Plan Your Visit

explore the rolling Mendip hills

THE PIG-near Bath

It’s a spot where country calm and city culture sit side by side.

Tucked into the fold of the Mendip Hills

We sit tucked into the folds of the Mendip Hills - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that stays curiously under the radar, even with Bath, Wells, Glastonbury and Cheddar Gorge all within easy reach. Cider orchards, market towns, ancient stone circles and some of the West Country's best walking, with the honey-coloured streets of Bath just twenty minutes down the road whenever you fancy trading fields for architecture.

Trails from the door, and a city worth the walk

Footpaths lead straight from the house into the Mendips - ancient oaks, open plains and views that roll out for miles. Follow one of our team's favourite local loops (ask at reception, or download ahead of your stay), whether that's a brisk hour or a proper half-day stomp.

Fancy a change of scenery? Cheddar Gorge is the big one - England's largest gorge, with a clifftop walk offering some of the best views in Somerset (go early, before the coach parties arrive, and keep an eye out for the resident feral goats).

Just below it, Wookey Hole's cave network has been drawing visitors for centuries.

Further out, Glastonbury Tor is a short, steep climb rewarded with views across the Somerset Levels - said to be one of the most spiritually significant spots in England, whichever legend you subscribe to.

And the Chew Magna walk, taking in the prehistoric Stanton Drew stone circles, is a quieter five-mile loop for those who like their history with a side of solitude.

Or head into Bath itself - walk the Georgian crescents, follow the canal, or tackle the Bath Skyline for a three-hour circuit with the whole city spread out below you.

The Bath Skyline

A food scene shaped by what is farmed in it

Visit Bath Soft Cheese at Park Farm to watch the cows being milked over a coffee and cake, or seek out Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company to taste the cheese that takes its name from the caves it was matured in.

Wells - technically England's smallest city, thanks to its cathedral - is well worth wandering, market square, moated Bishop's Palace and all. Time it for a Wednesday or Saturday and the square fills with stalls selling local cheese, fresh fish, pies and produce - the kind of market that's hard to leave empty-handed.

Keep an eye out for the film locations from Hot Fuzz along the way.

A little time, just for you

Tucked away in the Kitchen Garden, our Potting Shed treatment rooms are some of our favourite spots to disappear for an hour. A massage, a facial, a scrub - simple, unhurried and exactly what a long walk deserves as its reward.

If you'd rather take the waters properly, Thermae Bath Spa in the city centre has been doing exactly that since Roman times - book the rooftop pool at twilight for views across Bath as the light fades.

Our favourite local walks

a jolly nice walk

Approx. 4 miles (90 minutes)

See route

To the pub and back!

Approx. 4.6 miles (100 mins, 50 mins each way)

See route

The Wollard Way

Approx. 7.6 miles (210 minutes)

See route

When you fancy trading fields for a high street

A short drive from the door, these are the towns our team can't help recommending.

Wells England's smallest city

A thousand-year-old cathedral, a moated Bishop's Palace and a market square that occasionally moonlights as a film set. Small enough to explore properly in an afternoon.

Glastonbury Quirky, storied, unmistakably itself

Abbey ruins with links to King Arthur, a town full of independent shops, and the Tor rising above it all - worth the climb for the view alone.

Frome & Bruton Galleries, antiques and good coffee

Somerset's two most charming market towns for a browse - independent shops, artisan food and the kind of high street worth spending a whole morning on.

Bath Georgian streets, Roman history

Twenty minutes down the road - Roman Baths, honey-coloured crescents, and enough café culture and antique shopping to fill a full day out.

...And some days, the garden is destination enough

Wander the Kitchen Garden and see what's ready for picking, or join our gardeners' free daily tour at 11am. Find a sunny spot on the lawn, order something cold, and let the afternoon look after itself. If you fancy something further afield without much effort, Setley-style farm shops and tea gardens dot the lanes nearby - perfect for an aimless drive with a cake at the other end.