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Dating all the way back to 1736, The Bath Arms mixes ye olde English charm with contemporary cosiness. A historic country pub that manages to fit 16 bedrooms upstairs (and in an old stable block out back), think of it as a Tardis as written by Jane Austen. The Bath Arms is the bustling focal point of a tiny village called Horningsham in the sprawling Longleat Estate in Wiltshire. Just by the Somerset borders, this picture-perfect boozer is packed with diners and drinkers on the weekends, with some of the best pub grub in the county served in numerous nooks and crannies of a grand Georgian era-boozer. The fact that you can stay upstairs after stuffing yourself silly only adds to the charm.
What are the rooms like at The Bath Arms?
The pub’s 16 bedrooms come in small, medium and large doubles. Clean, crisp and ultra-welcoming, rooms at the Bath Arms are stylish without being overblown. There are traditional beams, stone-coloured soft furnishings, Siberian goose down duvets on big, comfy beds, and quaint village views. Essentially, it’s classic cottage-core but without the chintz. Our large double is fabulously expansive, and comes with a roll-top bath in a spacious marble bathroom, as well as (pleasingly) wonky fixtures, as befitting of a building that’s almost 300 years old. Despite being above the main room of the pub, the sound from downstairs is barely audible. We slept like veritable logs.
What are the facilities like at The Bath Arms?
Rooms come with decent wi-fi, big tellys and a radio, as well as tea, coffee and a kettle. There are no in-room fridges, but a little pot of milk is placed outside your room in the morning. Cute. Bathrooms are well stocked with local toiletries by Bramley, who also run a small treatment cabin by the old stable block behind the pub. Massages and facials start at £70 and are available on Saturdays, Mondays and alternate Sundays.
What is the food and restaurant like at The Bath Arms?
Breakfast is included with the room, and doesn’t hold back. Held in the main dining room of the pub, you’ll feel like a Dickensian baddie while tucking into this seriously impressive spread. There’s a buffet to start, with everything from stewed prunes, creamy yogurt and homemade granola, to a build-your-own-Bloody-Mary station; ideal if you went a little too hard in the bar the night before. You can then order from a menu complete with the likes of a full english fry up, egg benedicts, and smashed pea toast. Cap it all off with a massive, soup bowl-sized cappuccino. If you’re eating in the pub in the evening (and you very much should), then get stuck into local, seasonal produce. We’re still thinking about our juicy and insanely meaty smoked trout starter, as well as an apple crumble that could easily feed a family of four.
What’s the area like around The Bath Arms?
You’re a ten minute drive from the bohemian Somerset village of Frome, a place where you’re just as likely to find a bijoux art gallery as you are a local farmer selling eggs. Longleat Estate is right next door, if you fancy visiting what was the world’s first drive-through safari outside of Africa (it opened in 1966), or the grand, Grade I listed stately home. Bruton is a 20 minute drive if you want to check out the world-class Hauser and Wirth gallery or eat at Osip, the best restaurant in the UK.
DETAILS
Address: Horningsham, Warminster BA12 7LY
Expect to pay: £20-30 per person for mains; rooms from around £140 per night
Closest transport: Frome railway station is a 20-minute drive