The Newt in Somerset: England and its garden
England has made a specialty of beautiful gardens. The British are well-known for their passion for all things nature and flowers. In the southwest of the country, Somerset is home to one of the most extraordinary estates, combining nature, organic farming, history, and luxury hotels. Visit.
With its rolling hills, plains where peaceful British Whites graze, wide pebble beaches, and historic cities like Bath and Glastonbury, Somerset has all the attractions of a paradise for lovers of nature and the elegant art of living. It is this unspoiled environment that provides the setting for one of the most beautiful estates in the country, The Newt in Somerset . Part agricultural estate, part Roman-era historic site, and part 5-star hotel, the location is ideal for a beautiful, authentic getaway.
Not far from the small town of Bruton, on more than 800 hectares of woods, meadows, cultivated land and gardens, the place allows you to appreciate all the aspects of life in the English countryside, staying in luxurious accommodations with cosy refinement . The decor, the impeccable attire of the staff, the cosy comfort of your room… in a few minutes you will have the feeling of being the privileged guest of an eminent member of the British nobility.
England after South Africa
Opened five years ago, The Newt in Somerset is Babylonstoren's little English sibling. Housed around the oldest farm in South Africa (dating back to 1692), this Drakenstein Valley wine estate is famous for its gardens designed by Patrice Taravella. Considered "the Versailles of vegetable gardens," it was purchased in 2007 by billionaire Koos Bekker and his wife Karen Roos. Two art and garden enthusiasts, they recently decided to repeat the experience in England by creating The Newt.
A manor, a farm and a cottage
The Newt , therefore, consists of land planted with 3,000 apple trees which will produce several varieties of cider marketed by the estate , The Hadspen House, a listed Georgian manor house with 23 bedrooms, The Farmyard whose 17 bedrooms are spread across the former dairy buildings and The Gatelodge , a two-bedroom cottage which once served as the farm caretaker's home. Not to mention the landscaped gardens which attract hundreds of city dwellers every weekend in search of the countryside, the walking trails, the deer park, the centuries-old trees, restaurants, a magnificent Spa, the foundations of a Roman villa dating from 352 AD, its life-size reconstruction and a museum dedicated to the life of the inhabitants of Somerset in the 4th century . In short, enough to justify a stay of a weekend or more...
Castle life
A little removed from the baroque labyrinth and the fragrant Victorian garden, Hadspen House stands with its orange limestone walls at the end of a series of lawns as manicured as a golf green. Built at the end of the 17th century , this Gentleman's House has retained all the charm of the aristocratic residences of the English countryside. Former editor of Elle Décoration South Africa, Karen Roos personally oversaw the atmosphere of the place. She has managed to preserve all the elements that gave the old its charm while adding light touches of modernism. This is particularly the case for the restaurant The Botanical Rooms , whose oak paneling is brightened by lighting by Tom Dixon. The objects and antiques collected by the owner during her travels contribute to giving the house an authentic feel that makes it a place where it is pleasant to relax. For example, in the Drawing Room , where paintings of ancestors sit alongside burgundy and purple velvet sofas, where an antique clock that belonged to Henry Hobbsouse (the estate's first owner) sits next to a boar's head dressed in kitsch tapestry. All against the backdrop of a library richly stocked with bound books... Heading towards the bar, at the turn of a deserted lounge, I come across the furtive silhouette of Stella McCartney ... Discreet, but quiet, because no one here would dare not respect her privacy...
The bedrooms of the main house feature Georgian proportions, the iconic sash windows, and the large four-poster beds of stately homes. The former stable yard houses a few bedrooms with rustic charm (exposed stone walls, beams, and raw wood floors) combined with comfortable contemporary furnishings.
Sleeping on the farm
A few hundred meters from Hasdspen House, at the end of a walking path that runs alongside the Four Seasons Gardens, The Farmyard has spread its rooms throughout the former dairy buildings of the farm. They are reached by paved paths and a whole system of stairs that allows you to discover, here a hidden square, there a terrace… To design the spirit of this rehabilitated hamlet, Karen Roos was inspired by the literary works of the 19th century , in particular the famous novel by Thomas Hardy “Far from the Madding Crowd”… An inspiration followed by the architect Richard Parr who used the materials of the estate to transform the cheese barn, the granary, the stable, the cider press, into delightful cocoons, each with its own personality. The blond stone of Hadspen from the neighboring quarry, the Cornish slate, the marble, the oak wood and the glass combine to create a range of atmospheres that are both cozy and contemporary . Facing a lawn where two hens and a rooster peck, the vast barns house a large swimming pool and a Jacuzzi open to the residents of this charming hamlet.
A kitchen of organic products
At The Botanical Rooms gourmet restaurant, as well as at the bright table of the Garden Café perched on a hill overlooking the gardens, at the Farmyard Kitchen or at The Station Café at the Creamery, guests are offered cuisine based on local produce. Vegetables, dairy products, fruits and even the meat prepared by the butchers at the Newt , all come from the estate. Sourced ingredients, therefore, which are transformed with talent by a team of cooks as young as they are creative.
Beauty through flowers
Like all the estate's amenities, the Spa occupies a former farm building. This time, the cowsheds have been transformed into a space dedicated to well-being. Of course, to remain in harmony with the spirit of the place, the treatments are inspired by the gardens and are composed of herbs and medicinal plants grown at the Newt . Facing the outdoor pool, a huge bay window lets light into this sanctuary which offers seven treatment rooms, a heated indoor pool, an indoor/outdoor hydro pool, a sauna, a hammam and a halotherapy room. To the side, a collection of medicinal herbs evokes the monastic gardens of the medieval era. Here too, The Newt draws on the past to tell a story of today...
thenewtinsomerset.com
@thenewtinsomerset
Tel: +44 1963 577777
Address: The Newt in Somerset, Bruton, Somerset, BA7 7NG
Getting there: Paris-Bristol flights with Easyjet.
