Newt in Somerset
Serious country house with an unstuffy, curious edge. Think Georgian bones, bold-coloured interiors, crackling fires in the library, live jazz in the bar, and the smell of estate-pressed cyder drifting through the grounds. Playful design meets genuine working-farm credentials.
Book the indoor-outdoor pool time slot in advance — it gets full quickly and pre-booking means you nearly have it to yourself
Why It Matters
Three Michelin Keys. Voted #1 UK hotel outside London and #1 Best Independent Boutique Hotel in the World (Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards 2025). Opened as a hotel only in 2019 but immediately ranked among England's finest country-house hotels. The estate's biodiversity programme employs a full-time entomologist and runs rewilding projects including red squirrel reintroduction and native bee conservation — plus there's a resident colony of great crested newts the property is named after.
A 17th-century Georgian estate that only became a hotel in 2019, yet hits the ground running with a depth most properties take decades to build. The Newt sits on 800 acres of Somerset countryside with 30 acres of formal gardens, 60 acres of cyder apple orchards (267 varieties), working farm, deer park, ancient woodland and its own replica Roman villa. It's a hotel of two halves: Hadspen House — the honey-hued limestone Georgian manor at the estate's heart — and the Farmyard, a converted dairy farm half a mile through the orchards.
Where You'll Stay
9 room types available
Farmhouse Room
Four Farmhouse rooms in the Farmyard area with bucolic countryside vistas. Charming original features from the farm's agricultural past and a quieter, more secluded feel than Hadspen.
King
Farmyard Room with Steam
Seven of the Farmyard's most luxurious rooms come with their own private steam pods — a real highlight for wellness-focused guests. Once agricultural buildings, now stylish rooms with en-suite bathrooms, charming original features and bucolic countryside views.
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Hadspen House Room
Twelve guest rooms in the Georgian main house, a short walk from the spa and formal gardens. Choose between grandest rooms with sweeping garden views or charming loft rooms up at the top of the house. Restrained classical architecture offset by bold colours and playful design touches. All have luxury en-suite bathrooms.
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Hadspen Loft Room
Serene loft rooms at the top of Hadspen House with original manor house charm. Lower price point within the Hadspen range. More intimate than the grander garden-view rooms but still with the full hotel experience on the doorstep.
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Hayloft & Woolsack
A family-friendly suite in the Stable Yard that can sleep two adults plus an extra charged bed. One of the best options for families at Hadspen, alongside the Clock House rooms.
King
Room with a View
A dedicated two-bedroom family suite at the Farmyard sleeping two adults and two children under 12. One of the best family options on the estate alongside Gate Lodge. Ideal for families who want the secluded Farmyard experience.
King + Single
Stable Yard Room
One of 11 rooms in the original working Stable Yard, transformed into unique accommodation while retaining its equestrian past. Design-led romantic hideaways — think log burners, characterful stonework and a direct step out into the garden and spa.
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The Granary
A standout room in the Stable Yard, converted from the original granary building. Character-rich with original stonework and the same luxury fittings as the rest of the estate.
KingYarlington Lodge
A Regency rectory set within its own 12 acres, opening June 1, 2026 — The Newt's most private and opulent accommodation. Sleeps up to 32 guests across three properties: the main Yarlington Lodge (8 bedrooms), the Coach House (4 bedrooms) and Cottage in the Wall (4 bedrooms). Comes with a personal butler team and private chef, outdoor heated 22m pool, indoor jacuzzi, tennis court, croquet lawn, cinema room and Palm House. Bookings by enquiry only.
VariousThe Property
Eat & Drink
7 venues on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
Traditional high tea in a quiet corner of the Hadspen House library, led by the estate's own tea sommelier. A properly old-school English experience.
A behind-the-scenes look at The Newt's working cyder cellar. The estate grows 267 apple varieties across 3,000+ trees and presses its own cyder on site. One of the estate's signature experiences and very much the thing this place is known for beyond the gardens.
Badminton court on the estate — they even have a name for it. A complimentary cyder is handed out with a round of badminton in summer.
Classic English croquet on Hadspen's manicured lawns. A properly social afternoon in the Somerset sunshine.
Complimentary bikes and buggies available to all hotel guests for getting between Hadspen and the Farmyard, and for exploring the wider estate and orchards.
Guided or self-guided 'forest bathing' in the estate's ancient woodlands and deer park. The estate also has a 5km signed running route.
Self-guided exploration of 30 acres of formal gardens including the Victorian walled Parabola garden (apple trees planted as a maze), Japanese garden, kitchen garden, wildflower meadows and ornamental spaces.
A First Class train from London Paddington to Somerset, including garden tours, cyder tasting and an afternoon tea on the return journey. 2026 dates now live. A rare hotel-operated day-trip experience.
Behind-the-scenes guided tour of the working estate including gardens, farm, orchards and production areas.
Dedicated children's activities including forest school, tree climbing, garden trails, egg collecting on the farm, wildlife interactions and visits to the Beezantium. Structured activities available during school holidays.
A full annual programme of workshops led by estate specialists: horticulture, ecology, heritage crafts, dawn walks, food, floriculture, cyder-making, mushroom foraging, cocktail workshops, arts and crafts and more. Booking essential.
The estate's interactive honeybee exhibit — a honeybee megalopolis housing the working hives. Part natural history, part spectacle, and unlike anything else in UK hotels.
A full replica Roman villa built on the estate — an immersive archaeological exhibit. Genuinely surprising to find something this elaborate attached to a hotel.
An interactive museum exploring the history and culture of gardening, located on the estate.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Complimentary drinks available at the Garner Bar at the Farmyard for hotel residents staying in the Farmyard.
The hotel bar at Hadspen serves cocktails including Newt G&Ts. Live jazz plays in the evenings.
External accredited babysitting available to book at approximately £35/hour (minimum 5 hours). Contact hotel in advance.
Well-equipped gym with views over the kitchen garden — you can watch the gardeners tend vegetables from the treadmill.
Dedicated yoga studio with daily timetabled classes as part of the Wellness Programme.
On-estate ice cream parlour making gelato from the farm's own cows. A popular stop for families — and adults.
Complimentary cream tea served every afternoon in the Drawing Room for all hotel guests.
A whole store of walking boots and raincoats available to borrow — a thoughtful touch given the English countryside weather.
The main spa's signature pool — genuinely special indoor-outdoor design. Slots are bookable in advance so it rarely feels crowded. Children welcome during designated hours (9–10am, 1–2pm, 4–5pm).
A separate indoor pool at the Farmyard, open 8am–8pm, welcoming to families all day. Hotel residents can use both pools.
A natural outdoor bathing pond on the estate — also home to the great crested newts after which the hotel is named. Available for wild swimming.
The Hadspen House library — a proper cosy corner with fireplaces, books and complimentary cream tea served daily.
On-site farm shop selling estate produce: home-pressed apple juice, cyder, freshly baked pastries, cheese and estate groceries. Worth loading up before you leave.
Hotel and spa heated by a biomass boiler powered by woodchips from the estate's woodland management programme. Single-use plastics minimised and all organic waste composted in the gardens.
Complimentary bikes and golf-style buggies for all hotel guests to navigate between Hadspen and Farmyard and explore the estate. Large accessible buggy also available.
BUILD YOUR THE NEWT IN SOMERSET PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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