Printable hotel details
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Shepton Mallet, near Bath, Somerset BA4 4PR
BA4 4PR
Charlton House 
- Style
- Mulberry cordial
- Setting
- Rolling West Country
Charlton House in Somerset occupies that ideal boutique hotel ground, somewhere between grand old-style country retreat and an in-vogue homely chic.
Need to know
- Rooms
- 25, each individually decorated with Mulberry fabrics and antique furniture.
- Rates
- £180–£465, including breakfast, morning paper and use of the spa facilities. There’s a two-night minimum stay when booking a Saturday.
- Check-out
- 11am; earliest check‑in, 2pm.
- Facilities
- Gardens, tennis court, croquet lawn, massage and beauty treatments in Monty’s Spa (book in advance), free WiFi, CD/DVD library. In rooms, flatscreen TV, minibar, CD/DVD player and spelt‑germ oil toiletries from the spa.
- Poolside
- Monty's Spa has indoor and outdoor hydrotherapy pools.
- Children
- Welcome. An agency provides nannies and babysitting.
- Also
- Pop into the Mulberry Factory Shop up the hill on Kilver Street (+44 (0)1749 340583); it has the widest selection of the label’s clothing and accessories range outside Bond Street, at reduced prices.
In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- The Secret Garden Room has its own terrace (the room’s name is a bit of a clue) and views over the grounds. We also love Ostler, which has a copper bath on the mezzanine floor, and cosy private courtyard. The newer rooms at the back are equipped with WiFi and underfloor heating. Grand Suite has a second bedroom with twin beds, and is ideal for families.
- Packing tips
- Leave room to take some of Monty's spa products home with you, as well as some of Sharpham Park's goodies, such as the muesli.
- Also
- The Orangery is a fantastic venue for private parties and wedding celebrations, especially in summer.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- Under chef Elisha Carter, a Modern British menu dallies with West Indian inflections in the acclaimed Sharpham Park restaurant, which features produce from the eponymous estate; organic rare-breed meats and baked spelt-flour goods are a speciality.
- Dress code
- Think Brideshead Revisited: pretty tea dresses, cords and crumpled stripy shirts.
- Top table
- In summer, the conservatory is lovely; otherwise, plump for a seat around the edge of the room.
- Last orders
- Food: 9.30pm. Bar: open all night. Enjoy breakfast from 7.30am to 10am; 8am to 10am on Sundays.
- Room service
- 24 hours: a light menu is served until 10pm, after which sandwiches will keep you going until breakfast.
- Hotel bar
- The relaxed lounge bar is open all night for guests and is a comfy space to settle down in for a few quiet drinks.
Smith card offer 10 per cent off pre-booked massage and beauty treatments. Plus, a goodie bag containing luxury Sharpham Park muesli, Monty’s Bath & Foot Soak and a guide to creating the perfect spa bath
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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Smith concierge
If you’d prefer to talk to someone, or you’re having trouble booking online, ring our travel team on 0845 034 0700 (+44 20 8987 4312 from outside the UK). We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
Local restaurants
Just across the road, the listed Thatched Cottage Inn produces simple, tasty dishes that will appeal to most palates (+44 (0)1749 342058). The sweetly unassuming Blostins Restaurant (closed Sundays and Mondays), also in Shepton Mallet, has seasonal and vegetarian menus with Anglo‑French leanings (+44 (0)1749 343648). The Old Spot restaurant in Wells is excellent and well worth making a detour for (+44 (0)1749 689099). Its formula is simple: provide delicious food – braised shoulder of lamb, ceviche of organic salmon with red chilli – at budget prices, and throw in a superb wine list, too.
Local bars
A 15th‑century coaching house, The Talbot Inn in Mells (+44 (0)1373 812254) is nice for a low‑key Sunday lunch and serves fresh fish and game in season. Set in an idyllic 16th-century country cottage, The Wheatsheaf in Combe Hay is a gastropub so good it draws smart Bath residents out of town to its tables (+44 (0)1225 833504). The Three Horseshoes in Batcombe (+44 (0)1749 850359) is a traditional English pub with open fires. The Fox and Hounds in Tytherington (+44 (0)1373 473902) is a 17th-century inn in a pretty hamlet.
Worth getting out of bed for
The hotel can organise horse riding and golf. Cheddar Gorge is touristy but also an area of outstanding beauty (www.cheddarcaves.co.uk). Wells is six miles away and Bath 19 miles away. Longleat (www.longleat.co.uk) has numerous attractions including the house, a safari park, a maze, a railway and more. Glastonbury Abbey (www.glastonburyabbey.com) is worth a look. Trout fishing is available at Temple Cloud (+44 (0)1761 452423), and golfing at the Isle of Wedmore (www.wedmoregolfclub.com).
Diary
May Bath International Music Festival (01225 463362; www.bathmusicfest.org.uk). August Glastonbury Classical Festival offers the more sedate side of the musical spectrum (01458 832020, www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/classical). Bristol International Balloon Fiesta brings a mass of colourful hot-air-balloon launches (see our events guide Smith 52 for details, or buy the book for the full insider lowdown).
For a full list of bars and restaurants in Northeast Somerset, click here
Northeast Somerset, United Kingdom
- Number of people
- 2-120
- Licensed for weddings
- Yes
Wow factor
Soothe away last-minute nerves in the hotel's spa, which offers a range of specially designed bridal treatments.
Need to know
The marquee usually goes up in spring and stays up until it is dismantled at the end of October, so if you want to take advantage of the extra outdoor space and the terrace, it is best to book a date during the summer months. The East Wing provides an intimate and very private setting for the couple and their witnesses. For larger weddings, the Orangery can accommodate up to 110 guests, although there is only space for a maximum of 60 guests for a banquet. Charlton House can arrange the flowers, music, cake and photographer.
Inspiration
The resident special events manager has many years' experience of handling bespoke wedding celebrations at the hotel, and when it comes to creating a truly special day, she knows every trick in the book. Entertainments for guests include clay-pigeon shooting and archery in the grounds, or quad biking nearby.
Click here to view more wedding hotels in United Kingdom
Northeast Somerset, United Kingdom
- Best for
- Sophisticated children who aren't expecting a kids' club, but would love being in a gorgeous garden.
Recommended rooms
Most of the rooms are large enough for at least one cot or bed (cots cost an extra £15; beds £25). The Grand Suite has a separate twin bedroom, and the two-storey Farrier has a sofa bed and second bathroom.
Activities
Burn off energy in the huge gardens (there's a football goal and croquet lawn), and older children are welcome to use the tennis courts. Staff are happy to arrange horse riding, and Longleat and its famous safari park is only a short drive away.
Meals
Children are allowed in the restaurant at all times. A dedicated kids' menu (main courses £8, puddings £3.50) serves hearty, mainly organic, dishes, including pasta, sausages and mash, roast chicken and lots of ice cream, fruit and yoghurt. Staff are happy to heat up bottles and baby food, and can provide packed lunches.
Babysitting
Reception staff can provide a list of approved babysitters and nannies for parents to book direct.
Baby-listening
Monitors work in most of the hotel bedrooms (check at time of booking), so bring your own, or borrow one from reception.
No need to pack
The restaurant has plenty of high chairs.
Also
There is a DVD player in each room, and a selection of child-friendly films to borrow. All rooms have fridges, handy for storing milk.
Click here to view more child-friendly hotels in United Kingdom
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