You’ll love the peace and tranquility at Swallows Rest, that feeling of being a million miles from the busyness of city life; this is where the pace slows right down, giving you mellow days to completely unwind, putting the focus on the fun and the memories. Wisteria clambers lazily up the front of the house, cottage garden flowers bloom happily just outside the door; it’s very lovely.
If you can tear yourselves away, go see something of the local area; with major routes within easy reach attractions, towns and beaches are so accessible. Taunton is less than 10 minutes away; browse the shops, wander down historic Bath Place, stroll through the park, make like Tarzan on the high ropes course, go bowling or watch the latest big screen movie, go for an elegant afternoon tea at The Castle Hotel.
If you crave fresh air and nature, pull on your boots and go for a walk; right from the doorstep you can follow the footpath through the fields to the shop in the next village. A short stroll through the lanes will take you to the Hatch Inn where you can get fish and chips from the Chip Cart on Wednesday evenings. This is how they roll in these parts, so be like locals. Get a proper taste of Somerset with a visit to Burrow Hill Cider, take a leisurely boat trip on the canal at North Newton, find out about the willow growing and basket making at Coates English Willow.
For a jolly good day out, go to Bishops Lydeard, visit the working watermill, then board a heritage steam train with the West Somerset Railway; pootle through the prettiest countryside, alight at Blue Anchor or Minehead for an afternoon on the wide sandy beach. Set off for an adventure, exploring the Quantock Hills or Exmoor National Park, walk the lush river valleys, stop for a cream tea in a traditional tea room, look out for red deer herds and wild ponies roaming free on the heathery heaths.
If historic houses are your things, take your pick from Barrington Court (NT), Forde Abbey and Montacute House, or soak up the hallowed charm of Muchelney Abbey and the Priest’s House. Plan a family trip to Wildwood Devon, to Wookey Hole, or to Lyme Regis for a day by the sea, because happy kids means happy parents. There is so much to see, so much to do, but who can blame you if you prefer to stay put? A splash in the swim spa, a soak in the hot tub, a marathon in the games room, and to round it off, sizzling sausages, toasting marshmallows and swapping stories in the BBQ lodge. The happiest days, the fondest memories.