go down over the fields, with the final golden rays silhouetting the tower of the distant Abbey church. There is an arch heavy with wisteria at one end and the gardens are bordered by bee-friendly flowerbeds.
Inside, there’s masses of room to sit, and both the dining room and small sitting room have wood-burners – perfect if you visit on a rainy day. Bumble and I have breakfast by the bar, and I can tell his review would be equally glowing. l B&B from £170 per room per night (theholcombe.com).