somerset spring

We arrived in Somerset late last Friday night. It was a long and tiresome drive from London. After a quick feast of cheese, bread and beer on arrival, we turned in for the night. Our home for the weekend was The Talbot Inn, a converted 15th-century coach house located in the estate village of Mells. We woke early on Saturday morning, well rested and happy to be in the country. The view from our bedroom window, of Somerset hills and trees and bright blue sky, made the late night journey more than worth the trouble. Breakfast was eggs and a Bloody Mary or three. Afterwards we paid a visit to St Andrew’s church, just next door to the inn. Inside, all was still and peaceful. In the image of the church entrance above, you'll spot the 16th-century Mells Manor in the background. The village's name comes from the Latin for honey, mellis, referring to the beautiful colour of the local stone.

We didn't do a great deal on Saturday. After our morning walk around Mells we hotfooted it over to nearby Babington House, where we had lunch on the terrace and read the newspapers for a few hours. The sun was shining; it felt like spring might finally be on its way. We spent the afternoon back in our room at the inn, dozing, with the sunshine streaming through the windows.

Dinner at the inn was another restrained affair - roast chicken and wine and rice pudding with rhubarb, followed by a jigsaw puzzle and an attempt at a murder mystery board game. And then other night's good sleep.

After breakfast on Sunday we headed over to Montacute House, which I've written about before. This glittering Elizabethan mansion is one of my favourite country houses to visit. The weather unfortunately wasn't nearly so nice as it was on Saturday, but the Somerset stone still gleamed golden.

Lovely spring daffodils in Montacute's greenhouse. In the afternoon we drove back to London, stopping off at the wonderful Pythouse Kitchen Garden in Wiltshire (which I've also written about before) for mushrooms on toast and fish pie. A good weekend.