Historic and Period Hotels in Somerset and Avon: Bath, Wells and more

Also see our guide to hotels in Wells and the City of Bath

Bath Spa Hotel. Bath

Built in 1835, this Georgian mansion has been a private residence, school and nurses home in its near 200-year existence. It is, however, its use by the Admiralty during World War II for which it is most historically renowned. Indeed, the oak-panelled Admiralty Room was used by Sir Winston Churchill for secret, high-level Naval meetings. Now five-star accommodation, Bath Spa was officially opened as a hotel by Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1990.

More details and secure online booking available via Superbreak | TripAdvisor | Expedia | www.lastminute.com | Bath Spa Website

The Castle Hotel. Taunton

Shortly before the Battle of Sedgemoor on the 6th of July 1685 – the last to be fought on English soil – officers belonging to the army of the Duke of Monmouth were said be heard “roistering” at The Castle Inn. Alas, the tragic irony is that a few months later many would be back under less auspicious circumstances.

It was in the Great Hall of the Castle at Taunton on the 17th of September 1685 that one of the most infamous episodes in British history commenced. Presided over by the notorious Judge Jeffreys, the Bloody Assize tried over 500 men and sentenced most to death for their part in Monmouth’s rebellion against King James II. However, The Castle’s history runs much deeper than this single episode in history. The site of the hotel is almost certainly that of the very first fortress in the area (most likely constructed of wood) built by the King of Wessex in A.D. 710. Burnt down on more than one occasion – including during a raid by Danish invaders in 1001 – it also played host to a certain Perkin Warbeck: great pretender to the throne of England. Superbreak | Expedia | www.lastminute.com

Thornbury Castle. Nr Bristol.

Records show that the estate of Thornbury has been in existence for over 1000 years, with a manor having being built on the site during the reign of King Athelstan (A..D. 925 – 940). The intricate history of this famous old building is, unfortunately, far too elaborate to go into detail here. In brief, however, it was appropriated by Henry VIII when it’s owner, The Duke of Buckingham, was executed for high treason on Tower Hill.

A royal demesne for over three decades, the King is known to have stayed at Thornbury with his second wife Anne Boleyn for ten days during 1533 – the Duke’s bedchamber in which they are said to have stayed is available to guests. The castle also possess the oldest Tudor gardens in England and a 500-year-old vineyard. Superbreak | Expedia

The Ship Inn. Porlock

Anyone on a tour to follow in the footsteps of the romantic poets will certainly want to put the Ship Inn on their itinerary. Said to have been visited by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, his friend Robert Southey (once Poet Laureate) is a certain former patron. Indeed, the latter even wrote verse while partaking of the pub’s liquid hospitality in 1798: Porlock, thy verdant vale so fair to sight, Thy lofty hills, which furze and fern embrown, The waters that roll musically down...

Moreover, this is certainly one of south west England’s oldest hostelries, with claims that it was built as long ago as 1290. Learn more about what this little national treasure has to offer the visitor with TripAdvisor

The Old House. Nether Stowey.

Formerly owned by a gentleman called Thomas Poole, this charming old Quantocks house was once something of a retreat for Samuel Taylor Coleridge - author of English literature’s greatest epic poems: The Rime of The Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan.

Indeed, guests are able to stay in the very room he used during visits to the village in which he had previously once lived (his cottage, owned by the National Trust, is nearby). The house was also used used by Coleridge’s wife, Sarah Fricker, after their estrangement. For more information try TripAdvisor

More period and historic accommodation in Somerset and Avon

Bath

Bath Paradise House. Early Georgian property dating from 1735 providing highly-rated accommodation. LateRooms

Bath Priory Hotel. Four-star, 27-room hotel dating from 1835. Expedia

Hunstrete House. An impressive eighteenth century Georgian manor. Expedia | LateRooms | Superbreak

Ston Easton Park. Four-star accommodation in a mid-eighteenth century Palladian mansion. LateRooms

Bridgewater

The Castle of Comfort A sixteenth century inn, The Castle of Comfort is located on the fringes of the Quantock hills. Close to the village of Nether Stowey (famous for its connections to Samuel Taylor Coleridge) the building is rumoured to have played host to Dorothy Wordsworth. LateRooms

Chard

Cricket St. Thomas. British visitors may well recognise this Georgian hotel - it featured as Grantleigh manor in the hit BBC TV series To The Manor Born. Built in 1820, the house replaced an older building whose origins were to be found in the Domesday Book. Its gardens are Grade-II listed, and were the location for many meetings between Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton. Hotel’s Own Site

Frome

Full Moon, The. Pretty 17th century inn in a small village setting. LateRooms

Glastonbury

The George & Pilgrim. Dating from the 15th century, The George & Pilgrim was actually constructed as an inn rather than eventually becoming one. www.lastminute.com

Langford Budville

Bindon Country House. Distinctly baroque seventeenth century residence amid seven acres of woodlands and gardens. Expedia

Monkton Combe

Wheelwrights Arms, The. Built in 1750, this 7-bedroom inn is situated in a quiet village location. LateRooms

Midsomer Norton

Old Priory, The. Founded in 1152, architectural relics from the 12th century are still in evidence at this small hotel which also home to the famous “Moody Goose” restaurant. LateRooms

Shapwick

Shapwick House. An impressive Tudor manor house in a delightful rural setting. LateRooms

Wells

Ancient Gatehouse, The. Part of this fascinating old building - The Great West Gate - is a designated ancient monument. LateRooms

Manor Farm. Four-star bed & breakfast accommodation within a fifteenth century property. LateRooms

Swan Hotel, The. Fifteenth century coaching inn close to the city’s beautiful cathedral. LateRooms | Hotel's Site

White Hart Hotel, The. A 15th century coaching inn. LateRooms

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