A visit to the county of Somerset wasn’t part of the original plan for our spring road trip through the English countryside – it was something we ended up tacking on in the planning process – but we couldn’t be happier with how everything played out in the end. Although it was the third stop on our trip through the West Country, it was the first place we found ourselves contemplating a life in England, particularly the darling village of Mells. Although we loved our time in Dorset and Cornwall and sincerely hope we’re lucky enough to return to those counties in the future, the feeling of familiarity and comfort that came over us while walking in the fields of Mells took us by surprise.
Below are some of the highlights from our time spent in Somerset, near Frome, as well as a few helpful trip planning links and places we’d like to see if we’re ever lucky enough to visit Somerset again. If you think we missed anything, please let us know in the comments – we’d love to read through your suggestions.
The Talbot Inn
Apart from our spacious, chic accommodations and the wonderful dinner at the pub, we’re both in agreement that our favorite part of staying at The Talbot Inn was exploring the walking trails behind this Mells inn. Read more about our stay at this darling coaching inn here.
Babington House
Pulling in along the lush, tree-lined driveway, we were both floating on cloud nine. As we acquainted ourselves with the main 18th century Georgian building and walked around the sprawling lawn with a drink in hand, it didn’t take long to realize that the property easily exceeded its own esteemed reputation and all of my own hotel dreams. Read more about our stay at this lovely country manor house here.
Frome
After another leisurely walk through the bucolic fields in the center of Mells, we ventured into the nearby town of Frome in search of picnic provisions. We happened upon the Sagebury Cheese shop and ended up having a great conversation with the owner who recommended we try the Westcombe Cheddar and the Smoked Wedmore with Chives for our afternoon picnic. The jelly-filled donuts in the windows at The Old Bakehouse, just down the street from Sagebury, caught our eyes and led us through the doors of this heavenly-scented bakery. While donuts and cheese might make for an interesting lunch combination, we couldn’t resist grabbing two of the sugary jelly donuts for a little picnic dessert.
Nunney Castle
After leaving Frome, we stumbled upon this 14th century castle in nearby Nunney while looking for a place to picnic. Quintessential, with its towering turrets and dark moat, we picnicked in the grass in the castle’s shade, and fed some of the ducks swimming down the adjacent stream.
Somerset, England Trip Planning Resources
We shared a few of our resources for planning our entire trip to Southwest England in this post, but here are the Somerset-specific links that came in handy while prepping for our trip.
- From Beaches to Bistros: Exploring Somerset & Dorset Counties by Kate Maxwell on Conde Nast Traveler.
- Charlotte Anne-Fidler on Instagram
- A Witchy Weekender in Somerset & Wiltshire by Chris Ciolli on Afar
- Cereal Magazine’s Bath City Guide
On our Radar for Next Time
- Stay: While it’s hard to imagine a situation where we would come to Somerset and not stay at either The Talbot Inn or Babington, I would love to someday visit the city of Bath and stay at The Queensberry, The Royal Crescent, or The Gainsborough.
- Eat: Sampling cheddar in the village of Cheddar
- Do: A hike in the Mendip Hills AONB
Photos by Meredith Perdue for Map & Menu.
Fabulous post. This is so helpful. I really want to go to this area of England and this article makes designing the trip a breeze.
Thanks for this. Needless to say, the images are AMAZING!