Polden Hills House

Description

"A Very Special Historic House and Gardens to Rent in Rural Somerset" - Winner of Gold Award for Exceptional Quality of Accommodation and Customer Service by Visit England.
One of The Sunday Times Top 100 places to stay in 2010.
Polden Hills House is at the heart of one of England's finest tourist locations, but it is only five minutes from the M5 motorway. The house is full of family books, portraits and antiques and sleeps up to 16 in six beautifully decorated bedrooms on 22 acres of wonderful gardens and grounds.
The house and gardens are looked after by a dedicated and caring team that takes pride in providing exceptional service. On arrival, they provide a generous hamper of local foods, carefully chosen wines and locally produced apple juice. Superb cooks can be arranged for guests who want someone to prepare for a special occasion. A natural beauty therapist can be requested for guests who desire further pampering. The house has something for everyone including: a children's play area with playhouse, swing and fort; a games field; broadband internet access; and Sky satellite TV.

*An additional three people can stay at the house, two on a double sofa-bed in the Chaucer bedroom, there are also two single fold-out beds in Pooh's Corner.

*For those lookng for extra room, on the same site you'll also find Polden Hills Cottage, a charming new addition where an additional six guests can stay. This allows for smaller groups and families to enjoy this wonderful corner of Somerset, please see Polden Hills Cottage for rates. Larger parties can rent both properties exclusively allowing for 22 guests to stay, please see Polden Hills House & Cottage for information.
Good news! This property is available as a Vill'otelYey! Wait… what is that?
It's the perfect combo of the privacy of your own personal villa, with all the luxury and convenience of a hotel. What's included?
Breakfast, cleaning, welcome drinks and hamper, plus more! Check the Extras tab for all the details.



#### Features
The Drawing Room, Library and Dining Room open on to extensive and peaceful gardens, which in turn lead to fields beyond. There is very little noise other than occasional 'mooing' or 'crowing' from Great Tree Farm next door. There is also a large, farmhouse-style Old Kitchen, a Breakfast Room (the former Pantry), and a Laundry (the former Larder). The maximum number that can be seated around the main Dining Room table is 14, but there is also a table suitable for 'kids' teas' in the Breakfast Room.
Ground Floor
- Kitchen/breakfast room
- Kitchen dining room
- Scullery
- Utility/ Laundry room with washing machine and tumble dryer
- Library dining room
- Morning room
- Drawing room with piano and flat screen TV
- Conservatory
- Cloakroom with WC

There are six luxuriously furnished bedrooms, most of which are named after their unusual bronze doorknockers, and four bathrooms. There are full-size beds for up to 12 people and sofa-beds for up to another 4 guests. We also have a put-u-up bed and two cots, so a range of combinations are possible.

First Floor
- Chaucer: 6'6” super-king bed with an additional double sofa-bed and en-suite bathroom
- Pooh's Corner (Landing): Two single sofa-beds
- Nursery: Double or twin room, with two cots and en-suite bathroom with bath, washbasin and WC
- Cobbler: Queen-size double bedroom
- Jolly Monks: Twin bedroom with en-suite bathroom with roll-top bath, shower, washbasin and WC
- Blue Bathroom: Bath with overhead shower, washbasin and WC
- Pump Room: Four-poster double bedroom
- Trusty Servant: Double bedroom with en-suite with shower W/C and washbasin

Groups come to relax but for those that cannot leave work completely behind there is wireless broadband. For those more interested in play, a number of board games and card tables are available in the Library. We have a fold-away pool table as well as Sky TV. We also provide a grass area for football, with basketball and other ball games in the stable yard, behind the garages. The house is set in 22 acres with beautiful gardens. We nurture some very special trees, particularly the only known specimen in the UK of an unusual type of Chinese Zelkova or elm, and some very fine limes and a wide range of unusual apples and pears (help yourselves to fruit in season). The grounds include the following:

- The Tilting Yard - a small, pretty garden in front of the house.
- The Main Garden - situated on the south side of the house and featuring a large lawn (a 'contemplation garden' is currently being developed).
- 'Ha ha' - a large pond that separates the Main Garden from the Orchard.
- The Orchard - a meadow with old apple trees, mature limes, abundant cowslips, a bog garden and a wild garden.
- Bushey Close - a field beyond the Orchard; sometimes used for horses, archery or falconry.
- The Walled Garden - leased out under the Channel 4 TV Landshare Scheme - which occasionally provides our guests and staff with fruit, vegetables or flowers for cutting in season.
- The games field - a grassy area beyond the stable yard for football, basket ball, badminton etc. There is a children's play area with playhouse, slide and fort.
- The Barbecue.
- The Kitchen Garden - a pleasant area for the cook's glass of wine!
- Ponds - there are various ponds on the estate that are abundantly supplied with newts, including many of the endangered great crested newts. Our former fine fish collection has helped sustain the herons of the local marshes!
Polden Hills Cottage
The Cottage offers an additional 3 bedrooms, one of which is located on the ground floor.
There is a large, light open-plan living area that opens straight out onto a decking with BBQ and al-fresco dining furniture. The garden itself is private and fully enclosed, so perfect for letting children play freely, and no need to worry about the dog getting out either.



#### Location
The house is located in a pretty village in Somerset, on the edge of the Polden Hills and the Somerset Levels between Glastonbury and Bridgwater, just three and a half miles from the M5 motorway.
Within easy access are many of the West Country's most beautiful spots and attractions including: Cheddar Gorge and Wookey Hole Caves, Dunster Castle, Exmoor, the Quantocks, Mendips, Brendon Hills, the cities of Bath and Wells, Glastonbury Priory and Tor, and Longleat.
Hot Air Ballooning - Guests can take off from the house and enjoy champagne while floating above the ground.
Victorian Carriage Rides Through the Somerset Levels - Staff in Victorian costume can collect guests at the house for a ride in a horse-drawn carriage through the surrounding countryside.
Pamper Sessions - A beautician and aromatherapist offer relaxing beauty treatments at the house, followed by a glass of Champagne.
Falconry - A falconry display can be arranged for guests. A specialist bird-of-prey handler introduces the birds and shows them in flight. Guests may hold them while wearing a protective glove.
Family Bonding - A weekend of family and individual development, discovery, dream-building and togetherness can be facilitated by All Being Well which was co-founded by the Owner/Guardian of Cossington Park
Owl Prowls and Badger Watch - Join Chris Sperring, MBE for a night of calling and conversing with tawny owls or watching badgers. There is also bird watching, dawn chorus walks and all-night wildlife safaris offered.
Murder Mystery Dinner Party - Each guest is sent an invitation letter prior to the event explaining their character and giving tips for costumes and special instructions. Two actors coordinate the evening.
Golf - For the golfing enthusiast, the house can arrange play at at the superb championship links course at Burnham & Berrow or at the traditional parkland course at Enmore. This could include a lesson with the professional and/or a video replay of the match.
Fishing - The house is well situated for coarse and river fishing and can arrange tokens from Westcountry Angling and tuition.
Archery on the Lawn - Archery can be arranged for small groups in the grounds.
Cosmic Delights - An evening visit to Charterhouse Centre on top of the Mendips for an introduction to the stars observed through telescopes, including an impressive 18" reflector in its own observatory, gives guests the chance to experience the delights of the country sky at night.
Caving - The Mendips contain some of the deepest caves in Europe and provide opportunities for caving, climbing and abseiling.
Gliding – Flights can be arranged at Mendip Gliding Club.
Shooting - A visit to the Mendip Firing Range or clay shoot, off the premises.
Bristol Channel Cruise – Summer cruises to Lundy Island and Penarth are offered.
The nearest beaches are: Burnham-on-Sea (8 miles northwest, family beach, donkeys, brown sand which can be dangerous); Kilve (15 miles west, quiet and unspoiled beach); and Weston-Super-Mare (15 miles north, family beach, lots of attractions).
Local Walks - The Quantocks, Mendips and Brendon Hills are beautiful for walks, as are the Poldens and Glastonbury Tor. There are picnic and barbecue areas. Closer to the house, there is a footpath next to the playing fields, which leads to Bawdrip along the old railway. It is ideal for dogs, cycling and children. There is also an interesting walk along Bell Lane towards Gold Corner Pumping Station.
Tennis - Cranleigh Gardens, Bridgwater and Chilton Trinity Leisure Centre, Bridgwater.
Swimming Pools - Sedgemoor Splash, Bridgwater (waves, rapids and flumes) and Burnham Pool, Burnham-on-Sea.

#### Extras
Good news! For a little extra, This property is available as a Vill'otelWith a vill'otel holiday, you can enjoy all these services throughout your stay:

- Daily breakfast
- Daily maid service
- Deluxe welcome hamper with local delicacies
- Welcome drinks for your group
- Fridge-stocking service
- Private chef serviceInterested?
If you'd like to book the Vill'otel serviced option, contact us on for a tailor-made quote! Typical costs range between £100-£250 per person per week dependent on requirements.

Please note that all services are subject to availability and must be requested at the time of booking.
The owners do everything to ensure that guests have relaxing, enjoyable and memorable holidays. They visit soon after guests' arrival to make sure that they can find everything needed and know how things work. A comprehensive file of information is provided in the house.
The house provide a generous welcome hamper which includes:
- A generous selection of local foods
- The house's own label wines
- Apple juice from a nearby farm
The owners are happy to arrange for food deliveries from a quality local supplier or for a cook to prepare any meals.
The beds have high quality, middle-firmness mattresses and are made up with luxury cotton sheets and soft duvets. Every bed is supplied with a generous bundle of soft white towels.
The owners take pride in the well-equipped kitchens, which include a large range electric cooker, a combination microwave/electric oven, two dishwashers and two refrigerators.
Special Activities and Events - These include archery, falconry, carriage driving, hot air ballooning, owl and badger watch, and beauty treatments.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, so please just contact Oliver's VIP Concierge Team to help you arrange any of those little extras that can really make the difference.