Things to do
Staying in
Swimming is the ultimate all-weather activity in the indoor heated pool. Brisk early exercise, a quick dip at the end of a busy day, or a leisurely evening with music and a glass of wine. Guests of Jack’s Barn, The Garden House and Deerleap can each schedule private swimming time in advance. Once you arrive at Lilycombe, a simple booking system allows you to reserve your time when the pool is exclusively yours.
Upstairs, next to the swimming pool is a therapy room. You can choose massage, reiki, aromatherapy, hypnotherapy, aquafit, wellness day retreat, gel nails or make up. It is more economic if you share your booking with others in your party and to be sure of availability, please book well in advance of your visit. For further details email holidays@lilycombe.co.uk.
The Cinema is fun. It has a big-screen projector and everything you need to download your favourite music, TV and film. It also has some rainy day entertainment for younger guests. The Cinema is open to all guests during the day but you can book it in the evening for your own private screening! You can access the booking system once you arrive at Lilycombe.
The walks around Lilycombe are wonderful. No car needed. There are lots of circular walks with beautiful countryside and fine views. Within walking distance are 4 pubs: The Litton in Litton, The Hunter's Lodge in Priddy, The Waldegrave Arms in Chewton Mendip, The Ring O Bells in Hinton Blewett (also does take-away Wednesday-Sunday). For keen walkers, there are longer trails, including a stunning walk over the Mendips and down to Wells, the West Mendip Way and the Limestone Link. There is a different walk for every day of the week, with maps for serious yompers provided.
Just a stroll from the door, you can explore Lilycombe’s 6 acre bluebell wood which is home to deer, badgers, rabbits and Mr Foxy. Make a campfire breakfast for the kids or picnic by the pond, in total peace, freedom and harmony with nature. Borrow the kit you need and then watch the buzzards and listen to the birds. Sometimes our curious cows may be roaming in the woods, so check first if you have small children.
If fine dining is your thing, you could eat in for a change, with a chef who cooks delicious food and clears up while you just relax and enjoy! Here are some chefs: Somerset Suppers, The French Kitchen, Jesse Davies, Ebbie's Kitchen, Thyme Chef, Luke Hawkins, Elaine's Kitchen, Kate Duckett, Home Table Dining.
Local experiences
Wells is full of coffee shops, restaurants and hairdressers, but most notable for the stunning exteriors and interiors of the Cathedral and the Bishop’s Palace. Take the family to see the clock inside Wells Cathedral, which is one of the oldest in the world. On the quarter hour, the 4 horsemen emerge to joust and knock each other out! Donations encouraged. Feeding the ducks (please ask us for some grain as bread is not allowed) and playing in the new playground can be combined with a picnic in the park.
There’s lots to explore in Bath and Bristol. We have included some of our picks in our list, but you can get many more ideas from their websites. Better than a tour bus, take the Bath Walking Tour, or for a lighter approach, go for a stroll with Bizarre Bath.
Climb the magical Glastonbury Tor and get the most terrific view. Not too strenuous! Combine with a visit to Glastonbury Abbey and an explore of the town, which has the most weird and wonderful shops and clientele. The Oracle is a free magazine that lists what’s on.
Take a guided tour to discover what it was like as a cellmate, or attempt a Cell Escape Room in the only recently (2013) decomissioned prison in Shepton Mallet.
Book a champagne balloon flight with Bristol Balloons or Bailey Balloons
Take a walk with a hawk! West of England Falconry or North Somerset Bird of Prey Centre
Challenge yourself by going underground. Learn to cave
Skiing on the Mendips? YES! Try a taster session Mendip Activity Centre
Fancy canoeing or climbing? Black Rock
Learn to shoot at our local shooting school. Great outing for grown ups. And only 10 mins away. Mendip Shooting Ground
GO WILD Food foraging, bush craft, wild camping, archery.
Ever wanted to try your hand at pottery? Ella Phillips' 2 hour throwing experiences in Cheddar offer the perfect introduction.
WINE TASTING You don’t need to go to France to go on a vineyard tour! Sip Somerset champagne and wine 20 minutes from your holiday cottage front door at Fenny Castle Vineyard, or Perch Hill Vineyard.
Family days out
A fantastic Safari Park, stately home and garden, adventure playpark; Longleat offers a memorable, full day out. About 35 mins drive.
Wookey Hole is just down the road and perfect to save for a rainy day as it is mostly indoors – 15 mins away. Great child friendly pub: The Wookey Hole Inn
Cheddar Caves is good for children of all ages and is an indoor adventure – about 20 mins.
You would think that little people would not appreciate the Roman Baths but, according to guest feedback, they love it! Half an hour in the car.
A ride on a steam train? The East Somerset Railway 20mins away
We the Curious This is the new name for @bristol, Bristol's renowned science centre.
Friends with grandchildren say that this was one of the best days out for little ones (up to 10) at Chew Valley Animal Park 15 mins
Just 10 minutes to our local farm shop, which has lovely fresh produce, a café and a brilliant play barn Farringtons.
If messing about in boats appeals, you can hire skiffs, canoes and kayaks from Bath Boating. Our children loved playing captain driving the electric boats at Bath Narrowboats.
Watch the swans come for feeding times at the Bishop’s Palace in Wells. Lots of holiday activities for children.
If you fancy proposing in style on a beautiful wooden launch quaffing champagne, the vintage Lady Lena will fit the bill
For aeronautical geeks The Fleet Air Arm Museum is a must, 40 mins drive.
A good toot in Bristol is the SS Great Britain which can be combined with the M shed nearby.
The American Museum 30 mins, is splendid mansion housing a fine collection of early American interiors and quilts. Of rather limited interest to smaller children!
Discover rural life from 1800 onwards at the Somserset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury.
National Trust properties include Lytes Cary, Montacute, Barrington and Stourhead.
Somerset has lots of gardens that open under the National Garden Scheme, including Milton Lodge with its spectacular views of Wells. A triple delight for art and garden lovers awaits at Bruton's Hauser and Wirth Gallery, where world class exhibitions change often and the international designer Piet Oudolf has made a fabulous prairie style garden - book for lunch at the funky Roth Bar and Grill.
Naturalists, just take a walk outside with your binoculars! We have a night scope to check out the deer and badgers late in the evening. Chew Valley Lake is very popular with ornithologists, but for wonderful walks and masses of interesting flora and fauna, visit the Shapwick Heath, Avalon Marshes and Westhay Nature reserves on the Somerset Levels. The Somerset Ornithological Society has a useful map. If you are visiting between November and March, look out for the Starling Spectacular - call the Starling hotline, 07866 554142.
If your children had expected a bucket-and-spade holiday, fear not! Head for the lighthouse on the beach at Burnham-on-Sea, 40 mins.
Sporty Activities
Fancy practising your downward dog? Book into one of the local classes at Yoga Chew Valley. You can also book them in for a private session at Lilycombe.
Golfers can choose between 3 local courses within 15 mins: Farrington Park, Mendip Golf Club, Wells Golf Club
Petrol heads can enjoy a car track day at Castle Combe, Stock Car Racing at Mendips Raceway and karting at South West Karting. Less demanding is the stunning collection of static cars at Haynes International Motor Museum – a 40 minute drive but good for a rainy day.
Two Wheels Good! Hire a bike in Bath and tootle along the canalside path to Bradford-on-Avon or do something more adventurous and go mountain biking on the Mendips - Bike the Mendips or Nextbike. Discover great flat rides on the Somerset Levels for those who bring their own bikes. Radstock to Mells on the old railway path is our favourite as the pub in Mells is a corker! There’s plenty of places to leave bikes in the dry near your cottage.
Riding lessons are just 10 minutes away at Hay Street Farm but you could also take a look at Burcott Riding Centre or Tynings Trekking Centre. Riding for Disabled has several local groups too.
Gamblers can lose their shirts on a different kind of horse at Wincanton and Bath, 35 – 40 mins. They might also enjoy a visit to The Manor House Inn, Ditcheat, whose walls are lined with the success stories of local celebrity National Hunt trainer, Paul Nicholls.
Fishermen are spoilt for choice! They can cast a fly at Litton reservoir, just 5 minutes down the road and bookable for exclusive use. Lessons also available. Blagdon and Chew Valley Lake are both teeming with elusive trout for boat or bank fishing. Full details from Bristol Water.
Cheddar Gorge is a spectacular setting for Climbers but the Mendips are also famous for Potholing.
Eating out
Be sure to book if you are planning to go at the weekend
The Litton 5 minutes away by car or half an hour walk. A family friendly dining pub, with vibrant yet inviting interiors and big outdoor area.
The Ring O Bells, Hinton Blewett, 15 mins. Lovely local with garden and beautiful setting next to village church with good pub nosh.
The Hunters Lodge, near Priddy, 15 mins. A very traditional unspoilt local with well kept draught beer and real Somerset cider. Popular with folk singers and potholers. Great value home cooking. You can walk there in an hour and a half, mostly off road.
Root (sister restaurant to Root Bristol), Wells, 10 mins, is a veg-centric restaurant serving both beautiful and delicious sharing plates.
Rugantinos in Wells is a favourite with locals for tasty Italian dishes.
The Bishops's Eye, Wells, is great for people watching in the square with a glass of wine and plate of charcuterie.
The Bishop's Table Café is right next to the entrance of The Bishop's Palace. An excellent lunch spot serving filling flatbreads, sandwiches, cakes and coffee.
Goodfellows, Wells. Both a restaurant and a cookery school, open Thursday - Sunday.
Good Pizzas at ASK in Wells.
Wookey Hole Inn, Wookey Hole, 15 minutes. Great to combine a visit to the caves. Relaxed and informal with good, freshly cooked food. Family friendly with crayons for the kids to deface the paper table cloths.
We are not experts on takeaways, but Wells has Indian and Chinese as well as the Thai Dragon, 10 mins. You can take out or eat in and the service is very attentive. The implausibly long menu has something for almost every taste.
The Talbot Inn Mells, 20 mins. A traditional yet stylish pub. Think cobbled courtyard, inviting interiors and a well thought through food and drinks menu. There is a lovely private dining room for 12.
Salt and Malt 20 mins. Bang on the North shore of Chew Valley Lake, this upmarket fish and chip restaurant and takeaway couldn’t be in a nicer spot. Combine with fly fishing on the lake.
The Pig, Hunstrete, 20 minutes. Grade 2 listed country house – a wonderful treat for a special occasion. The setting is unbeatable.
The Sheppey, Godney, 25 mins. Bonkers interior with food that’s sometimes pretty good. Combine with a visit to Glastonbury Tor or a walk or bike ride on the mercifully flat Levels. Westhay Nature Reserve is near.
The Swan, Wedmore. Family friendly restaurant/pub with good food. 30 mins. Confortable interior as well as a nice garden for eating outside.
The White Hart, Somerton, 35 mins. Excellent sister pub to Wedmore’s Swan. Just a bit further on from Clark’s Shopping Village in Street. From there, you can progress to Pitney Farm Shop, selling the best and happiest sausages in Somerset, and on to Julian Temperley’s famous Burrow Hill cider farm and brandy distillery. Brown and Forrest is nearby too.
The Red Lion, Babcary 40 mins. Fantastic pub – a bit of a hike but on the way to Haynes Motor Museum or the Fleet Air Arm Museum and various National Trust properties.
Roth Bar & Grill Bruton, 35 mins. On the same site as the Hauser & Wirth Art Gallery, the setting is fun and contemporary with a great atmosphere. They have a rather impressive Salt Room, and there is often live music on a Friday night.
Osip Bruton, 35 mins. A tiny Michelin starred restaurant in the heart of Bruton. Delicate yet delicious seasonal food. Or try The Old Pharmacy which is their wine bar next door for a more relaxed but still special experience.
At the Chapel, Bruton, serves delicious sourdough pizzas (amongst other things) from their wood-fired oven.
The Three Horseshoes, Batcombe, 30 mins, is one of the most hotly anitcipated openings in Somerset this year (due to open Spring 2023). It will be headed up by renowned London chef Margot Henderson.
Bath is a tourist city, so has lots of restaurants for the non-discerning. For you, we suggest The White Hart at Widcombe as a reliable gastro pub, the café at The Fine Cheese Co and for fine dining, The Circus or Clayton’s Kitchen. We also like The Beckford Bottle Shop.
Bristol is lively in the centre and the containers at Cargo 1, Wapping Wharf are fun. Box-E is excellent. Whiteladies Road has lots of choices and The Lido in Clifton is a fun setting where you can swim and dine.
Foodies
You can stock up at our local Farmers Market on a Wednesday in Wells just 10 mins away and enjoy all that is fresh and delicious. Beautiful bread, fabulous fish, best bangers, organic veggie heaven and more treats!
Waitrose, Tesco and Cookfood are in Wells and deliver to Lilycombe Farm.
Combine a trip to Hauser and Wirth with a visit to the Godminster Cheese Shop in Bruton.
Learn to make your own Charcuterie at Somerset Charcuterie, 25 mins. The smokery and restaurant at Brown and Forrest specialises in Eel, 55mins.
Taste cider and brandy on the farm where it is fermented and distilled, Somerset Cider Brandy 55mins.
Learn new cookery skills locally at Dudwell School, or in Chard you can learn to cook Japanese influenced recipes at Kinori
Shopping
You deserve a new outfit and handsome Mulberry handbag? So head to their outlet shop at Kilver Court and then to Clark’s Village for cheaper stuff for your friends.
Sunday trading: Cheddar Car Boot on Sunday mornings is mega and the epic artisan’s market in Frome is held on the first Sunday of the month.
For antiques addicts, the Bath and West Showground, 20 mins, near Shepton Mallet, hosts the largest antiques fair and flea markets in the South West. Or, if you are looking for architectural salvage or a quirky feature for your garden, Wells Reclamation is 15 mins away and Glastonbury Reclamation is a further 5 mins drive.
Arts and Culture
Visit the websites to see the specific dates and information for your stay.
Local arts & culture
Cedars Hall, Wells for excellent music.
Wells Film Centre, small scale and friendly, providing a welcome contrast to massive multiplexes.
Wells Comedy Festival, Late May, international artists.
Wells Food Festival, Mid October, Fantastic variety of stalls.
Wells Festival of Literature, Late October.
Royal Bath and West Show near Shepton Mallet, May/June.
Glastonbury Festival, Late June.
The Godney Gathering, Mid July.
Valley Fest, Early August.
ArcTanGent Festival at Fernhill Farm, Mid August.
Somerset Art week offers studio visits and an opportunity to buy original pieces. September.
Chew Valley Art Trail is another open studio weekend event locally, usually second weekend in October.
Somerset Carnivals are a truly unique Somerset tradition. Don’t miss a bonkers evening of floats with tons of action and music - Starting first Saturday of November.
Bath arts & culture
For information about Bath’s International Music, Fringe, Chilli, Beer, and Christmas festivals see Visit Bath (great free party and fireworks on the night before the Music Festival opens).
Theatre Royal has a varied theatre programme throughout the year. Next door is The Ustinov Studio, a small performance space with some interesting productions and The Egg, for younger audiences. Bath Christmas Market is supercharged shopping with Glűhwein, December.
Bristol arts & culture
Lively city life is around The Centre and the harbour. Lots of bars, restaurants and live music. Concerts and theatre at Bristol Old Vic, Bristol Hippodrome, and the Bristol Beacan (formerlly Corston Hall) opens later this year. Bristol Harbour Festival, July, is a great free event and there are many more festivals in Bristol. The International Balloon Fiesta takes off on Clifton Downs, August. More info about Bristol at Visit Bristol.