The Queen's Arms
Walkers’ wonderland
Scenic South East Somerset
The Queen’s Arms had been at the center of village life in quaint Corton Denham for decades without troubling the national radar. But, thanks to a recent takeover by an energetic young local family with foodie credentials, visitors are now flocking to this country pub on the Dorset-Somerset border for the warm service, farm-to-fork fare and overnight stays at the ten refined rooms above the inn. Not just for outdoorsy types, it’s a launchpad for the area’s art galleries, antiques shops and National Trust properties, too.
Facilities
Номера
Eight bedrooms and one private two-bedroom cottage.
Checkout
11am. Earliest check-in, 3pm. Both can be flexible, subject to availability.
Больше сведений
Rates usually include a Continental breakfast (a cooked à la carte breakfast is available for extra).
Also
Watch this space: owner Doune has grand plans to build a cookery school in the garden that will offer half-day and weekend courses.
Бесплатный доступ в интернет
Возможно размещение с животными
At the Hotel
Grassy garden, terrace with outdoor heaters, free WiFi throughout, electric car chargers. In rooms: Smart TV with Netflix, Roberts radio, tea and coffee (fresh milk is delivered daily), glass water carafes and 100 Acres bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
Each room is individually designed with colourful textiles and plenty of personality, so you can’t go wrong. We were particularly partial to Room Two in the main house for its double-ended pink bath tub and Room Seven in the Coach House with its ikat curtains that framed far-reaching country views. For family groups or country-sport parties, the self-catering cottage in the garden comes with a fully-equipped kitchen, an enormous living room with beamed ceilings and two generously sized bedrooms.
Packing Tips
Long socks and Le Chameaus for rambling. And Mrs Smith can leave her hair straightener at home – there’s one in every room.
Дети
All ages are very welcome. There’s a kids’ menu in the pub, a cot can be added to any of the Coach House bedrooms and the private two-bedroom cottage is perfect for family groups.
Галерея
Food & Drink
Top Table
On a Sunday morning, read the supplements over coffee and croissants in the corner table’s cosy chairs. For dinner à deux, we loved the intimate two-top with the antique lambing chair sourced from Sherbourne.
Дресс-код
A dash of tweed and a cashmere layer for the country casual look.
Hotel Restaurant
With its cosy nooks, tartan-clad club chairs and seasonal wreaths hanging from the ceiling, the warm and convivial pub is the kind of setting where lunch can segue smoothly into supper aided by board games, a roaring fire and local ciders on tap. In summer, take a seat on the large outdoor terrace to soak up the views of rolling fields and silhouetted sheep on the ridges.
From village eggs to Somerset cheddar and village-grown veg, locally-raised Chef Rich Townsend's curated menu is a showcase of the pub’s strong links to Dorset and Somerset farmers. Dishes change seasonally, but expect elevated pub staples (homemade pork scratchings and cider battered fish and chips) alongside more delicate fare like citrus cured monkfish with pickled ginger and fennel. For dessert, there’s Dorset-made Ecco Gelato ice cream, Somerset cheeses and a sinful chocolate cremeux with puffed pearl barley to choose from.
Hotel Bar
Sheppey’s cider and local ales are on tap but the expert bar staff can mix up a mean espresso martini, too. There’s a standout list of international wines and, on weekends, a Bloody Mary bar with all the trimmings.
Last Orders
Dinner is served from 6pm to 9.30pm (9pm on Sundays); on weekends, lunch is served from noon to 3pm; last orders are at 11pm.
Planes
The closest are Bristol or Southampton; if you’re travelling from further afield, you’re better off flying to London’s Heathrow or Gatwick and driving (it takes about two hours and fifteen minutes) or catching a train to Sherborne.
Trains
Sherborne and Castle Carey stations are both about fifteen to twenty minutes’ drive away. With advance notice, the hotel can organise taxi transfers.
Automobiles
Unless you plan on sticking to circular walks that begin and end at the pub, wheels will be essential for ferreting out local farm shops, strolling the grounds at Stourhead or surveying the scene in Bruton. There’s free parking on-site (and two electric car chargers).
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
If you’ve remembered your Merrell’s, there are six world-class walks that start and finish right at the pub’s door – just ask for the hand-drawn walking map and take a quick assessment of how much pasta and cider you’d like to burn off. If you opt for the short but heart-quickening hike up the ridge towards the Beacon, you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views over the Somerset Levels. Go a bit further to reach Cadbury Castle, a hill fort (the actual castle is long gone, unfortunately) that’s sometimes rumoured to be the site of King Arthur’s Camelot thanks to the archaeological discovery here of what was once a great feasting hall. A twenty-minute drive away, the National Trust property of Stourhead has world-famous landscaped gardens with Neoclassical temples, grottoes, Palladian bridges and a show-stopping lake.
Art lovers should visit the local Hauser & Wirth gallery, the Somerset outpost of the renowned collectors, which has sister spaces in London, Zürich, Hong Kong, New York and Los Angeles. There’s a sculpture garden and regularly changing exhibitions.
You’ll need to pay £45 for a yearly membership to explore the endless acres of The Newt in Somerset, but inside you’ll find a working farm, a cider bar, a butcher, farm shop, ice-cream parlour, interiors boutique, ornamental gardens and enchanted trails for little Smiths (plus 3,000 of their namesake amphibians living in the ponds).
For a longer day trip, drive 40 minutes to see the spectacular beasts (lions, zebras, giraffes and crocodiles) at Longleat Safari Park or take in the blustery beauty of the Jurassic Coast.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
