Flax Barn
20192.8 miles NE of Ilminster / Sleeps 4 + cot
15% off for parties of 2 + cot or less at certain times of the year, view offer...
7 Nights from £391
The location of attractions is intended only as a guide. Distances are 'as the crow flies'.
Nearest pub
Barrington Boar (¼ mile)
Children, dogs and welly boots are all welcome in this newly refurbished pub, all watched over by Alan the Barrington Boar. The bar and restaurant both have good food, and the location in the centre of the village makes it a social hub for local events.
May 2019
Barrington Boar
The best pub meals we have ever had excellent food beautifully cooked and great service. Would highly recommend
Mrs Clarke-Bradford July 2014
Fantastic, Fantastic, friendly pub with delicious food.
friends and I visited the Barrington Boar whilst staying in the village this weekend. We first visited Fri eve where we enjoyed whole baked plaice in a caper sauce, fish pie, & stuffed aubergine with salad. The main courses were absolutely delicious. Having a coeliac in our party, we asked about gluten free & were told the sauce would not be made with wheat flour. The accompanying salads were huge, fresh and excellent - no rubbish bit of iceberg lettuce & tomato here! A mixture and abundance of salad leaves really impressed us. Desserts of lemon posset were divine, and although the brownie was overcooked, we were cheerily offered something else - no bad atmosphere here! We throughly enjoyed our meal and service was excellent - so much so that we returned on Sunday for lunch after a country ramble with moments of mild to moderate peril gave us a huge appetite. We enjoyed our meal in the garden and again, our coeliac and pescatarian friends were catered to by the owners and chef happily offering the roast dinner with no meat & extra roasties for the coeliac, and homemade Thai style fishcakes with the roast potatoes, for our other friend. An unusual combination, but the didn't phase the Barrington Boar! Again we enjoyed the divine lemon posset, and our chocolate loving friend asked for the brownie again - which was baked to perfection! Again friendly, helpful staff made our meal a very enjoyable experience. We all agreed that we would heartily recommend The Barrington Boar to all our friends visiting the area and look forward to eating there again when we return to Somerset. Thanks to all at The Barrington Boar for two truly delicious and welcoming visits!
Nearest beach
Charmouth West Beach (16 miles)
Charmouth West Beach runs the mile and a half from the mouth of the river Char all the way to Lyme Regis. Although hammering at the cliffs is not allowed, the shores of Charmouth West Beach are well known for their fossils and often keen-eyed visitors are rewarded with a treat. With the gentle slope of the beach and natural sea pools forming in certain conditions the beach lends itself nicely to paddling and swimming. A heritage centre, cafe and shops are nearby, although there are no lifeguards on duty.
August 2019
Charmouth beach
Lovely not too busy beach, such fun finding fossils, beautiful sand when the tide is out, and great rock pools
Miss Battrick July 2017
Lovely beach, brilliant for fossil hunting
Mrs Avis January 2010
Take a fossil hunting guided walk or boat trip. No sand but plenty to keep the kids amused.
November 2009
The hours seem to have a habit of slipping by while you're wandering along hunting for fossils on this stretch of coast. The kids love the excitement of finding an ammonite or debating the authenticity of possible 'dinosaur bones'. Great way to spend an afternoon.
Nearest walk
Barrington Court to Shepton Beauchamp Walk (¾ mile)
A moderate two and a half mile walk which takes you through some lovely South Somerset countryside and you can visit the grand Ham stone church of Shepton Beauchamp on the way. Suitable for dogs with some stiles, steps and kissing gates en route.
Nearest town
Ilminster (3 miles)
Deep in the rolling Somerset countryside, Ilminster, with its imposing church and the winding River Ile, is a vision of pastoral beauty. One of the town’s best-loved attractions is Barrington Court, a well-preserved manor house with stunning formal gardens, an arboretum and traditional kitchen gardens.
Also nearby
Montacute House (7 miles)
An exceptional Elizabethan house filled with treasures, including 17th Century textile samplers and Elizabethan art. This house featured in the 1995 film ‘Sense and Sensibility’.
Mrs Starkey May 2018
Marvellous Montacute
Absolutely wonderful in every way. We enjoyed many hours here. A must visit property.
Mr Willis May 2016
Shame.
A lovely house and location . It was a pity it was spoilt by a very heavy handed and hard sell approach in the ticket office to join the N.T. I had to be very persistent to get into the house and gardens without joining up .
Once we had managed to get in we had another issue with an officious lady in the long room who basically told us off for taking the wrong staircase up . It turned out that a rope had not been put in place . How were we to know! Other staff members tried to make up for this and were excellent but the impression overall was poor.
Mr Merriman September 2013
Very interesting
Another West Country gem to consider when in the Somerset or Dorset areas. Although the house was endowed to NT as an empty shell much work has been done by introducing surplus items from other properties and there is a current fascinating exhibition from the National Portrait Gallery which is a must.
Barrington Court (½ mile)
Lovingly brought back to life in the 1920s, Barrington Court Tudor manor house is a picture of beauty. Explore the house and weave through the gardens breathing in the heady scents of roses, irises and lilies. Then when you’re ready, reward yourself to something delicious in the dining and tearooms.
Mrs Vine October 2012
Barrington Court
A beautiful mediaeval court, with eclectic interiors gathered from many old buildings from all over the country - like a jigsaw, and very intriguing. The gardens are very attractive, and the village of Barrington is delightful.
East Lambrook Manor Gardens (2 ¾ miles)
A stunning privately owned Grade 1 listed garden which is renowned as the premier example of the English cottage garden. Please check their Web site for opening times.
Anna H August 2015
I have some new inspiration
Not any old garden but actually the garden created by the pioneer of the traditional cottage garden…. Marjory Fish , 77 years ago….
The intensity of the planting took my breath away – the sheer variety of shapes, sizes and colours, shoulder to shoulder with each other so that you cannot see the earth is stunning. This is a place that will amaze even the least green fingered of us. With Manor in the title I had a preconception of formal lawns, demure statues and marble benches and wide pathways. Not so, this was a forest, a deliberate jungle.
Best of all is that this tranquil place is literally minutes off the A303 – a perfect easy stop off for anyone on the long journey down into the West Country. There is a little café at East Lambrook Manor and across the road a really good pub.
My garden, such as it is, is a little desert by comparison but now, even though it is a very small space, I have some new inspiration.
March 2009
There's lots to see in these cottage-style gardens and it was great to have so many plants for sale!
Glastonbury Tor (15 miles)
Why not take a walk up this iconic, legendary Tor? Well worth the effort, you will have spectacular views across 3 counties. Dogs must be on a lead and there are no public conveniences.
Mrs Pascoe December 2014
Breathtaking (!)
It's well worth the initially steep climb up the tor for the amazing panoramic views from the summit - we parked in Glastonbury itself, walked up through the town and past the Chalice Well to tackle the steepest slope first, which meant an easier walk down the 'back' of the tor and a stroll through countryside to get back to the top of the town. Plenty of tea shops and cafes to refuel at when you get back!
Forde Abbey and Gardens (8 ¼ miles)
A former Cistercian monastery dating back to the 1100s. The gardens are breathtaking, while inside must-sees include the cloisters and the upper refectory.
Mrs Gore November 2020
Gardens
House closed because of Covid but the gardens are lovely. Don’t miss the fountain - a must see!
Mrs Barnett July 2018
A lovely place to visit.
We’ve just had a very pleasant few hours at Forde Abbey on a scorching hot day. The house is very interesting to walk around and the gardens are beautiful, it’s worth waiting to see the fountain, especially if you stand downwind of it on such a hot day.
The ginger cake in the cafe was a great way to end our visit.
Mrs Downey July 2017
A place to unwind
We visited these delightful gardens as part of a circular walk from Thorncombe village. It was the perfect place for a leisurely lunch followed by a stroll around the gardens before continuing on our way. The highlight of the day.
Mrs Mackintosh July 2011
Well worth a visit
We really loved the gardens and the interior. It was the highlight of our week. We spent several hours there and felt there was plenty to see both in the house and gardens. The tearoom provides excellent lunches for those who want to make a day of it.
Mrs Avis January 2010
Stately home and splendid gardens
Fascinating former abbey dating back to 12thC. One of the greatest Westcountry gardens (according to Alan Titchmarsh), plant sales and a good restaurant serving really local food from the estate. A good day's outing.
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