Best picnic spot
Pop a blanket in the car and head to the duck pond at Great Elm, just five minutes away; it’s a pretty spot the owners can easily direct you to. Can’t be bothered to drive? Walk to the top of the field on the farm.
Best walks
The Longleat estate near Warminster spreads out for miles – head to Heavens Gate, an area of standing stones with some mighty impressive views. Glastonbury, Stonehenge, Westbury White Horse and Stourhead House are all also nearby. Gorgeous villages to explore include picture-perfect Lullington (just three minutes away), where lots of filming takes place, Great Elm (just five minutes away), Mells (just 10 minutes away), which, according to legend, is where Little Jack Horner originates from, and Kilmersden, where, apparently, Jack and Jill of nursery-rhyme fame resided. Seriously!
Shopping
The owners will arrange for a hamper of goodies to be waiting for you if you wish: just enough for breakfast or provisions for a week – it’s up to you. For self-catering supplies, there are both M&S Simply Food and Sainsbury’s shops 10 minutes away in Frome, or a Tesco in Trowbridge, also 10 minutes away. You’ll find a farm shop just two minutes away from Court Farm (on the roundabout, when driving towards Bath) with a butcher and fresh vegetables. In the village of Frome, Cheap Street, a veritable Diagon Alley (complete with stream running down its centre), is worth a visit for foody titbits. Step inside Sagebury Cheese Deli (21 Cheap Street; 01373 462543) or, for warm pies followed by cider and apple fudge, pop along to the Old Bake House (15 Cheap Street; 01373 455456).
Activities
There are cinemas in Bath and Bristol – but head to the local picture house in Frome and you’ll discover it not only has a bar, but it also lets you take your drinks to your seats. Genius. Longleat House & Safari Park (01985 844400) is nearby. The park is closed from early November until mid-February, but the house is open all year round. Thermae Bath Spa, a 20-minute drive away, has a hot spa pool on a rooftop overlooking Bath and the surrounding countryside. Orchardleigh Golf Club (01373 454200; www.orchardleighgolf.co.uk) is an 18-hole course at Frome, just 10 minutes away. There is also trekking, horse riding and hot-air ballooning available locally. The owners of Court Farm can provide all the information you need.
Smith Tip
Make your way to Court Farm in May when all the rhododendrons are out to play.
