The Newt in Somerset

Overview

The Newt is a Somerset estate where a hotel stay opens up much more than a bedroom and a dinner reservation. Hadspen House sits within formal gardens and a working landscape, while the Farmyard provides a separate cluster of accommodation on the same estate. Gardens, food production, spa time and guest experiences all contribute to a visit that can comfortably fill several days.

The hotel holds three MICHELIN Keys, the highest level in the Guide’s hotel scheme. For a gourmet getaway, its appeal lies in the relationship between the land and the restaurants rather than a promise of Michelin-starred cooking. The Botanical Rooms is selected in the restaurant Guide. Choose Hadspen House if you want the main-house setting, or consider the Farmyard for a different sense of privacy and a stay built around its own accommodation and dining spaces.

Eat

The Botanical Rooms is the main-house restaurant, with seasonal British cooking tied to the estate and its producers. Its Oak Room and Glass Room give guests two contrasting settings within the restaurant. Estate-raised meat, garden ingredients and carefully sourced fish inform a menu that follows availability rather than remaining fixed throughout the year.

Farmyard Kitchen offers another restaurant within the wider property and is especially convenient for guests staying in the Farmyard. Its more informal setting gives a longer stay some welcome variety. The Garden Café provides a daytime option when exploring the gardens, but it is not a substitute for a confirmed dinner reservation. Ask the hotel to arrange the evening restaurants for your dates and check any transfers between the accommodation areas.

Sleep

Hadspen House offers rooms in the Georgian house and associated buildings, with character and layout varying across the categories. The Farmyard reworks agricultural buildings into another collection of places to stay, with its own atmosphere and facilities. Choosing the area first is useful: a main-house visit and a Farmyard visit are different versions of the same estate experience.

Some accommodation has distinctive features such as private wellness facilities or extra living space, which belong to named categories rather than every room. Families can discuss cots, additional beds and adjoining accommodation across the two areas. Compare the room’s location and breakfast inclusions before booking, then leave enough time in the stay to use the gardens and guest programme rather than treating The Newt as a quick overnight stop.

Retreat

The spa combines an indoor-outdoor pool with steam, sauna and salt-infusion facilities, treatment rooms and a hammam. Couples can arrange treatments or mud therapy, while the gym and daily wellbeing programme provide more active options. These facilities sit alongside the gardens rather than replacing the outdoor experience, making it easy to divide a day between swimming and exploring.

The estate’s formal gardens, herb garden and working landscape are a central reason to come. Guest experiences and the seasonal programme reward a longer stay, while family swimming and holiday activities make the hotel suitable for visits with children. Plan spa appointments and dinner around the experiences that interest you most, and confirm the current access arrangements for each part of the property.