For more information and to book please visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or let us arrange your whole trip, by calling +44 (0)20 8987 4312 or from the USA dial 1 866 610 3867.
Babington House
- Style
- Relaxed retro country club
- Setting
- Deepest Somerset
The opening of Babington House in 1998 famously kick-started the march of metropolitan cool into the countryside, and it still sets the standard. This impressive Somerset manor is the benchmark of cool that other country-house hotels never quite seem to match.
Need to know
- Rooms
- 28 rooms, from suites to split-level mini-houses ideal for families.
- Rates
- £225–£425 (Babington/Soho House members: £190–£390).
- Check-out
- Midday, but once you've checked out you can hang around.
- Facilities
- Indoor and outdoor pools, gym and Cowshed spa, DVD and CD libraries, billiards, 45-seat cinema, croquet lawn, tennis courts, cricket pitch.
- Children
- Very welcome: the Little House is a creche. Babysitting can also be arranged.
- Also
- Family rooms and the Lodge are normally booked up for an entire year in advance.
In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- We loved sexy Room 5, with a free-standing bath by the bed; Room 6, with its Jacuzzi on a private terrace; and Room 12 for its eight-foot bed and big bathroom with views to the lake. For weekends, book six months ahead.
- Packing tips
- Don't forget your swimsuit (though there's a shop if you do), goggles, and suitable attire to walk from bedroom to spa.
- Also
- Wellies provided.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- There are three dining areas: the House Kitchen, the Log Room, and the terrace. Have a relaxing breakfast which is served all day from 7am.
- Dress code
- Barefoot or ballgown.
- Top table
- At the back of the Log Room, away from the kitchen.
- Last orders
- The restaurant closes when last guest leaves. Bar open until 2am, later for residents.
- Room service
- Anything, any time.
- Hotel bar
- There's a bar on the ground floor and the child-free Martini Bar on the first floor.
Smith card offer A bottle of Cowshed's Horny Cow Seductive Bath & Massage Oil
If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).
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Book this hotel
To book this hotel please click here, or contact our travel team on 0845 034 0700.
Local restaurants
Moon and Sixpence (01225 460962) is relaxed and informal, with good modern food.
Local bars
The Talbot Inn in Mells (01373 812254) serves game. The Angel Inn in Hindon (01747 820696) serves amazing fish (closed Sunday evenings). The Black Dog in Chilmark (01722 716344) does both contemporary and traditional food. The Beckford Arms in Fonthil Gifford (01747 870385) is good for a pint.
Worth getting out of bed for
Horse riding and clay-pigeon shooting in Wellow (01225 834376). Hot-air ballooning (0870 607 0241). Golf in Frome (01373 454200). Longleat has numerous attractions which include the house, safari park and a butterfly garden (01985 844328; www.longleat.co.uk).
Diary
August Up, up and away for the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta (0117 953 5884; www.bristolfiesta.co.uk). Glastonbury Classical Festival offers the more sedate side of the musical spectrum (01458 832020; www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/classical).
The hotel's Cowshed spa is a fabulous place to relax and prepare for your big day.
Weddings are held Monday to Thursday only, and are based on exclusive use of the hotel and all its 28 bedrooms.
Weddings are a regular feature at Babington House, and always run seamlessly thanks to a very experienced team. The functions manager, Hannah Meager (01373 814907), dedicates time to every couple, dispensing advice, guidance and recommendations.
Recommended rooms
Split-level Stable Block rooms are family sized, with terraces, bunk rooms with two children's beds. The Lodge is a separate cottage, ideal for families with children.
Crèche/day care
The Little House crèche will look after children aged one and up (free for residents: daily, 9am–5pm; till 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays), providing games, entertainment and activities. They must be signed in, and parents must remain on the hotel premises.
Activities
Outside, there are extensive grounds, tennis courts, a cricket pitch and five-aside football nets. Rock-climbing and horse riding can be arranged through reception. There's lots of lovely walks and bridepaths in the area; borrow the hotel's bike and go exploring. Inside, there's a private 45-seat cinema that screens all sorts of films, including children's films; contact reception for details of what's showing.
Swimming pool
Children's swimming hours are 9.30–11.30am and 3.30–6pm, Mondays to Thursdays. Swimming lessons can be arranged at an extra cost.
Meals
Children's menus available.
Babysitting
Babysitting can be arranged.
No need to pack
Stable Block rooms are provided with many child-friendly extras, including sterilisers, changing mats, baby baths and microwaves for heating milk or food.
